2010 Tennessee floods

File:West Tennessee Radar Estimated Precipitation.gif

According to the Memphis Office of the National Weather Service:

A significant weather system brought very heavy rain and severe thunderstorms from Saturday, May 1 through Sunday morning, May 2. A stalled frontal boundary coupled with very moist air streaming northward from the Gulf set the stage for repeated rounds of heavy rainfall. Many locations along the I-40 corridor across western and middle Tennessee reported in excess of 10 to 15 inches, with some locations receiving up to 20 inches according to Doppler weather radar estimates.{{cite web |url=http://www.srh.noaa.gov/meg/?n=may2surveyinfo |title=Total of 13 Tornadoes So Far from the May 1–2 Outbreak |access-date=May 7, 2010 |publisher=National Weather Service |archive-date=June 6, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110606155336/http://www.srh.noaa.gov/meg/?n=may2surveyinfo |url-status=live }}

Several rainfall records in the Nashville area were broken during the rain event. {{convert|13.57|in}} fell during the two-day period of May 1–2, doubling the record of {{convert|6.68|in}} set in September 1979 during the passage of the remnants of Hurricane Frederic. On May 2 alone, {{convert|7.25|in}} of rain fell, including {{convert|7.20|in}} during a 12-hour period and {{convert|5.57|in}} in a 6-hour period, eclipsing records set on September 13, 1979. The event also set a record for wettest May on record, surpassing the record set in May 1983 with {{convert|11.84|in}}.{{cite web|url=http://www.srh.noaa.gov/news/display_cmsstory.php?wfo=ohx&storyid=51976&source=0 |title=Flood of May 2010 |access-date=May 9, 2010 |publisher=NWS Nashville| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20100529064950/http://www.srh.noaa.gov/news/display_cmsstory.php?wfo=ohx&storyid=51976&source=0| archive-date= May 29, 2010 | url-status= live}}

Heavy rain also affected large portions of Arkansas, northern Mississippi and southern Kentucky. In Arkansas, over {{convert|5|in}} fell in the Little Rock area, up to {{convert|8|in}} in West Memphis and over {{convert|10|in}} in northeastern Arkansas closer to the Mississippi River. Similar amounts were recorded across western and southern Kentucky where over {{convert|7|in}} fell in the Hopkinsville area and up to {{convert|4|in}} across the Missouri Bootheel. In addition to the heavy rain, moist air and ample instability contributed to the generation of multiple tornadoes affecting the same areas, which killed five people: four in Mississippi during the early hours of May 2, and one in Arkansas during the evening of April 30.{{cite web |url=http://www.srh.noaa.gov/lzk/?n=svr0510.htm |title=Severe Weather/Heavy Rain on April 30 - May 1, 2010 |access-date=May 9, 2010 |publisher=NWS Little Rock |archive-date=June 6, 2011 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20110606155341/http://www.srh.noaa.gov/lzk/?n=svr0510.htm |url-status=live }}{{cite web|url=http://www.crh.noaa.gov/news/display_cmsstory.php?wfo=pah&storyid=51843&source=0 |title=Rainfall Accumulations for the April 30 / May 2 Heavy Rainfall Event |access-date=May 9, 2010 |publisher=NWS Paducah, KY| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20100509003937/http://www.crh.noaa.gov/news/display_cmsstory.php?wfo=pah&storyid=51843&source=0| archive-date= May 9, 2010 | url-status= live}}

Twenty-one deaths were recorded in Tennessee, including ten in Davidson County, which includes Nashville.{{cite web |url=http://www.tnema.org/news/tema/?p=423 |title=State-wide Status report, issued at 3 p.m. May 7, 2010 |access-date=May 7, 2010 |publisher=Tennessee Emergency Management Agency |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100513003329/http://www.tnema.org/news/tema/?p=423 |archive-date=May 13, 2010 |url-status=dead|df=mdy-all }} Of the ten dead in Davidson County, "four victims were found in their homes, two were in cars and four were outdoors."{{Cite news |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/05/us/05flood.html |title=New York Times, May 4, 2010 |newspaper=The New York Times |date=May 4, 2010 |access-date=February 23, 2017 |archive-date=November 5, 2015 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20151105061959/http://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/05/us/05flood.html |url-status=live }}

