AceShowbiz - Country singer Holly Williams has thrown herself into the relief efforts in Nashville, Tennessee to help restore the city after it was hit by devastating floods earlier this month. Severe storms in Tennessee left much of the state under water, resulting in the deaths of almost two dozen people and leaving survivors facing the daunting task of tidying up.

Williams was not personally affected by the floods but she decided to volunteer her services to local non-profit organization Hands On Nashville to begin the big clear-up. The star tells People.com, "It's pretty simple. You put on your rain boots and dirty clothes and go. They put us on a school bus and took us to Bellevue, one of the hardest hit areas."

But Williams admits she was not prepared to face up to the extent of the devastation: "It's like a war zone in some neighborhoods, whole streets, everything in ruins." And the singer is urging fans to get involved to help those in need. She says, "The first day we helped people pull things out of their houses - journals, photos, so many personal things that are so important to people in a crisis. After that it was more heavy lifting, taking out dry wall, furniture, carpet."

"There are lots of elderly people who can't do it for themselves. People... are still in shock, who don't know where to start. You try to gently motivate them, help them. There's so much need out there." Williams, the daughter of country legend Hank Williams Jr., also took part in a celebrity TV telethon last Thursday, May 6 which raised $1.7 million for the relief efforts.