Flooding in North Georgia

So, the rain did not abate for days and days. Bad floods drew up in Atlanta and all around Chattanooga, especially in East Ridge and north Georgia. Monday I spent the day chasing flooding and its consequences. It was very sad by the end. Two boys fell into a flooded field while wrestling and playing just yards from their parents. The younger boy was rescued, but the second boy’s body was found the following morning. It was really tragic and upsetting. I arrived in Frogtown as they were pulling the boy from the water and got a few frames of them taking him to medical care. We stuck around for a little while in hopes that the second teenager would be found, but eventually had to get to McDonald’s to send back photos.

The day started in Chickamauga where they had evacuated a mobile home park by boat. I wasn’t there for that, just the last few rescuer workers heading to their next event.

I then went to Covenant College on Lookout Mountain where they had a mudslide earlier that morning.

Then back to North Georgia where an apartment complex was flooded.

Trion was hit really bad, as both Chickamauga and La Fayette’s overflowing creeks contribute to the flooding of the Chattooga River that runs through Trion. Rescue workers were going door-to-door letting residents know that they should evacuate now rather than wait for the weather to get worse. Their backyards and neighbors’ homes were already flooded.

Most decided to go to local churches that had volunteered to take in the evacuees.

The river was flooding, the earthen levy was already overtaken by water and the 40-year-old dike was being doubted.

(that’s the roof of a car and the top of a clothesline in front of the apartment building)

(a school)

(the levy)

(the other side of the levy)

Searching and Rescuing the teenage boys in Frogtown, Ga.

Rainy Days

It won’t stop raining. And because that is newsworthy, I went out to shoot weather features. Not usually very successful and often end up being a more interest weather subject myself. The other day I stepped into Kenton Shoe Shop for a break from the rain and shot a few frames inside, as well as making a few new friends.

United Way Day of Caring

Dropped in on some volunteers from Ace’s Hardware who were planting a garden at the downtown Chattanooga Salvation Army on United Way’s Day of Caring where volunteers nationwide came out to help around their communities. This chore was really neat in that this garden, two of three beds are for seasonal vegetables, will provide the Salvation Army’s kitchen with fresh produce. The kitchen will soon be hosting free cooking classes to help teach a skill to Chattanoogans who don’t currently have a highly marketable skill.

21-hour search finds boy alive

Last Friday, I went up to Walden where a 14-year-old boy, John Andrew Webster, had gone missing the evening before. A search had ensued three hours after he went on a solo hike and didn’t return. Fortunately, around 11 the following afternoon, he was discovered by civilians who had decided to drive their 4-wheeler around their property and search for John. It was really inspiring that more than 40 volunteers, some taking a day off of work, joined the rescue workers to help find the Signal Mountain student who survived by using his experience and boy scout skills to survive. The family was very private and we only shot photos after they had reunited and made their way up to the makeshift search headquarters. This is a photo of John’s grandma giving him yet another thankful hug.

Pilots-N-Paws

A non-profit organization, Pilots-N-Paws, links volunteering pilots with volunteer rescuers who have animals that can be taken to areas with a lower population of strays. Today, an independent rescuer, Carlean Candiff, brought five dogs the Jon Wehrenberg would fly north where they would be adopted much faster than here in Tennessee or Georgia.

then…

ProLife Commercial

A couple of weekends ago, I was called to shoot a pro-life, anti-healthcare reform protest in downtown Chattanooga. It was not, however, quite what we had expected. An outspoken pro-lifer and activist, Randall Terry, was touring various cities and shooting a mock commercial against Obama’s health care plan. He was a doctor, another guy was Obama and a woman was an old lady. After stabbing and tossing babies, the doctor in compliance with Obama’s thumbs-down would then take out the elderly lady as well. The police came and stated that the sidewalk in front of the county building was private, so they had to shoot the commercial in the street…then getting in trouble for blocking traffic. Anyway, just a few shots from that.

Glass Work

During a museum hop that I was shooting a couple of weekends ago, I wandered into Chris Mosey’s glasswork studio. He was giving demonstrations throughout the day so I stuck around and got a few shots.

Waiting on the Duck

The Duck tours in Chattanooga drive tourists around both the town and down the river. I happened upon a Bible camp class waiting for it to return to take a field trip.

Cherokee Days of Remembrance

This weekend Red Clay National Park in Cleveland, Tenn., hosted Cherokee Days of Remembrance. The park sits on land originally belonging to the Cherokee people. Each year a small festival is held to feature Cherokee arts and traditions including dancing, crafts and music. There are quite a few photos, but it was so colorful it was hard to only choose a few!

A lady uses a tool to ’shave’ the hair off of a deer skin.

 

Lots of dancing:

(father and son)

Friendship dance that everyone was invited to participate in.

Blowing darts:

Enjoying the roasted corn:

Veteran Memorial

On Saturday, Veterans of the 321st Transportation Company of the Vietnam War met for their annual reunion. Their reunions take place across the country, but was held in Chattanooga this year. Bruce Hopson had planned to host the reunion, but died in October. His fellow veterans decided to keep the date and location and to add a memorial in his honor at the National Cemetery where he is buried. 

(A Choctaw sings songs in Choctaw with his wife in remembrance of Mr. Hopson)

Mr. Hopson’s mother, center, salutes his tombstone along with veterans and family members.

His grandson, wife, daughter, granddaughter and son-in-law stand before his grave.

His son is the first to reach his grave.