With snow and ice and single digit temperatures hitting the country in recent days, some areas in Tennessee have experienced water shortages — and Disaster Relief volunteers in the state are responding.
Wes Jones, disaster relief specialist for the Tennessee Baptist Mission Board, received a request on Friday (Jan. 19) from Stan Wafler, associational missionary for Beech River Baptist Association, that portions of Decatur and Henderson counties were without water.
Jones found some water locally but not nearly enough to meet the needs so he contacted Don Owen, director of God’s Warehouse in Morristown and Disaster Relief director for Nolachucky Baptist Association.
A load of 20 pallets (40,000 pounds of water), driven by a volunteer from Nolachucky Association, was delivered the load late Saturday evening.
At the same time, Jones received a request for water in Lawrence County. Owen was able to send out another load of 20 pallets to Lawrence County that was scheduled for delivery for Jan. 20.
Without water
An estimated 1,500 or more people were without water in the three counties.
Another load for distribution in other areas of Middle Tennessee is scheduled to be delivered on Monday (Jan. 22), Jones said. Owens confirmed that shipment and said that another pallet also would be delivered to Tennessee Emergence Management Association in Middle Tennessee.
Owen asked for prayers for the drivers delivering the water from Morristown to Middle Tennessee and for residents, many of them elderly, who are without drinking water.
As of noon on Jan. 21, Tennessee Disaster Relief also received a request from Carter County in upper East Tennessee, requesting water. “We will see what we can do in order to supply them with water as well,” Jones said.
Jones expressed his appreciation to Tennessee Baptists. “We thank God for his provision, for volunteers willing to respond on short notice and for you, His people and churches who support us which enables us to respond and provide what is needed,” Jones said.
EDITOR’S NOTE — This story was written and originally published by Baptist and Reflector.
