CLARKSVILLE, TN (CLARKSVILLE NOW) – Sherry Nicholson, founder of YAIPak Outreach, has been making trips to and from Hazard, Kentucky, where flooding has left many without power, water or cell phone service.

She makes the five-hour trip every other day, bringing residents whatever can carry them through from one day to the next, since all the buildings are destroyed and there is no storage capacity.

“One of the problems is that they do not have the ability to house large loads, so I am making a trip to take basic supplies every other day,” she said.

The destruction

Torrential rains hit the area during the last week of July, bringing 14 to 16 inches of rain to Eastern Kentucky.

“When the flood happened, it brought down mudslides, rock boulders, trees, bridges, roads and hollers,” Nicholson said. “People are sleeping under tarps. Some are sleeping on their front porches.”

Nicholson said relief efforts have been underway for several weeks to get to people who are still trapped.

“People are offering to go in on their ATVs, and walking on foot, or going in on horseback to check on people,” she said. “Some first responders even got trapped in their building and had to wait for 14 hours to be rescued. This is the worst I have seen since Katrina.”

Nicholson said some people won’t have water for months. “Some are still trying to get power,” she said.

How to help

For their next trip, donations are being accepted at the YAIPak warehouse at 1255 Paradise Hill Road on Thursday from 5-8 p.m., and Clarksville residents are encouraged to help out.

“We need solar lights, small grills so people can cook food, pop-top canned food, and we are asking for manual can openers since they don’t have power,” she said.

They also need:

  • Generators
  • Electric cords
  • Heavy chain (3-8 feet)
  • Gas cans/water cans
  • Visa cards (for gas, ice, supplies, etc.)
  • Cots, tents
  • Small grills/cookers, and propane or charcoal to run them
  • Heavy mops
  • Push brooms
  • Contractor bags
  • First aid and medicines, especially Tylenol and allergy meds

Nicholson said besides providing food, rescue efforts are under way.

“We are partnering with private individuals from Pennsylvania who are bringing in heavy equipment,” she said, noting this partnership will help clear roadways so supplies can be delivered.

Chris Bright, administrative director for YAIPak, said they are serving about 20,000 displaced people.

“We have one portable laundry truck we expect to be able to deploy soon,” she said. “It has four washers, six dryers … and runs on propane. It’s a long concession trailer. These are desperately needed in disaster situations,” she said.

Bright said it has not yet been deployed because search and recovery efforts are still underway.

For more on how to help, call 615-559-8272. To make a donation to the organization text “GIVE” to 844-335-1746.