It is a nightmare to end all nightmares.

Here I am, at work, and I should have left to go home long before; yet I can't:  the first floor is flooded -- and the waters continue to rise as the rains continues to pour down, sometimes as much as two to three inches an hour.

I am worried about my wife and children the most, as any good father should be:  my wife is physically disabled, and she really doesn't move very fast on her crutches, even during the best of times; as for our children (Jubaki, Kibarake, Eshe', M'Baki, Muhusini, Maliki, Minani, Keloki, Kenji, and Koji), most of them are quite little; there's no way they could possibly escape the floodwaters that are quickly turning our city into a lake.

There's at least a dozen other nurses besides me who are stranded; we've now gone to the second floor because the waters have come into the first level of the hospital, and there's no telling when (or if) the rains will ever stop.  There's talk that the Cumberland River is about ready to overflow its banks, and the tornado sirens have continued their sirensong off and on pretty much the whole day.

It isn't a day fit for man or beast!  Even the ducks would probably drown, more than likely, if this keeps up!

The thunder is so loud I can hear it even from here.  I want to look outside, to see what it's exactly doing out there, but right now, as I write this, we're currently experiencing a "Code: Black", meaning tornadoes have been sighted in the immediate area, which only heightens my concern for my family back home.  Did they manage to get to safety?  What about our house?  Does it have water in it?  What about the animals?  Are they okay?  Did the wife and kids take them with them if they left to find shelter/higher ground?  Is my HUMMER floating down the parking lot?

What would I do if I were to find my home/property damaged?  What would I do if my wife and children were unable to escape?  To think of something happening to my family is probably one of the worst feelings a father can ever experience; yet I can't stop thinking about this.  It is a vey scary time about now!

I wonder when this will stop.  I just pray we don't get flooded out:  I can swim, but several others in my group can't; I don't want to have to use my military training to help them if they get into a jam, but I feel I must if I have to; it's only the right thing to do!

Well, I will run along for now; the all-clear has been given.  Must have been a false alarm.  Just keep us and our city in your prayers; most of all, pray this weather stops quickly!  And pray that my wife and kids are okay; that is probably my highest priority on my prayer list about now!  I'd greatly appreciate it!  Thanks in advance!

~Sincerely, Roberto Sormiento, R.N., Nashville, Tennessee.  :(

*to be continued.*