KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — Hundreds of homes have been damaged and families are trying to figure out what is next in Kentucky and Virginia. They've lost their homes and personal supplies while trying to clean out the mud.
Anchor Ridge is a non-profit from North Carolina that is working tirelessly to help people devastated by the floods. As a company, they've been around for the last 10 years.
East Tennessee is one of the places they received a truck of supplies from. Josh Paul, founder and president of Anchor Ridge, said this is the first stage where they are trying to gather basic survival help, such as bleach, food, clothes and even shampoo.
"The saddest part about rural areas like this flooding is that these people have nowhere to go," Paul said. "I was inside of a house the other day where this man was, he was 81 years old, and he said, 'Look, I don't have anybody to help me get this cleaned up.'"
Paul has come across many people lately from Virginia. One of them was a woman who described how she had to calm her 9-year-old granddaughter the night of the flooding and told her that "everything was going to be alright."
Then she looked outside and it was already flooding.
Anchor Ridge and its volunteers rushed to help people.
"We're always needing volunteers," said Debbie Frank, Coordinator of Volunteers. "Because here at Anchor Ridge, we never know where we're going to be pulled next, because we're always boots on the ground. Wherever that need is, that's where we're going to go."
The founder of the non-profit said the truck filled with supplies from Tennessee was welcomed and much needed. They are planning on sending it to Kentucky in the next few weeks.
"To be able to receive that truck from Knoxville it's like them sending a whole truck of love and saying, 'Hey, go make sure these people are getting what they need,' it's just awesome," said Paul.