We Are Nashville
- Updated: May 4, 2010
Allow me a moment to step away from the usual voice of this website.
What I am about to write has absolutely nothing to do with hockey.
If you live outside of Nashville, you may not be aware, but our city was hit by a 500-year flood over the last few days. The national news coverage gave us 15 minutes, but went back to focusing on a failed car bomb and an oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. While both are clearly important stories, was that any reason to ignore our story? It may not be as terror-sexy as a failed car bomb or as eco-sexy as an oil spill, but that’s no reason to be ignored.
The Cumberland River crested at its highest level in over 80 years. Nashville had its highest rainfall totals since records began. People drowned. Billions of dollars in damage occurred. It is the single largest disaster to hit Middle Tennessee since the Civil War. And yet…no one knows about it.
Does it really matter? Eventually, it will…as I mentioned, there are billions of dollars in damage. It seems bizarre that no one seems to be aware that we just experienced what is quite possibly the costliest non-hurricane disaster in American history. The funds to rebuild will have to come from somewhere, which is why people need to know. It’s hard to believe that we will receive much relief if there isn’t a perception that we need it.
But let’s look at the other side of the coin for a moment. A large part of the reason that we are being ignored is because of who we are. Think about that for just a second. Did you hear about looting? Did you hear about crime sprees? No…you didn’t. You heard about people pulling their neighbors off of rooftops. You saw a group of people trying to move two horses to higher ground. No…we didn’t loot. Our biggest warning was, “Don’t play in the floodwater.” When you think about it…that speaks a lot for our city. A large portion of why we were being ignored was that we weren’t doing anything to draw attention to ourselves. We were handling it on our own.
Some will be quick to find fault in the way rescue operations were handled, but the fact of the matter is that the catastrophe could not have been prevented and it is simply ignorant beyond all reason to suggest otherwise. It is a flood. It was caused by rain. You can try to find a face to stick this tragedy to, but you’ll be wrong.
Parts of Nashville that could never even conceivably be underwater were underwater. Some of them still are. Opry Mills and the Opryland Hotel are, for all intents and purposes, destroyed. People died sitting in standstill traffic on the Interstate. We saw boats going down West End. And, of course, we all saw the surreal image of the portable building from Lighthouse Christian floating into traffic and being destroyed when cars were knocked into it. I’m still having trouble comprehending all of it.
And yet…life will go on. We’ll go back to work, to school, to our lives…and we’ll carry on. In a little over a month, I’ll be on this website talking about the draft. In October, we’ll be discussing the new Predators’ season with nary a thought of these past few days. But in a way, they changed everyone in this town. We now know that that it can happen to us…but also know that we can handle it.
Because we are Nashville.
Related Posts
1,065 Comments
About Patten Fuqua
Pingback: Come Down to Nashville, Check Out My Fingers, You Tour the Museums… Um, Shoot, Not the Museums… La la la la something, something « Tiny Cat Pants
Pingback: The People Speak: “We Are Nashville” [Flood 2010] | Nashvillest
Pingback: We Are Nashville | discordianZen
Pingback: Our collective reaction to the flood - Nashville - Tennessee (TN) - City-Data Forum
Pingback: So Proud of My City « JayeWalking
Pingback: Nashville | We Are Nashville | Section 303 « Roadtosuccess09's Blog
Pingback: The Nashville Flood – in medias res
Pingback: Nashville | We Are Nashville | Section 303 | Social Outlaws
Pingback: Nashville | We Are Nashville | Section 303 – IM PRODUCTS AND REVIEWS
Pingback: A little wet here in Nashville - Page 2 - Acura Forum - Acura World.com
Pingback: Nashville Flood « bright line rules
Pingback: Nashville Flood « Dog Ball Hysterics
Pingback: My world is a flood…
Pingback: Nashville Floods | Nothing to see here...
