_20090124134459_640_480.jpg)
VIRGINIA BEACH, Va. (AP) - Operation Blessing International has dispatched a relief team from Virginia to assist flood-stricken Nashville.
The Virginia Beach charity arrived Wednesday in the heart of country music with trucks laden with food, water and ready-to-eat meals.
Nashville's Cumberland River spilled over its banks this week as more than a foot of rain drenched the city. Flash floods have been blamed in the deaths of at least 18 people in Tennessee alone, including nine in Nashville.
Starting Thursday, Operation Blessing will deploy a portable kitchen to begin serving hot meals to those whose homes are flooded.
Crews will also assist in mopping up the mess.
