November Rain Cues More Effusion, Flood Stuns And Poses Threat

NASHVILLE, TN — Heavy rains overnight Monday into Tuesday morning weren't entirely unexpected, as a line of showers had been predicted by forecasters for days, but the storms trained their sights on the same places over and over again, leading to flooding that closed streets and even schools as the usual suspect waterways — the creeks of southern Davidson and northern Rutherford counties — overran their banks.

The National Weather Service office in Old Hickory said that while the entire Midstate saw some rain, a long and narrow band — east to west, it ran roughly 150 miles from Waverly to Crossville, but only 15 miles north and south — saw as much as seven inches in the overnight hours, prompting flood advisories and warnings.

Interstate 24 at I-40 was closed just before morning rush hour, forcing commuters into detours and prompting heavy traffic back-ups. A number of roads in south Nashville were closed due to the rising waters of Mill Creek.

La Vergne and Smyrna were particularly hard hit as La Vergne residents along Old Nashville Highway had to be evacuated due to rising water. The city's multi-purpose building was used as a shelter. In Smyrna, numerous roads were closed Tuesday morning due to high water. Rutherford County Schools were closed due to the flooding Tuesday.

On Sulphur Springs Road in Rutherford County, the county rescue squad saved a man and an 18-month-old trapped in a car and a 16-year-old who was drowning.

At Old Harding Pike and Bellevue Road in Bellevue, two people drove into flooded waters around 11:30 p.m. Monday, leading to a rescue by Nashville firefighters. No one was injured.

In Cane Ridge, a man's car got stuck in the intersection of Bluff Road and Nolensville Pike. He was able to escape and walk to first responders.

At Freeland Chevrolet's overflow lot, a swollen creek pulled in several new cars which had to be extracted from the creekbed by tow trucks once the waters fell.

Rains subsided as the cold front pushed south, bringing cooler temperatures in their wake, with highs in upper 50s and low 60s and lows down into 30s expected later this week.

Image via National Weather Service