Pingback: A Semester Wrap Up: Harding, Nashville Flood, etc. « A Thousand Miles
Pingback: The Flood of 2010 (#NashvilleFlood #Flood2010) « KayeDacus.com
Pingback: Too Much Action = Major Distraction « The Sage in Bloom
Pingback: Nashville Could Use Some Help | Today In Hockey
Pingback: We Are Nashville | Property Parlor Real Estate and Land
Pingback: Rosshoss’s Weblog
Pingback: Let’s get real, let’s get heavy. « for lack of a better word
Pingback: THE WORLD IS GOING CRAZY « Rastas On A Journey
Pingback: David Wild: They Are Nashville: Standing By Music City | Best Breaking News
Pingback: David Wild: They Are Nashville: Standing By Music City
Pingback: Nashville Could Use Some Help | The Vancouver Canucks
Pingback: We Are Nashville <
Pingback: We Are Nashville! Very Well Said!!! « elevated southern
Pingback: The Joys of Being a Recruiter (A Look in the Mirror for Job-Seekers) « A Recruiters Guide to the Universe
Pingback: Twitter Archive 2010-05-04 | Gawain’s World
Pingback: [inbetween] I’m home. «
Pingback: “People drowned… « Our [little] Adventures
Pingback: the 500 year flood « Plant Potatoes
Pingback: Wild on Nashville : Post Politics: Political News and Views in Tennessee
Pingback: Nashville | HandsOn Blog
Pingback: I don’t know if you heard, but Nashville is underwater « O God, come to my assistance
Pingback: Nashville Flood « work / life
Pingback: The heart of Nashville « A Girl Named Hercules' Blog
Pingback: Nashville Flood Lite « Sallaboutme
Pingback: Telling Nashville's Story | snippets :: by Leslie Ann Jones
Pingback: World Vision blogging trip in the Dominican Repuplic « of bravery and brokenness
Pingback: David Wild: They Are Nashville: Standing By Music City | Current Movie Reviews, Sports and Celebrity News
Pingback: We Are Nashville | Section 303 « Kenneth Bargers: in the news…
Pingback: Water Conservation, Fellowship and Rubber Snakes « Kate Schmate
Pingback: Mayor Of The Bux » Blog Archive » We Are Nashville
Pingback: Forgotten Nashville? « To Be A Pilgrim
Pingback: Confessions Of a Binge Blogger « A Novel Attempt
Pingback: nashville. « we are fambly.
Pingback: Rescuers feared more victims in Tennessee as a flood | digguk
Pingback: A Smaller Nashville | The Nashville Joggler | Running, juggling, joggling
Pingback: Prayers for Nashville « Daria Anne DiGiovanni, Inc.
Pingback: Tennessee « Melody's Musings…
Pingback: Nashville » Alanna Scully Photography
Pingback: Nashville is down, not out | Bryan Young
Pingback: The good, the bad and the ugly « The Works and Musings of Sarah Jane Kyle
Pingback: Nashville waters withdraw, crews searched for bodies | digguk
Pingback: The clean-up begins
Pingback: Southern Appeal » Our Thoughts and Prayers with Nashville
Pingback: We are Nashville | yet to be blog
Pingback: Cosmopolitan Conservative » Blog Archive » Proud of Nashville
Pingback: Are We Birmingham? « A Day in The Life…
Pingback: Reemmber Nashville, Even If The President Didn’t.
Pingback: Nashville and Liberal MSM Bias
Pingback: Nashville Flood Relief Efforts | The 9513
Pingback: We Are Nashville | Section 303 - http
Pingback: We are Nashville « In Session: Tennessee Politics
Pingback: Bless your heart. « REDDALLOVER
Pingback: 2010 Devastating Nashville Flood | The Next Generation
Pingback: Video: The Nashville Flood You’ve Heard So Little About « Nice Deb
Pingback: Sink-o de Mayo, Nashville Edition « Her Name Was Grace.
Pingback: Mental Health Days Are AMAHZING!!! « all you really have to do is shine!
Pingback: Sha + Falar! » Blog Archive » Our prayers are with Tennessee.
