Nashville flash flood: four dead, dozens of homes and businesses destroyed



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Authorities have identified two of the four victims as men between the ages of 60 and 70 who drowned after driving as floodwaters ravaged the area.

More than 100 people had to be rescued from rapidly rising waters that inundated communities and damaged homes and businesses, the Nashville Fire Department said in an update Sunday night.
A resident of an apartment building in Antioch, south of Nashville, told CNN affiliate WZTV that she woke up with a mudslide compromising the building.

“You don’t think this tiny little cove can get so vicious,” Father Bolduc told the affiliate. She was one of 15 people rescued from CityVue apartments on Sunday, WZTV reported.

The flooding is one of the latest tragedies to hit the city of Nashville, which last year saw a devastating tornado, deadly derecho and bombing on Christmas morning.
Mayor John Cooper announced on Sunday evening the Twitter that he had declared a state of emergency to help secure local and federal resources to recover from the devastation.
“Metro first responders have worked tirelessly in the wake of the city’s second-highest two-day rainfall, which flooded neighborhoods across the county,” Cooper said in another. tweet.

Flood warnings remain in place for the Cumberland River in Nashville and other waterways in central and western Tennessee, CNN meteorologist Michael Guy said.

“These will be in place for a while until the water recedes into the streams and rivers, which can take anywhere from a day to days (weeks), depending on the topography upstream and downstream. downstream, ”he said.

National Weather Service (NWS) Nashville reported that “most of the rivers and streams in the area have peaked while a handful are about to peak.”

The agency said the Twitter this water recession is expected over the next few days.

‘They lost everything’

As the waters begin to recede, people across the region struggle to recover, with many organizations rallying to offer help to displaced people.

While residents of the compromised apartment building in Antioch escaped with their lives, some lost everything, evacuee Mark Piland told WZTV.

A vehicle drives past a utility building that was carried across a street by floodwaters Sunday, March 28, 2021, in Nashville.

“My heart goes out to everyone,” Piland said, according to WZTV. “They lost almost everything on the first floor of these buildings.”

“I just hope everyone can stay safe and I’m glad no one was killed,” he added.

The situation was tense for those trying to escape the flash flooding, residents told WZTV.

“All I heard was screaming,” Bolduc told the branch. “There was a lady who was completely inconsolable.”

“I see a board float down, and I’m like, ‘Damn’. I woke up my husband and said, “You must be awake. You must know what is going on,” “she added.” I didn’t think anyone was going to believe how bad it was. bad.”

A car that was carried by flood waters leans against a tree in a stream Sunday, March 28, 2021, in Nashville.

The New Tribe Church at the Valley Center Mall in Mt. Juliet took 3 or 4 feet of water during the Sunday flooding, according to WZTV.

Just a week before Easter, Pastor Jarod Smith told the affiliate his church is now without a place of worship.

“A 3 1/2 foot high wall of water just came through the wall and washed everything across the hallway, shattered the front window, a complete loss,” Smith told WZTV.

The pastor said that although he is sad about the damage, he knows the spirit of the church is with the people.

“We are hopeful the church is not a building,” Smith told the affiliate. “The church is people, but it’s devastating at the same time. As sad as it is and as much hard work as we know is around the corner, we are encouraged by those who are willing to participate and help.

Four people killed, authorities say

The rough waters claimed the lives of four people in Nashville, Cooper said on Sunday.

“We send our deepest condolences to the relatives of the four Nashvillians who died in the floods last night,” the mayor said tweeted.

The Metro Nashville Police Department (MNPD) on Sunday identified two drowning victims following inclement weather and flooding in the area.

MNPD urban search and rescue officers recovered Garry Cole, 70, of South Nashville, who died from a submerged vehicle in a creek on Sunday morning, a tweet from the MNPD said Sunday evening.

Authorities have also identified Douglas Hammond, 65, who died after being swept away by flood waters when he got out of his stuck car.

Two other victims, a 64-year-old man and a 46-year-old woman, found dead in a homeless camp, have yet to be named by authorities.

CNN’s Andy Rose, Haley Brink, Artemis Moshtaghian, Tyler Mauldin, Keith Allen and Alta Spells contributed to this report.



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