Zoe Turner, 17, ran to safety from a flash flood that swept through Waverly in Tennessee. The rushing water would kill 20 of her neighbours, cause damage to more than 700 homes, and create a new obstacle in Zoe’s senior year of highschool.
She says, “I have never experienced such, like terrible feelings.” “Just feeling so raw.”
Despite the dangers of flooding in her community, she and her family decided to rebuild their lives in the months following the August 2021 flood. Zoe agreed to share her feelings and thoughts with WPLN News Nashville.
Flood survivors had to deal with the aftermath for weeks. Many tried to find housing. Others focused on collecting cash from family and friends as well as local non-profits and federal agencies.
Many people found the Thanksgiving holiday a rare opportunity to reflect on the destruction. It evoked difficult emotions. The flood left families without a loved one, and the people who were displaced looked for new homes.
Waverly Central High School was also settling into familiar rhythms.
Zoe states that “we are cramming for most of my classes because we missed the three week after the flood.” “So that set us back quite a lot, and everyone had a while to get into the swing of things.”
Another flood is possible
Zoe and her neighbors were on edge by the spring when heavy rains and strong storms swept through Middle Tennessee.
Zoe, as the rain fell, says that she gets nervous when there’s been a lot of rainfall. Although I know it is not the norm, it still makes me nervous. Many people have experienced trauma from the flood.
An entire year of “lasts”
Zoe participated in her last high school guard competition, the 2022 Southern Color Guard Circuit Championships. This is what she does outside of National Beta Club and church outside school. Zoe was able to see the reality of the competition. It was a bitter reminder of her high school graduation. Her boyfriend and mom were there to support her.
Zoe states, “One of my most regrettable things is the community that I’ve found in guard and the friends, as well as the hilarious times.” “All those small moments you share together will end.”
The last weeks of school were difficult. Zoe left school on May 18 to go to high school. With a mixture of excitement and nervousness, she took two finals.
“All my friends, and everyone else, we keep reminding one another like, ‘Oh! This is our last day.’ It was like last night, it was like, “This is the last time that we could ask our parents for sleepovers and they said, “No, it’s because it’s a night of school and we have school tomorrow morning,” Zoe says. “It’s kind of sad to say goodbye this part of my childhood.”
Start a new journey
Zoe would play a unique role in her class’ graduation ceremony. The valedictorian, dressed in a royal blue gown and cap, addressed the community.
Zoe advises her classmates to not think about the unknown stressors of the future or the precious memories of the past. Instead, think about the moment that we are currently living. We have finally gotten what we’ve been waiting.
This evening marked the close of an unpredictable senior year, which took her whole town by surprise. However, Zoe was able to survive the flood and gain new meanings for her senior year. She is now stronger.
Zoe states, “Now I feel stronger because of what, um? I and the rest went through.” “I feel extremely resilient. “I look forward to seeing what Waverly will be in the future, and how it will grow.”
Zoe will move to Knoxville, Tennessee this fall to study at the University of Tennessee.
“The place I’m currently in is, you know what, who I am. This is where I grew up all my life. Zoe says that many people have known me since I was a baby. “I’m excited to interact with people who don’t know me well or have any knowledge about me aEUR.” I was just going in with a blank slate.