Pingback: It’s not officially a disaster until there’s a T-shirt « In Session: Tennessee Politics
Pingback: Waterline « Susan Walker Photography Journal
Pingback: “Barack Obama Ignores Tennessee Flood Victims…” « Jacksonian Lawyer's Blog
Pingback: April Wrap-Up – Bittersweet Victory – CodeyHolland.com
Pingback: I Am Nashville. «
Pingback: A Flood of Emotions « Anointed With Grace
Pingback: 500 year flood hit Nashville, here is how you can help | The Grable Group
Pingback: The Worst Disaster Since the Civil War But Not as News Worthy as an Oil Spill
Pingback: The Nashville Flood, Self-Reliance and the Mainstream Media | Parcbench
Pingback: An inspiring “pay it forward” story emerges from the Nashville flood aftermath. | Kevin Montgomery
Pingback: Chilpotle cheese dip « One Particular Kitchen
Pingback: » Just In Case You Missed It The Millennial Star
Pingback: Friday Links Roundup: Conservation Edition : The Faughn Family of Four
Pingback: Nashville – The 500 Year Deluge « L.A. Marzulli’s Blog
Pingback: Hillbuzz, Ann Coulter and Neil’s Persistent Use of Their Site « Timothy Matters
Pingback: the rains came down and the floods came up « Christ's Church for Brooklyn
Pingback: As the Waters Recede
Pingback: God Knows and Cares « A voice crying out in the blogosphere
Pingback: My Pictures of the Nashville Flood #NashvilleFlood | Jeffrey Davis
Pingback: Our collective reaction to the flood - Nashville - Tennessee (TN) - Page 2 - City-Data Forum
Pingback: Finally, someone’s paying attention to the flood… « Jennifer Larson, Writer at Large
Pingback: The Friday Five–Flooding Edition…Five ways you can help Nashville recover « Andy in Progress
Pingback: We Build « English Lessons
Pingback: elainebarnett.com » Nashville Rallies And the News Finally Reports It
Pingback: gleanings from the blog buffet May 8 « Cookinthebooks's Blog
Pingback: The 303:30 – We Are Nashville author & News 2 anchors | Section 303
Pingback: Email Marketing Software Gives You Vital Statistics To Boost Your Business – Effective - Affordable Software Solutions
Pingback: Blue. Green. Brown. « Share Joy
Pingback: Ke$ha Nashville Flood Benefit Concert Set For June 16, 2010 | Bitten and Bound
Pingback: Scientology recruiting for Nashville flooding. - Page 3 - Why We Protest | Activism Forum
Pingback: How High’s The Water, Mama? 50 Feet High and Rising. (Wait, is that a spacecraft or a jellyfish?) « Don't rock, wobble.
Pingback: “Geeking Out For A Cause: Nashville Flood Response Takes To The Web”
Pingback: Dave Reads: We Are Nashville «
Pingback: Nashville in the Postseason: The Tiger Abides | The Hockey Writers
Pingback: Nashville’s long road ahead | Rejuvenate Meetings
Pingback: See You Along the Way! » We Are Nashville
Pingback: Beer-pocalypse 2010 – Norm’s River Roadhouse » schatzkins-dot-com
Pingback: They Aren’t Nashville « Kleinheider.
Pingback: April Canipe » » We are nashville
Pingback: Thought Blog » Blog Archive » One Person’s Take
Pingback: How to help. « highly caffeinated
Pingback: Nashville Rising (& Serving Together) « Live.Love.Serve.
Pingback: The Song of Music City « being drizzled in chocolate
Pingback: Bright & Early: Live Like We’re Drying Edition | Nashvillest
Pingback: Memories of flood linger online at OnNashville | The Tennessee Blog Directory
Pingback: The Lifeline Of Social Media Helped Nashville | Speak to Power
Pingback: Bright & Early: Live Like We’re Drying Edition « NashvilleBlogs.org
Pingback: “A crisis is a terrible thing to waste.” « Logic Of Liberty
Pingback: “A crisis is a terrible thing to waste.” - Politics Elevated
Pingback: Kirbys Gotta Travel » Blog Archive » The Flood and the Train
Pingback: The Spot-On Quote Of The Day… « The Camp Of The Saints
Pingback: Keith Urban – “I'm In” · Boom News
Pingback: SharePoint MVP Blogs
Pingback: KVBPR Blog » A moment in time
Pingback: Nashville | Kennedy Occasions
Pingback: Music Review – We Are Nashville, Moments and It’s HERE (www.rockontogether.com)!
Pingback: The Nashville Flood…Why Have We Paid So Little Attention to It? « Sigmund, Carl and Alfred
Pingback: Friday, May 14 | Middle Tennessee Flood 2010
Pingback: Eight Things I Learned While Helping Tennessee Flood Victims « Blog « Digital Reasoning
Pingback: Nashville – The Little City That Could « Tennessee Before Daylight
Pingback: Brad Moist » Blog Archive » Friday Faves
Pingback: Holy Crap I’m Bored… « Breaking Contain
Pingback: ‘Cause I’ll Be Dancin’ « Ciao! Sheila
Pingback: Another Take On Disaster – Nashville, TN « Pastor Earl's Blog
Pingback: Tennessee Floods: Updating the Help Options « Nashville Pro Bono
Pingback: The Flood – Oh Me of Little Faith – Faithful Friday, Edition Two « Reflections by Pj
Pingback: Have Coffee Will Write » Blog Archive
Pingback: Sweet Relief: Nashville Food Blogger Bake Sale « One Particular Kitchen
Pingback: Tennessee Flood Relief & Volunteer Info
Pingback: Obama to aides: ‘Plug the damn hole’ | Chicago Daily Observer
Pingback: We are Nashville Poster for Sale for Nashville Flood Victims « JanLovesPix