Leaving downtown Nashville Saturday night. I thought we might not make it home as police were diverting traffic away from Broadway.
We ventured downtown Saturday night to see Jimmy Buffett in concert. Our 13th wedding anniversary is today and it was our special date night. The arena was packed. Leave it to a bunch of Parrotheads to make it to a concert in the middle of torrential rains and flood warnings. We will not be stopped.
The rains came Saturday and they did not stop.
A record amount of rain fell in Nashville this weekend. The Harpeth River near our home rushed over its banks. What began as a puddle in some neighbors’ yards soon became an extension of the river within hours. We had no idea how bad it would be.
Yesterday we ventured down our street not a half mile in the pouring rain to see the worse flood devastation I have ever seen in my life.
Just to give you perspective, this is the road I usually travel in the mornings when I take Miss C (my second grader) to school. This is less than a mile from my house.
Another video taken by my husband just down the road from us. This is the road that leads to our community baseball fields.
Today we woke to find our street enveloped in a foggy mist and news helicopters flying overhead.
The sun is out today.
We are fine and our house is fine, but it is surreal to be just down the street from homes under water. Our neighborhood middle school was a shelter for flood victims overnight. Interstate 40 West is closed for more than 60 miles. Semis line the side of the interstate with no where to go. My girls’ soccer fields and complex is totally engulfed by the Harpeth River. Still, we are incredibly lucky. Our little house is dry.
I made it into work today where it was nice to be connected to the outside world via phone and Internet (we have neither at home right now). The girls are with my inlaws in Robertson County, north of Nashville.
To my friends and fellow Nashvillians who have lost their homes and businesses I am so sorry.
The Cumberland River is still rising as I type this.
If you are interested in signing up to volunteer to assist flood victims, please visit Hands on Nashville online.
For a great comprehensive list of ways you can help Nashville flood victims, visit Nashvillest.
I’m so glad your house and girls are OK. And so sorry for all your city has suffered. Praying for plentiful sunshine, literal and figurative.
.-= Stacia´s last blog ..Splitting Heirs =-.
I’m so glad you and your family are safe! I know the feeling…my house stayed dry this weekend, but oh my, the areas around me…it is unreal.
Be safe!
~K
Holy schmokes! That’s when high water turns into hell! So glad things are still dry at your place, flood mess is terrible. 🙁
Hugs,
Holly
.-= Holly Schwendiman´s last blog ..It
I can’t believe you went to a concert! I have a FB friend (friend from HS) in Nashville and she said on the news there was a house floating down the highway.
.-= EG´s last blog ..Long Time No Blog =-.
So glad that you are all okay and that your house didn’t get flooded! We never realized how dependent our little town is on the five bridges that connect it… until four of them were closed due to flood damage in May 2006. Turned our normal ten minute commutes into 40. Hope the water goes down soon!
.-= WorkingMom´s last blog ..Little Rewards =-.
I’m really sorry to see that and I can relate to the surreal feeling that comes with seeing something that devastating. I live in Tulsa, OK and one of our suburbs flooded like that several years ago. The roads I usually took to get into town were
littered with cars that were trapped in water that went up passed the middle
of their windows. Our main river, the Arkansas River, we extremely flooded as well, but luckily for us the river sits so low below our roads that it couldn’t flood enough to mess up anything. I wish I had taken pictures because the pedestrian bridge that we have that goes over the river was a terrifying thing to stand on. It was creaking and the sound of the water rushing against it gave you a horrible feeling of drowning and we weren’t even in the water!
.-= Lauren Cunningham´s last blog ..Photojournalism – School Post 6 of 6 =-.
Stay safe girl!
We’ve had those kinds of floods here. It is something you kinda have to see and experience to believe. Total devastation. I heard on the news tonight that the Grand Ole Opry is under water. So sad. I hope y’all can stay safe and that it doens’t get any worse. And watch out for snakes. 😉
.-= Jennifer´s last blog ..My kids could teach Mother Nature lessons in destruction. =-.
Glad you are safe.
Strong work making it to the Buffett concert. Parrothead!
How scary. Glad to read that your house and family is safe. Hope your community dries out soon!
.-= Kathleen´s last blog ..Shopping do-over =-.
It will take a year (or more) before the lives of those who are flooded to return to normal. I know because I went through a three foot flood of my home in Texas decades ago and it was a disaster. They will survive, but they will need your help.
.-= Tabor´s last blog ..Best Laid Spring Plans =-.
I’m so sorry for Nashville! Glad you are all okay. Sending Aussie sunshine your way.
.-= lifeinapinkfibro´s last blog ..Time waits for no Muse =-.
Glad to hear that your home and family are safe – but I feel for the people in the Nashville area who have suffered losses. Hang in there!
Nashville was our home for fifteen years and it’s heartbreaking to see her brought to her knees.
Glad you are safe and dry.
Thanks everyone! Our house is dry and safe. We are so very fortunate. So many in our community have had total loss. Still don’t have cell phone service or home phone, Internet, or cable but I made it into work today and yesterday. Still it is surreal for life to go on “normally” for so many people.
Downtown Nashville is now flooding in many areas, including the Opryland Hotel. Just crazy…crazy.
Oh and when we headed to the concert Sat. night it wasn’t bad yet in our area but it was bad East of us. Still we had NO idea we would have flooding on Sunday!
.-= Jamie´s last blog ..Come Hell Or High Water =-.
Wow, I am so sorry for all of your neighbors and friends. That looks absolutely devastating and it’s such a terrible tragedy. I am really happy you and your family and the home is safe!
Here I was complaining about my basement flooding a few weeks ago — this puts everything into perspective. I will keep you all in my prayers.
P.S.
How was the concert? I hope you and your hubby had a special anniversary even if it was down pouring! 🙂
.-= Katie´s last blog ..Stop & Shop Eco Friendly GC Winner =-.
Hey Jamie,
I’ve been worried about you and your Mom. Glad to hear that all of you are safe and dry. My heart goes out to all who have suffered from this rain. You are in my thoughts and prayers. Balisha
.-= Balisha´s last blog ..Pink Mulla Mulla …..Joey ( I Bought it For It’s Name) =-.
When you live in semi-arid Wyoming it is difficult to imagine so much water. Take care.
It is so sad to realize the devastation just two days of rain caused. http://www.hon.org is also coordinating volunteers if you have extra hands! Thanks for the video. I can’t believe how bad some areas are while others are just fine.
we were there on sat night parked in our rv with the band mozely rose waiting for them to play at rippy’s on broadway! saw all the parrotheads too! what a mess….got back to the koa near the opryland hotel at 5 am and evacuated later that day to two rivers baptist church parking lot….koa totally under water now…..such a sad thing to happen to such a beautiful city! with all the talent and big hearts in nashville you will find your way thru this….you are all in our thoughts!
Glad you also escaped. I want to share my flood post, but Comment Luv and I aren’t always on speakin’ terms…: http://leisahammett.typepad.com/the_journey_with_grace/2010/05/bobbing-up-for-air-in-nashville.html
.-= Leisa Hammett´s last blog ..Selfishly Missing Mother =-.
Amazing that such a tragic event was able to bring so many people close together. The volunteerism and sense of community that followed in the days and weeks after the flood was humbling. That is what Nashville is all about.
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Hi there Jamie. Very good to know that you and your family are safe. We also have floods like that here in the Philippines (sometimes it’s worst). So many lost their houses, valuable things but what makes me sad if that when someone died because of a tragic event like this. I do hope floods can be controlled soon so that we can avoid such catastrophe and lets always help and pray for each other. Also, lets take good care of ourselves because diseases could be spread out.