Floods killed six people in northern Mississippi, and four deaths were reported in Kentucky.{{cite news |url=https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB10001424052748703866704575223782507473208?mod=WSJ_latestheadlines |title=Storms, Floods Kill 29 in South |access-date=May 4, 2010 |publisher=Wall Street Journal online| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20100509051330/http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748703866704575223782507473208.html?mod=WSJ_latestheadlines| archive-date= May 9, 2010 | url-status= live}}

Mississippi deaths occurred in the following counties:{{cite web |url=http://www.clarionledger.com/article/20100504/NEWS/5040360/Miss.+storm+death+toll+rises+to+6 |title=Miss. storm death toll rises to 6 |access-date=May 4, 2010 |publisher=Clarion Ledger online }}{{Dead link|date=June 2023 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}

• Alcorn County – one dead
• Benton County – two dead
• Lafayette County – one dead
• Lee County – one dead in hydroplaning accident on U.S. Route 45 in Tupelo
• Union County – one dead in hydroplaning accident on Mississippi Route 78

At least 30 counties in Tennessee were declared major disaster areas by the federal government, with 52 applying to receive this status. This translates to about 31% of Tennessee being designated a major disaster area.{{cite web|url=http://news.tennesseeanytime.org/node/5087|date=May 7, 2010|publisher=Tennessee Government|access-date=May 7, 2010|title=Bredesen Announces Disaster Declarations for 3 More Tennessee Counties|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100513034901/http://news.tennesseeanytime.org/node/5087|archive-date=May 13, 2010|url-status=dead|df=mdy-all}}

Almost all schools in the area were closed including Metropolitan Nashville Public Schools, some for a week or more. Many roads were damaged by water erosion. Interstate 40 west of Nashville had numerous spots that had been inundated. Repair work on I-40 continued for several months.

The first site of major flooding was along Mill Creek in southeastern Davidson County, which was affected by a flash flood on May 1. The creek quickly spilled over its banks, and completely covered Interstate 24 near Antioch, killing one person in a car. A TDOT traffic camera captured footage of a large portable building being swept away from Lighthouse Christian School and coming to rest among the traffic on I-24, which was broadcast live on local television. Another person was killed along Mill Creek while attempting to tube the floodwaters.

Flooding on the Cumberland River damaged the Grand Ole Opry House, Gaylord Opryland Resort & Convention Center, Opry Mills, Bridgestone Arena{{cite news|url=http://www.tennessean.com/article/20100503/SPORTS01/100503070/2072/SPORTS|title=UPDATED: LP Field, Bridgestone Arena flooded|last=Mullen|first=Bryan|date=May 3, 2010|newspaper=The Tennessean| access-date=May 4, 2010 }}{{dead link|date=January 2020}} (home to NHL team Nashville Predators), and LP Field (home to NFL team Tennessee Titans) with several feet of water.{{cite news |url=http://content.usatoday.com/communities/ondeadline/post/2010/05/nashville-flooding-hits-grand-ole-opry-/1 |title=Nashville flooding hits Grand Ole Opry |access-date=May 3, 2010 |publisher=USA Today Online |date=May 3, 2010 |archive-date=May 7, 2010 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20100507090208/http://content.usatoday.com/communities/ondeadline/post/2010/05/nashville-flooding-hits-grand-ole-opry-/1 |url-status=live }}

Grand Ole Opry performances were moved to other venues in the Nashville area, with the Ryman Auditorium serving as the primary venue when available. Other venues hosting the Opry include the War Memorial Auditorium, TPAC's Andrew Jackson Hall, Nashville Municipal Auditorium, Lipscomb University's Allen Arena and the Two Rivers Baptist Church. Both the Ryman and War Memorial Auditoriums were previous homes to the Opry. None of these facilities were affected by the floods. The Grand Ole Opry House reopened to much fanfare on September 28, 2010.

