May 5th, 2010

Tennessee Flooding 2010 Update: Memphis, Nashville TN Flooding. It only takes one weekend like this one to remind us that storm and tornado season has returned to the mid-south. The storms we experienced last weekend took lives, wrecked homes, school buildings and vehicles and left a trail of disaster throughout Tennessee.

Watching the news, the storms appeared to do more of the considerable damage to Tennessee, but wrecked havoc also in Mississippi and Arkansas. Storm sirens blared and tornado and flood warnings, evacuations and notices of major road closings filled our television screens.

At the Nashville airport, on Sunday the rainfall was measured at 13.57 inches; double the record set in 1979. The deadly storms claimed the lives of 28 at last count; two of which became stranded in their SUV while driving and climbed to the top of the SUV seeking safety – unfortunately that safety never came.

Tennessee state officials speculate that they will find more bodies as the disaster recovery continues. Nashville Fire Chief Kim Lawson stated, “Those in houses that have been flooded and some of those more remote areas, do we suspect we will find more people? Probably so. We certainly hope that it’s not a large number.”

With a 20 to 30 percent change of rain in the forecast for next week, flood warnings remain in effect until Thursday. Disaster efforts to recover will continue throughout the week, with the flood level at 50 and falling as of yesterday, many fingers are crossed in reference to the rainy forecast.

Source:

MSNBC