English Bulldog Puppies for Sale in Memphis, TN

MEMPHIS, Tenn. - The damage Hurricane Helene left behind will be felt for weeks and months to come.

One of the hardest hit areas is East Tennessee. Catastrophic flooding has swallowed buildings and damaged countless roads and bridges.

Photos and video of the aftermath paint a harrowing image. More than 50 people were stranded on the roof of a hospital about 100 miles northeast of Knoxville after the flooding moved in. Neighborhoods and roadways also vanished underwater in minutes.

That area is going to need a lot of help to get its water and power back online, so many Mid-South crews left as early as last week to help with recovery.

"I don't use the word catastrophic lightly. This is a catastrophic event," Sarah Breazeale, the executive director of the American Red Cross of the Mid-South, said.

Breazeale said they've deployed 57 volunteers to east Tennessee, Georgia, and Florida to help with recovery efforts.

"Right now the focus is really on sheltering and feeding, offering emotional support, and health services," she said.

Members of the West Tennessee Department of Transportation's strike force team and bridge inspection crews left as early as Saturday to assess damage and inspect bridges affected by high water.

"Our bridge inspectors can go and help inspect bridges and look at the structural integrity and check the areas that need clearing of debris," spokesperson of the department Nichole Lawrence said. "As the water goes down, we will see more and more areas that we need to take a look at and do extra inspections."

As of Sunday afternoon, Lawrence said 27 state roadway sections in east Tennessee were closed. 14 state bridges were also closed, and five more bridges were destroyed.

While there's no timeframe on how long repairs will take, Lawrence says reconnecting communities severed by damage is a priority.

"Safety is our number one priority," she said. "Our infrastructure is what connects communities and connects people throughout the state."

The Red Cross of the Mid-South is looking for more volunteers to help Helene victims.

They're hosting shelter training sessions on Thursday from 1 p.m. to 5 p.m. and Saturday from 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. at their office on 1399 Madison Ave. for people interested.

For more ways to help, click here.

Download the FOX13 Memphis app to receive alerts from breaking news in your neighborhood.

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD

Trending stories:

The 2024 edition of the Mempho Music Festival kicked off at the Radians Amphitheater with an eclectic mix of artists.

Whether you were into singer-songwriters, country music, or rock; Mempho Music Festival had you covered with their opening day lineup.

Memphis resident Mark Edgar Stuart started things off at the Shell on Wheels Stage. Stuart hails from Arkansas originally (as noted by the hat he sported during his set), but has been a fixture of the Memphis music scene for years. Set highlights included “Arkansas Is Nice,” Stuart’s ode to those still residing in the Natural State. You can hear Mark Edgar Stuart’s newest album, Never Far Behind, on all streaming platforms.

The energy stepped up a notch as Robert Jon & The Wreck took the stage. A southern rock band from California seems counterintuitive but the songs were top-notch rock and roll. Complete with catchy riffs and singable choruses, the Robert Jon Burrison-led quintet gave fans a blistering set. The powerful “Oh Miss Carolina” had the crowd singing along whether they were familiar with the song or not, and “High Time” turned into an extended jam that foreshadowed songs from later in the evening. Robert Jon & The Wreck’s latest release, Red Moon Rising, is available now from Journeyman Records.

Oxford, Mississippi’s reunited Blue Mountain was next at the Shell on Wheels Stage. Over two sets the Cary Hudson-led alternative country trio played songs ranging from their 1993 debut, Blue Mountain, to 2008’s Midnight in Mississippi. Hudson’s cutting lyrics and Les Paul tone worked perfectly with backing vocals from bassist Laurie Stirratt. “Midnight in Mississippi” was an obvious crowd favorite, telling the story of a wild night out in the band’s home state. If you’re able to catch the reunited Blue Mountain anywhere, do it.

