NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) — One of the worst disasters in Middle Tennessee occurred 15 years ago: the flood of 2010.

The flood resulted from record rainfall in Nashville, where a two-day total of 13.57 inches of rain fell on May 1st and 2nd, nearly doubling the old two-day record of 6.68 inches from the remnants of a hurricane in 1978.

Ultimately, the flood unfolded over a three-day period.

Day 1: Saturday, May 1, 2010

The heavy rains caused the smaller creeks to overflow. TDOT traffic cameras captured the moments as Mill Creek in Antioch overflowed onto I-24 near Bell Road, flooding cars and causing people to hop over the median to escape the strong current.

Then, a portable classroom from Lighthouse Christian School drifted down the interstate and disintegrated before our eyes from the force of the water.

Day 2: Sunday, May 2, 2010

More creek flooding occurred. In West Nashville, Richland Creek overflowed, flooding a shopping center along Charlotte Pike, with people needing to be rescued by boats.

Meanwhile, on the Cumberland River upstream of Nashville, Old Hickory Dam was being overwhelmed, spilling over the structure, causing the dam operators to open all of the floodgates at once.

Day 3: Monday, May 3, 2010

Downtown Nashville and points downstream on the Cumberland River were flooded. The iconic Opryland Hotel and Opry Mills Mall were inundated by the floodwaters.

However, it wasn't just Nashville. Downstream in Ashland City, the A.O. Smith Manufacturing plant flooded, and that continued downstream to Clarksville and beyond.

In addition, the Harpeth River flooded many areas in Williamson, Davidson, and Cheatham counties. Also, the Duck River inundated many parts of Maury, Hickman, and Humphreys counties.

In the months following the flood, meteorologists around the country did research to determine how it developed, and they found something rare for our part of the country: An atmospheric river of deep moisture that flowed from the Pacific Ocean off of the west coast of Central America, across Mexico, and the Gulf, and into the deep south and Tennessee.

This plume of moisture combined with a stationary front created this historic flood.

News Source : https://www.wkrn.com/news/local-news/15-years-ago-looking-back-at-the-historic-flood-of-2010/