Part 2 – The Statistics of the May 2010 Flood

Earlier, I recounted some of the events that accompanied me, my daughter and two of my grandchildren during the flood of May 2010 in Franklin. We didn’t lose our house, any of our vehicles, or suffer any losses.

Many homes and businesses in the area were not so fortunate. Included in this entry are a few photos (taken by the Tennessean) that show the extensiveness of the flood. Many, many people were affected. A co-worker and friend lives on a knob near the Harpeth River in Kingston Springs. His house was surrounded by flood waters and he could not leave his home for six days. He had no electricity or water service during that time. Currents were so strong around his house, access even by boat was impossible. Food and water had to be dropped to him and his wife by helicopter. He dealt with log-jambs and flood debris washed down the Harpeth River to his site. One year later, log debris is still there. Everyone knows someone who suffered some kind of loss, either a car or other vehicle, a flooded basement, or worst of all, their home. Many folks did not have flood insurance and the problem of flooding went well beyond the 100-year flood. It is this fact that the flood went beyond the 100-year flood that plagues many people. What can we learn from these statistics and what might guide us in the future?

I’ve included a graphic depiction of precipitation over the two-day event (See precipitation charts and maps.). It is an official weather station record. Actual accumulative rain south of Nashville was reportedly greater. Many unofficial gages reported a rainfall of 17-18 inches over the two days. The US Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) reported precipitation to be a 1000-year event. Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) flood mapping shows the Watson Branch-Carothers Road area where flooding covered the road to be in the 500-plus floodplain. The distance from the pavement down to Watson Branch is normally 10 feet. (See photos of the box culvert and Watson Branch in late June.)

You shall remember that you were a slave in Egypt; and you shall be careful to observe these statutes. Deuteronomy 16.12

“Rain falls on the just and the unjust.” Matthew 5.45