Opening up the main Adams Keegan stage was country artist Brent Cobb. “Keep ‘Em on They Toes” opened things up and set the mood for what turned into a very laid-back set. Cobb’s version of country music is less of the classic rock-infused style, and much more geared toward storytelling. Cobb intro’d “Black Creek” from 2006’s No Place to Leave with a story about how he’s always accused of ripping off Everlast because of one of the song’s guitar lines. Cobb also admitted that’s “not entirely false.” You can hear Cobb’s most recent release, Southern Star, on all streaming platforms. Cory Wong exploded onto the Bud Light stage for a non-stop set of jazz, rock, and funk fusion. Being exclusively an instrumental act, the music obviously has to be exceedingly interesting to hold a crowd’s attention. Wong had no issues with this, with his guitar or the band’s horns or keys taking the place of a vocalist on many occasions. Wong invited Rick Mitarotonda and Peter Anspach from Goose to the stage to play, with Wong and Mitarotonda trading solos back and forth. Cory Wong’s latest release (in collaboration with The Metropole Orkest) Starship Syncopation is out now. As twilight started to creep in, the guitar of Marcus King roared through the grounds. King’s mix of blues and clear R&B influence is perfect for a festival setting. His previously mentioned guitar work was spot on, ranging from searing solos to complex chord work. Set highlights included “Hero,” “Save Me,” and a cover of Danny O’Keefe’s “Good Time Charlie’s Got The Blues.” King also played a solo acoustic version of “Die Alone” from his upcoming 2025 release. You can see Marcus King a few more times in the US this year in both the U.S. and Europe. Goose was one of the most anticipated shows of Mempho Fest Day One, and the Bud Light stage was at capacity when the lights went down. The band started with a 20-minute version of the newly released “Big Modern!” which has been lauded as one of the band’s best compositions to date. Cory Wong made a return appearance with the band as well, trading solos with singer/guitarist Rick Mitarotonda on an amazing version of “Animal.” The band also wowed the crowd with a jam version of Prince’s “I Would Die 4 U.” You can and should see Goose touring the U.S. for the remainder of 2024. Closing out day one of Mempho 2024 was outlaw country artist Cody Jinks. Jinks and his band (The Tone Deaf Hippies) are very much of the classic rock-infused branch of country music that Brent Cobb is not. With three guitars and a pedal steel on top of that, the band is all power and volume. Jinks said they really wanted to add older songs into the setlist but couldn’t fit them, so they solved things by “just making the setlist longer.” This allowed them to bring back older tracks like “Thunderheads” while keeping fan favorites like “No Guarantees” and “Somewhere In The Middle.” You can see Cody Jinks and The Tone Deaf Hippies touring the U.S. for the rest of 2024 and hear their latest release, Change The Game, on all streaming platforms.

MEMPHO MUSIC FESTIVAL Website Facebook X

PRESS RELEASE FROM THE SALVATION ARMY OF MEMPHIS:

Memphis, TN – The Salvation Army of Memphis and The Midsouth deploys Lieutenant Rashad Poole, Lieutenant Tim Morrison and longtime disaster volunteer, Kriby Chatman to Johnson City, Tennessee to help with the Hurricane Helene clean up across Unicoi, Greene, Carter, Cocke and Johnson Counties. The reponse team is based in Johnson City, Tennessee where they provide hot meals, water, emotional and spiritual care to vicitms of Hurricane Helene.

Emergency Disaster Crews with The Salvation Army have been on the ground since Saturday, September 28 to help victims in the storm ravaged area of East Tennessee. So far, they have served 18,227 meals, 935 drinks, 4,617 snacks, and 306 food boxes to men, women and children in need in those communities. The Salvation Army has six mobile kitchens spread across six feeding locations in Cocke, Greene, Unicoi, Carter and Johnson Counties.

We are coordinating closely with TEMA (Tennessee Emergency Management Agency and Tennessee VOAD (Voluntary Organizations Active in Disaster) and Southern Baptist Disaster Relief to esure strategic placement of feeding sites for people in need.

As communities work to recover from the devastation left by Hurricane Helene, The Salvation Army remains steadfast in its commitment to helping those in need. We invite you to join us in this effort by contributing to our disaster relief fund. Your financial support helps provide food, water, and hope to survivors and first responders. Donations can be made online at helpsalvationarmy.org or by calling 1-800-SAL-ARMY. 100% of disaster donations go directly to relief efforts. Together, we can continue bringing hope to those who need it most—one meal, one prayer, and one story of redemption at a time.

About The Salvation Army

The Salvation Army annually helps nearly 24 million Americans overcome poverty, addiction, and economic hardships through a range of social services. By providing food for the hungry, emergency relief for disaster survivors, rehabilitation for those suffering from drug and alcohol abuse, and clothing and shelter for people in need, The Salvation Army is doing the most good at nearly 7,000 centers of operation around the country. For more information, visit SalvationArmyUSA.org. Follow us on X @SalvationArmyUS and #DoingTheMostGood

For more information on your local Salvation Army, visit SalvationArmyMemphis.org

For more Tennessee news, click here.

WASHINGTON — A year after St. Louis, Missouri sank to the bottom of a very dubious list, researchers have found that safety in America has shifted once again. The new poll of the nation’s safest metropolitan areas has not only named a new city as “America’s safest” but has also dropped another famous town to the bottom of the barrel.

While St. Louis finished last in 2023, the new report now places Memphis, Tennessee at the bottom of the 2024 list. At the opposite end of the spectrum, South Burlington, Vermont takes the crown as America’s safest city in 2024.

Researchers from WalletHub compared 182 cities, including the 150 most populated U.S. cities and at least two of the most populated cities in each state. The team focused on three key dimensions: Home and community safety, the risk of natural disasters, and financial safety.

After examining 41 different metrics in those three fields and creating a 100-point scale to grade them, researchers found that South Burlington finished head and shoulders above any other city. The Vermont community, with roughly 20,000 residents, ranked in the top 10 of all three major categories, finishing first overall in terms of financial safety.

South Burlington had the lowest unemployment rate and second-lowest percentage of residents living without insurance. The Wallethub team also notes that South Burlington is relatively safe from natural disasters, ranking low for the risk of floods, tornadoes, and wildfires.

