Flood of 2010

The first weekend of May proved to be a historical one for Tennesseans. In Henry County, we received 7+ inches of rain. At our house, we only had minor flooding in our yard and minimal leakage in our basement. Kentucky Lake did flood the shores and boat docks, but the damage was minimal. I wish the same could be said for Nashville. I want to document this event, so we won't ever forget these images from the city we love so much. We were glued to our tv all weekend just watching the pictures and videos roll in of what historians are calling a 500 year flood. Early damage estimates are $1 BILLION +. It was hard for us to comprehend how quickly this happened and how much damage was done in that short period of time. Even though I'm very familiar with Nashville, I still feel disoriented when I look at the pictures.

This is the heart of country music, The Grand Ole Opry. The entire building was flooded, and the stage was 6 feet underwater. Many artifacts were spared and others are being restored. In the background is Opry Mills Mall. Every store in the mall was flooded, and repairs are expected to take months. The Opryland Hotel had to be evacuated, and ended up with 10 feet of water in the first floor. It is expected to be closed for 6 months for repairs.
The Cumberland crept into the Titans stadium and flooded the field and locker rooms.
This is very close to where we park for the games. I'm glad we have pictures for documentation, because I don't think my mind could comprehend this without actually seeing it.

This is a historical marker downtown.

We were just downtown Nashville 2 weeks before the flood for Whitney's wedding. We said then that we love the city more each time we're there. It is one of the neatest cities with so much to see and do. We were so saddened to think of how things will have changed when we visit next. I have no doubt that it will be just as wonderful as ever, but my heart breaks to know what was lost too.