Tenn. officials brace for more flooding, deaths (15 deaths)

[Lone_Star_Dem]

Source: Associated Press

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Opryland's 1,500 guests were spending the night in a high school to escape rising floodwaters that threatened other areas of downtown hit by devastating thunderstorms that slammed Tennessee and northern Mississippi, killing at least 15 people.

Authorities in Tennessee were preparing for more deaths and for the Cumberland River, which winds through the Music City, to crest at 10 feet above flood stage before sunrise, putting portions of downtown in danger of the kind of damage experienced by thousands of residents whose homes were swamped by flash floods.

The Cumberland River had already reached record levels since an early 1960s flood control project was put in place. With so much water inundating the Cumberland's tributaries, however, it was difficult to gauge whether the river would stop at 50 feet or exceed the forecast, increasing the water's spread in the city.

Authorities weren't taking any chances. They evacuated the downtown area and north Nashville where a leaky levee threatened residents and businesses. Flooding could hit the downtown tourism industry, the train depot and near LP Field, where the Tennessee Titans play.

Read more: http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5gToxGRg5OgeiVpllCklfwJCmigjgD9FFA9G00

[Oceansaway]

1. this is so sad....nt

[Lars39]

2. Every eastbound route into Nashville is closed.

Hwy 70 has a rock slide and flooding, Hwy 100 has flooding, large part of I 40 closed. If you have well water in Davidson county, boil your water for 5 minutes. They're asking people to conserve water in Davidson county because 1 of the 2 treatment plants is out. They're still doing rescues in Bellevue. :(

[Tippy]

4. Still doing rescues from the Whyndom Resort had over 500

About an hour ago they still had about 200 to get out...

The Cumberlin River is still raising...can't remember which Dams but two that feed into the Cumberlin began releasing water...This is a long way from over..Just heard they are still evecuating in Donnelson...and Hennington Bend.

[Lars39]

6. Seems to go from bad to worse, doesn't it.

I don't remember which dams feed into the Cumberland either:

http://tennesseeencyclopedia.net/imagegallery.php?EntryID=C175

By 1936, six Corps of Engineers reservoir sites were selected: Wolf Creek on the Upper Cumberland (completed 1952), Dale Hollow on the Obey (1948), Center Hill on the Caney Fork (1951), Stewarts Ferry (later Percy Priest, completed 1968) on the Stones River, Three Islands on the Harpeth, and Rossview on the Red River. The latter two were not constructed. In 1946 three more dams were authorized. Old Hickory, just above Nashville, was completed in 1956, and Cordell Hull at Carthage followed in 1973. A proposed dam at Celina was not built. Two later dams were designed and completed: Cheatham near Ashland City (1959) and Barkley in Western Kentucky (1966). By the 1970s eight dams controlled the river from Burnside to its confluence with the Ohio River.

[4_TN_TITANS]

7. "can't remember which Dam"

That would be Wolf Creek Dam in Kentucky. I used to work at a factory in Gainesboro that was right by the river. The whole town had evacuation plans in place because of the state of disrepair of the dam. If it broke it would put that town underwater. From what I'm hearing there are numerous flooding issues upstream from Nashville due to the temptation to build too close to the Cumberland.

[Uncle Joe]

3. I've never seen it this bad.

:(

Thanks for the thread, Lone_Star_Dem

[Lone_Star_Dem]

8. There's 22 combined deaths between Tennessee, Mississippi and Kentucky now

It may even be 23 since I'm unclear on if the one just found in Kentucky is in this count or not.

It's horrible.

[Delphinus]

5. I saw slideshows

from a Nashville or Memphis TV station - knocked me for a loop! I-24 was flooded in one part almost to the top of a semi. That was crazy!