NASHVILLE, TN. - Incredible storms hit Kentucky, Mississippi, and Tennessee over the weekend delivering no less than 13.52 inches of rain to Nashville, TN. alone. Flash flooding from the nearby Cumberland river overtook several local landmarks including the Grand Ole Opry House, the Country Music Hall of Fame, the Nashville NHL and NFL stadiums, and the Schermer Symphony Center. The river swelled to 40ft. above flood level.
Some unfortunate vacationers, who had been stranded at the Opryland Resort and Convention Center, were rescued by canoe (among other available means) and delivered to a safe location. The resort had evacuated around 1,500 people...some not even having enough time to pay for their meals. The resort was reportedly under 10 feet of water at one point.
Two historic locations, Ryman Auditorium (the original home of the Grand Ole' Opry) and Music Row, were spared from the disaster.
The National Weather Service explained that a slow moving weather system had developed from a combination of moisture from the Gulf of Mexico and highly unstable air over Tennessee. The result was an unprecedented deluge of rain and severe weather.
Tennessee's Gov. Phil Bredesen declared 52 of the 95 counties a disaster area after seeing the destruction first hand via airplane. He is quoted as saying, "I have never seen flooding like this." It is officially the most devastating flood in the history of the region. The previous record had been set by Hurricane Fredrick in 1979.
The death toll is currently at 28 victims in three states and that number is expected to rise.
Rumors persist that 2010 is going to be an extremely bad year for severe weather including tornadoes. So far, it looks to be true.
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