Historic Flooding in Middle Tennessee

April 30, 2010

The flooding continues to worsen, with more rain expected on the way. Merredith and I were out in the rain most of the morning entering into the early afternoon, spending time in Fairview. We tried to stop for a late breakfast at the Loveless, but the wait would have been over an hour.

The rain and roads were just terrible along I-440 around 1:00. Traffic was slow and water was ponding. We stopped for lunch at the I-65 Harding exit and watched the rain continue to fall. On the way home from lunch we took Harding headed East to I-24. Water was pooling on Harding in multiple areas, traffic was slow. We decided to take I-24 back to La Vergne, but there was so much water on I-24 we got off at the very next exit which was Haywood Lane/Antioch Pike.

Antioch Pike turned out to be just as bad as the interstate; water over the road, completely blocking the road just beyond Hickory Hollow Parkway. What we didn't realize at the time was that we were seeing the very beginnings of Mill Creek coming over its banks. On Mt. View Road the water was deep enough between the I-24 ramps and Old Franklin Road to submerge a motorist. We went around and called Metro.

Murfreesboro Road heading into La Vergne was equally flooded in spots, with motorists having to slow down to get through the water. Into La Vergne, Old Nashville Highway in front of the Co-Op and Behind the Dominos plaza was covered in water, and spots of Stones River Road were also covered.

Once we were home we began to see the full effects of Mill Creek submerging cars and trucks on I-24, Bell Road, Blue Hole Road and Antioch Pike. Had we stayed out a bit longer, waiting for that table at the Loveless, we likely would have been right in the middle of the flooding on one of those roads.

I was driving, so wasn't able to snap any photos, but plenty of other folks did:

Photo of I-24 at Bell Rd. from WSMV: http://tweetphoto.com/20716205

Video of a school portable floating down I-24 at Bell Rd.: http://yfrog.us/49qsfz

Jackass truck driver causing floating cars to run into each other, threatening bystanders: http://www.twitvid.com/SZBE5 (I-24 at Bell Rd.)

Drivers braving flooded I-24 at Briley Parkway: http://www.twitvid.com/PXVVP

The Tennessee Traffic Cameras Widget caught several still image of the I-24 flooding.