File:Nashville Flood The District.jpg

The basement flooded in Schermerhorn Symphony Center, causing the destruction of two Steinway grand concert pianos and one organ valued at {{Nowrap|$2.5 million}}.{{cite web |url=http://www.tennessean.com/article/20100504/NEWS01/5040335/Nashville+landmarks+underwater |title=Nashville landmarks underwater |access-date=May 4, 2010 |publisher=Tennessean online}}

The common areas of the Gaylord Opryland Hotel were destroyed, and parts of the hotel were under {{convert|10|ft|0}} of water at the peak of the floods. It remained closed until November 2010. The studios of WSM radio, located inside the Gaylord Opryland Hotel, escaped flooding, but became inaccessible during the restoration of the building. This event forced the station to broadcast from a makeshift studio at its transmitter site in Brentwood for six months.{{Cite web|url=https://www.allaccess.com/net-news/archive/story/74645/nashville-hit-by-100-year-flood|title=Nashville Hit By 100-Year Flood|website=All Access|access-date=May 18, 2020|archive-date=August 27, 2019|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20190827130053/https://www.allaccess.com/net-news/archive/story/74645/nashville-hit-by-100-year-flood|url-status=live}} WSM's administrative offices next to the Grand Ole Opry House were also completely destroyed and later demolished, resulting in the loss of several priceless documents from the station's history.

Neighboring Opry Mills mall was also inundated, and remained closed until March 29, 2012. Flood walls would later be constructed around Gaylord Opryland and the Grand Ole Opry House (but not Opry Mills) to protect those properties from similar future flooding events.

Flooding was reported in a mechanical room of the Country Music Hall of Fame and Museum, but the exhibits were not damaged.

The playing field, ground level facilities (such as locker rooms), and service entrance of LP Field were under water.

{{Convert|40|ft}} of water filled the underground parking garage of The Pinnacle at Symphony Place, a {{convert|417|ft|adj=on}} tower in downtown that opened in February 2010, less than three months before the flood. Electric and elevator systems housed in the garage were damaged.{{cite news |url=http://nashville.bizjournals.com/nashville/stories/2010/05/03/daily5.html |title=MetroCenter dry, Pinnacle Tower swimming; most office areas escape flooding |access-date=May 4, 2010 |publisher=Nashville Business Journal online |first=Eric |last=Snyder |date=May 3, 2010| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20100507034750/http://nashville.bizjournals.com/nashville/stories/2010/05/03/daily5.html| archive-date= May 7, 2010 | url-status= live}}

In Belle Meade, a neighborhood of Nashville, the ground floor of St. George's Episcopal Church was flooded.

In the early morning of May 4, flooding at a Nashville Electric Service substation caused power to go out in the center of the city. Among the buildings that lost electricity was the {{convert|617|ft|adj=on}} AT&T Building, the tallest building in Tennessee. Power was not expected to be restored until Friday, May 7.{{cite news |url=http://nashville.bizjournals.com/nashville/stories/2010/05/03/daily14.html |title=Power out in core of downtown Nashville |access-date=May 4, 2010 |publisher=Nashville Business Journal online |first=Brian |last=Reisinger |date=May 4, 2010| archive-url= https://web.archive.org/web/20100507034735/http://nashville.bizjournals.com/nashville/stories/2010/05/03/daily14.html| archive-date= May 7, 2010 | url-status= live}}

The newsroom of WTVF was flooded and nonoperational for 3 months. Equipment was hastily moved during the flooding and set up at various locations around the building.

