Lest It Be Forgot: The Epic Nashville Flood of May 2010

May 1 & 2, 2010, Epic Flood Event for Western and Middle Tennessee

NOAA: Information Updated 05/18/2010

What is a 100-year flood?  A 100-year flood is an event that statistically has a 1% chance of occurring in any given year. A 500-year flood has a 0.2% chance of occurring, and a 1,000-year flood has a 0.1% chance of occurring. 

The map below relates to amount of rainfall that fell to the chances of that amount of rain actually occurring.

Record or Near Record River Flood Levels Across Middle Tennessee
Location	Record	Old Record	Date of Old Record	Flood Stage
Cumberland at Clarksville	62.58'	57.1'	March 14, 1975	46'
Cumberland at Nashville	51.86'	47.6'	March 15, 1975	40'
Red River near Port Royal	49.48'	48.3'	March 13, 1973	30'
Duck River at Centerville	47.5'	37.6'	February 14, 1948	22'
Harpeth River near Kingston Springs	38'	33.2'	January 7, 1946	20'
Duck River near Hurricane Mills	33'	30.7'	February 14, 1948	24'
Harpeth River at Bellevue	33'	24.3'	February 13, 1948	20'
Buffalo River near Lobelville	25.7'	25.2'	May 28, 1991	14'
Harpeth River at Franklin	35.1*	35.2	February 13, 1968	30'
* NEAR RECORD

12 Highest Rainfall Totals - COOP and CoCoRaHS Observers
Location	Total Two Day Rainfall
Camden 4.5 NE	19.41"
Fairview 3.8 SW	18.04"
Fairview 2.9 SW	17.71"
Belle Meade 1.4 NNE	17.67"
Mt Moriah Birdsong Marina	17.51"
Brownsville 1.0 SE	17.5"
Jackson 4.9 NW	17.36"
Brentwood 2.5 NE	17.15"
Bon Aqua 3.0 ESE	17.09"
Brentwood 2.8 NE	17.07"
Belle Meade 1.2 ESE	17.02"

Flooding Facts:

• Fifteen (15) observation sites had rainfall measurements exceeding the maximum observed rainfall associated with Hurricane Katrina landfall.
• The two day rainfall of 13.57 inches at Nashville International Airport shattered the monthly rainfall record for May which was 11.04 inches.
• The rainiest month in Nashville is 13.92 inches in January 1950.
• Nashville International Airport experienced its 1st and 3rd rainiest days on back to back days.
• The heaviest rainfall occurred in a swath across Davidson, Williamson, Dickson, Hickman, Benton, Perry, and Humphreys Counties.  An average of 14-15 inches of rain fell, equivalent to 420 billion gallons of water, in just two days.

Comparison to Hurricane Katrina Total Rainfall Amounts

Here are additional links to information pertaining to May 2010 Epic Flood Event.

• TN Weekend Rainfall Totals Map
• Middle TN Weekend Rainfall Totals Map
  
• Gage Adjusted Radar Rainfall Estimates
  
• Epic Flood Event of May 2010 - Record or Near-Record River Flood Levels Across Middle Tennessee
• Historic Rain Event Breaks Many Nashville Records
• Flood of May 2010
• Record Crests on the Cumberland River at Nashville
• Epic Nature of May 1st -2nd 2010
• Nashville's Rainfall for Saturday and Sunday May1,2,2010

http://www.srh.noaa.gov/ohx/?n=may2010epicfloodevent