Rounding out the top five safest cities are Casper, Wyoming (2nd), Warwick, Rhode Island (3rd), Burlington, Vermont (4th), and Boise, Idaho (5th).

Another standout on this year’s list is Columbia, Maryland (8th), which ranked as the safest U.S. city when it comes to home and community safety. Meanwhile, Juneau, Alaska (16th) ranked as the safest community from natural disasters.

Big City Safety In Major Decline

At the other end of the conversation, plenty of big-name cities are struggling with safety in all of its forms.

Starting in Memphis, the “Home of the Blues” fell from 176th in 2023 to dead last in 2024. Memphis finished in the bottom five in terms of assaults and traffic deaths and had the lowest percentage of households with emergency savings.

After finishing 170th in 2023, New Orleans tumbled to 178th in 2024, finishing in the bottom five of WalletHub’s new list. New Orleans was second-to-last in terms of home and community safety and in the bottom 10 for financial security.

Other major cities sliding into the bottom 10 in terms of America’s safest cities were Philadelphia (174th), Cleveland (176th), Baltimore (177th), and Detroit (181st).

While researchers found major disparities between the safest and least safe cities, there was one factor in this year’s rankings that appears to be affecting every American metropolis: overall scores for safety are getting lower everywhere. While 2023’s safest city carried an overall score of 86 out of 100, South Burlington could only manage a score of 74.15.

Meanwhile, St. Louis finished in last place in 2023 with a score of 44.88. This year, the city in last (Memphis) only managed to score 34.81. Has the nation’s public safety dropped by roughly 10 points in just one year? While this is only one survey, the numbers are clearly pointing in the wrong direction nationwide.

Safest Cities in the U.S.

In order to determine the safest cities in which to live, WalletHub compared 182 cities — including the 150 most populated U.S. cities, plus at least two of the most populated cities in each state — across three key dimensions: 1) Home & Community Safety (60 points), 2) Natural-Disaster Risk (20 points), and 3) Financial Safety (20 points).

Researchers evaluated those dimensions using 41 relevant metrics. Each metric was graded on a 100-point scale, with a score of 100 representing the highest level of safety.

WalletHub then determined each city’s weighted average across all metrics to calculate its overall score and used the resulting scores to rank-order the sample. In determining the sample, researchers considered only the city proper in each case, excluding cities in the surrounding metro area.

MEMPHIS, Tenn. - If you build it, they will come. That's the idea behind the Memphis Flyway project, which Memphis City leaders say will bring a big boost in tourism. The Memphis Flyway is a new bird observation deck being built on the riverfront, just south of Tom Lee Park.

Wednesday, Memphis River Parks Partnership gave FOX13 a closer look at the progress. Construction crews have cleared nearly all of the area needed before moving onto the next phase. The $10.4 million project will transform the space into a one-of-kind bird observation deck.

"Forty percent of all of North American birds migrate through this area, so you're going to see a lot of wildlife on the bird's side, but you'll see on the ground as well," said Andrew Kiepe, Director of Development with Memphis River Parks Partnership. "We're going to see a lot of bunnies, foxes, of course squirrels. We will have a full arboretum that's here. So we'll have this wonderful ecosystem whether it's trees or wildlife that's here, which is weird because we're in Downtown Memphis, right?"

RELATED: $10.4 million bird observation deck set to open in 2026

The group hopes to take advantage of the traffic that goes through the transportation hub. Kiepe says one study shows the flyway will bring in an estimated 1.3 million new visitors to the Bluff City.

"We're seeing about 43 million travelers that go across, whether it's I-40 or 55 Bridge, every single year," said Kiepe. "That's not the trucks that are transporting goods back and forth. These are travelers coming back and forth. Downtown Memphis has only seen a percentage of that, that actually stop in the city. All these people are technically skipping Tennessee if they don't have an intentional stopping point. We believe that the Flyway is that perfect stopping point for those travelers that will come in."

Once complete, the Flyway will extend 218 feet onto the river, 40-feet high. It'll be ADA-accessible, and free to anyone. Just one thing that will separate this observation deck from others along the Mississippi River.

"It's very unique for an observation deck to be free like that," said Kiepe. "The other uniqueness here is we're at the widest and wildest portion of the Mississippi River. In addition to that is if you look on the other side of the river that there's no industry there. We have this beautiful floodplain on the opposite side and all we have is these majestic natural views right here. Nowhere gives you this stopping point to get this close to the river. So really what we're doing here with this project is we're planting a flag in Memphis, Tennessee, saying this is the premier destination to experience the Mississippi River. This is the type of view that you would have every single day, 365. No matter your income, no matter your ability."

City leaders broke ground on the project in June. It's funded by the Tennessee Heritage Conservation Trust, the U.S. Economic Development Administration, the Tennessee Department of Transportation and an anonymous donor. The Memphis Flyway is expected to open in early 2026.

Download the FOX13 Memphis app to receive alerts from breaking news in your neighborhood.

CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD

Trending stories: