Help Anna and Toney Rebuild After the Flood

My friend's, Fred and Laura's daughter, Anna, lives in Erwin, TN with her husband Toney and their house was flooded by Hurricane Helene. The Nolichucky River is about one hundred yards behind their house. The house is a modest one story wood framed structure with a full basement. When the storm hit, the river started rising. It had done this before but stopped at the fence in their backyard. On Friday September 27, the river just kept coming towards the house. When they realized they needed to leave, they got the dogs and their vehicles and went across the highway to higher ground. They spent Friday night in their van. The river rose three feet in their house that day and filled the basement.

By Saturday, the water levels began to drop. Friends and family came by to see how they could help. They shoveled out the mud and filled a trailer with destroyed household items headed for the dump.

So much more cleaning still needs to be done and then work to rebuild the house will begin. The house is a total loss. So are their neighbors' homes.

Anna grew up in Decatur, GA, graduated from Shamrock High School and Wofford College where she majored in psychology. She has worked in crisis intervention at a hospital in Johnson City, TN, as Aquatics Director at Bert Adams Boy Scout Camp, and for her cousin's clinical psychology practice reviewing applicants looking for aid from the state of Tennessee.

It was her love of the outdoors where Anna met Toney. Ironically enough, they met at a Nolichucky River clean-up. They learned they both had a love for adventure, on land and on the rivers. They loved canoeing, kayaking and rafting. So much so, their wedding was next to a stream.

Toney grew up in Jonesborough, TN. Through a previous marriage, he had a daughter, Cassy. Cassy was six when Anna and Toney got married. After they were married, Toney decided to get a nursing degree at Milligan College. He works at the Johnson City Medical Center in the surgical unit.

Their adventurous spirit has given them many amazing experiences; for example, Toney took seven month off in 2019 and through-hiked the Appalachian Trail from Georgia to Maine. Anna completed the Rocky Mountain Ultra Marathon where she averaged running twenty miles a day for six days on trails through the Rockies. Just to name a few adventures.

They have loved building their life in their home on their beloved Nolichucky River. As you can imagine, this time is heart wrenching for them and their neighbors. If you feel so led, please donate whatever you can to help Anna and Toney rebuild. Anna has said, too, that she will share this monetary blessing with her neighbors.

May God comfort Anna, Toney, their neighbors, Erwin, TN, and all those many, many people affected by Hurricane Helene.