The Harrington water treatment plant, one of two in the city, flooded and the other was spared by mere feet; on Monday, May 3 residents were ordered to restrict water use, a situation that lasted for about a month.{{cite news|url=http://nashvillecitypaper.com/content/2010-flood/water-conservation-not-working-city-s-reserves-dip-37-percent-capacity|title=WATER: Conservation not working; city's reserves dip to 37 percent capacity|date=May 4, 2010|newspaper=The City Paper|access-date=September 9, 2016|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160916203052/http://nashvillecitypaper.com/content/2010-flood/water-conservation-not-working-city-s-reserves-dip-37-percent-capacity|archive-date=September 16, 2016|url-status=dead|df=mdy-all}}

The Dry Creek wastewater treatment plant in Madison was flooded with some equipment areas under more than 40 ft of water. Disinfection was quickly restored but recovery efforts required about a month to restore full operation to the major plant processes.

File:Dry Creek - Flood Aerial - Crop.jpg

Nashville/Davidson County was declared a Federal Disaster Area on May 4.{{cite news|url=http://www.tennessean.com/article/20100504/NEWS01/100504018/President-Obama-declares-Nashville-a-disaster-area|title=Obama declares Nashville a disaster area|date=May 4, 2010|newspaper=The Tennessean|access-date=May 7, 2010}}

According to Nashville Mayor Karl Dean, damage estimates in Nashville totalled $1.5 billion not including damage to roads and bridges or public buildings, as well as contents inside buildings and residences.{{cite web|url=http://www.wmctv.com/Global/story.asp?S=12446068 |title=Damages at $1.5 billion, climbing in Nashville |access-date=May 9, 2010 |publisher=Associated Press via WMC-TV }}{{dead link|date=June 2017 |bot=InternetArchiveBot |fix-attempted=yes }}

The Duck River at Centerville exceeded its record level by almost 10 feet flooding or destroying homes, roads, and agricultural land. One person in Hickman County died from drowning. Numbers of people who were stranded on I-40 sought refuge in Centerville.

The Cumberland River in Clarksville flooded many businesses along the river. Flooded businesses were closed for up to seven weeks. All schools in the Clarksville-Montgomery County School System were closed for at least two weeks.

The Community Foundation of Middle Tennessee raised $14 million from individual donors and was allocated in various grants. The Metro Nashville Disaster Response Fund received roughly $3.5 million, the Tennessee Emergency Response Fund around $5.5 million, the River Fund $5 million, and other relief efforts received $234,000.

The River Fund was created with proceeds from Garth Brooks' December 2010 concerts for flood relief and served the 52 flood-affected counties in Tennessee.

On June 22, 2010, a benefit concert called "Nashville Rising" was held at Bridgestone Arena to raise money for Middle Tennessee flood relief efforts. The concert raised over $2.2 million for flood relief efforts.{{Cite web|url=https://www.cfmt.org/cfmt-flood-response/|title=CFMT Flood Response|access-date=May 18, 2020|archive-date=August 11, 2020|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20200811153835/https://www.cfmt.org/cfmt-flood-response/|url-status=live}}

American singer Taylor Swift donated $500,000 during a telethon hosted by WSMV.

{{reflist}}

{{Wikinews|Severe flooding leaves 28 dead in southern United States}}

• {{Commonscatinline}}
• [https://www.weather.gov/media/publications/assessments/Tenn_Flooding.pdf NWS Service Assessment]
• [https://www.weather.gov/ohx/may2010flood May 2010 Flood] (NWS Nashville, Tennessee)
• [https://www.weather.gov/meg/earlymay2010floodingandsevere Flooding and Tornadoes across the Mid-South on May 1 & 2, 2010] (NWS Memphis, Tennessee)

{{DEFAULTSORT:Tennessee floods, 2010}}

Category:2010 floods in the United States

Category:21st century in Nashville, Tennessee

Floods

2010 floods

Category:May 2010 in the United States