Nashville, Tennessee, Mayor John Cooper declared a state of emergency Sunday afternoon after flooding that killed four residents.
Mayor John Cooper declared a state of emergency in Nashville on Sunday after record rains brought flash floods to Tennessee. “Today, I signed an executive order declaring a local state of emergency due to flooding in Nashville,” Cooper tweeted Sunday evening, saying the office sought “state and federal resources” for help in Davidson County.
Metropolitan Nashville Police Chief John Drake said 70-year-old Garry Cole’s body was located in a submerged car, while a 64-year-old man and a 46-year old woman were found near a homeless camp after Seven Mile Creek flooded. 65-year-old Douglas Hammond’s body was located on a golf course.
Nashville Fire Chief William Swann told reporters they had anticipated the storm and “swift-water teams” had been standing by for deployment. Responders rescued more than 130 Nashvillians from vehicles, apartments, and houses. At least 130 people were rescued from cars, apartments, and homes, while about 40 dogs were moved from a Nashville boarding kennel, Camp Bow Wow, to another location.
Shortly before the announcement, Cooper used the platform to offer his “deepest sympathies” to the friends and families of the four Nashville residents. He said the city’s first responders “worked tirelessly following the city’s second-highest ever two-day rainfall.”
Nashville weathered seven inches of rain within two days — the second-highest amount recorded in the city’s history. This represents the worst flooding since May 2010, when torrential rains led to the deaths of 21 people and did an estimated $1.5 billion in damage in Nashville.