Record shattering rains in Tennessee have stopped but now concerns turn to the rivers, which continue to swell beyond their banks. The Cumberland River has yet to crest.
Nearly 14 inches of rain turned creeks into rivers and led to at least 12 deaths over the weekend. Now those tributaries are filling up lakes and rivers and causing widespread evacuations.
Steve Halford is Nashville’s acting director of emergency management and says there’s a domino effect at work.
“The Army Corps of Engineers will have to release some water upstream to make sure their dams are safe and their equipment is safe.”
The Corps of Engineers is releasing more water than it ever has from Old Hickory Lake, upstream on the Cumberland River from downtown Nashville. The river is now expected to crest this afternoon at nearly 12 feet above flood stage. Downtown businesses near the riverfront have been evacuated as well as a business park north of downtown where a levy has sprung a leak.
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