Govenor Declares a State of Emergency

The Governor has a declared a state of emergency for Tennessee.

Floodwater continued to rise in downtown Nashville, shutting down most of lower Broadway including First and Second avenues.

The Schermerhorn Symphony Center and numerous buildings downtown near the Cumberland River had lower-level flooding.

More than 7 inches of rain fell on Saturday and 13.53 inches had fallen by 8:30 p.m.

Sunday, a new two-day record.

Just two days into the month, this is already the wettest May in Nashville's recorded history and fifth wettest month in city history. Tennessee Gov. Phil Bredesen called it an "unprecedented rain event."

The guests at Opryland Hotel Sunday were moved to McGavock High School and other hotels. Gaylord Entertainment, the owners of the hotel, confirmed that there was 6 feet of standing water inside the hotel.
All rivers are at least 4 to 10 feet about flood stages.

Officials in Tennessee were preparing for more deaths and for the Cumberland River, which winds through the Music City, to crest more than 11 feet Monday afternoon, putting portions of downtown in danger of the kind of damage experienced by thousands of residents whose homes were swamped by flash floods.

Many residents are in the process of cleaning up, flood water and mud covering everything it came in contact with.

Other residents sadly no longer have homes to return to, since neighborhoods are still under fifteen and twenty feet of flood water.

Please keep these people in your thoughts and prayers.

The Corp of Engineers are planning to release flood gates on nearby dams, at midnight tonight, in an effort to lower the water levels.