Hurricane Dorian pummeled the Bahamas Monday. With storm surges 18 to 23 feet above normal tide levels and wind gusts as high as 200 mph, officials say Dorian is the strongest storm to hit the islands. Dorian inches its way towards Florida, Georgia and South Carolina. Life-threatening storm surge and dangerous hurricane-force winds are expected along portions of Florida’s east coast and the coasts of Georgia and South Carolina, reports the National Hurricane Center.
The most likely times of arrival of tropical storm force winds from Hurricane Dorian, as predicted by the National Hurricane Center:
- Central Florida Coast Tuesday Morning
- North Florida Coast Tuesday Afternoon
- Georgia Coast Tuesday Night
- South Carolina Coast Early Wednesday
Grand Bahama Island has already experienced extensive damage and more is expected as the storm moves. Florida residents are bracing for impact; 2600 Floridians have already sought refuge in Red Cross and community evacuation centers, reports Red Cross.
Gov. Brian Kemp of Georgia and Gov. Henry McMaster of South Carolina each announced mandatory evacuations effective noon Monday for certain coastal areas of their states.
Many local emergency officials have embarked to aid in recovery efforts. The TN Task Force 2, which includes 5 Franklin firefighters arrived in Florida Sept 1 and a second crew of Franklin firefighters and the Williamson County Swift Water Rescue Team left for Tallahassee on Sept 2.
While our local emergency personnel prepares to help those in Florida, there is a way you can help too.
The Music City Way Fund has been established by The Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee to aid with Hurricane Dorian recovery efforts.
Grants from this disaster relief fund will be made to area nonprofits providing assistance both immediate and long term, and 100% of donations made will go directly toward recovery efforts.
To donate to The Music City Way Fund, go to www.cfmt.org.
The Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee and its The Music City Way Fund supports affected communities, victims and their ongoing needs.
“At The Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee, we believe that if we CAN help we SHOULD help — and so for the past 28 years we have provided ways to make giving to disaster response easy for both the donor and the recipients,” said Ellen Lehman, president of The Community Foundation.
Lehman continued: “In the wake of Hurricane Dorian, we are doing just that. We are making sure that people can give comfortably, conveniently and with confidence that 100% of the money gets to the nonprofits in the affected area. We’ve been there … we know firsthand that the recovery from Dorian will be long, difficult and complex. … We want to help!”
Nashville and Middle Tennessee understand so well the trauma of storm-related natural disasters. In 2010, the Tennessee Flood was caused when 13.57 inches of rain fell over 36 hours.
“Those who have lived through this disaster still remember so vividly our own recovery. We remember how much the kindness of strangers from across the world meant to us. We recognize oh-so-well the challenges disasters bring. The layers of need for every disaster unfold differently but unfold they do,” The Community Foundation writes in a press release.
