We Are Nashville

4 years ago this week, my beautiful town looked like this:

The 2010 Flood dropped water on Nashville that we hadn't seen since 1937. Who would've thought a few rainy days would accumulate so quickly? 

I took Paige to Atlanta to see Martina McBride the first day of the flood, and when we left it was bright and sunshine. By the time we sat down at the shows, my mom had text me "Do NOT come home overnight, it's flooding, 24 is partially shut down and part of the school is floating at my exit. Do NOT COME HOME." Listening to her, we quickly drove up to the GA/TN border to crash at my best friends house & assess the storm in the morning. 

It was probably not the wisest idea in the world to drive home the next day, but after getting some routes that were okay to get me home, we decided to take a chance. Nothing hits you more than passing the street you live off of and seeing people in canoes in a parking lot. The look of terror on the 12 year old next to me told me to get the hell home, and fast. (I'm very fortunate my home had no major damage and only had water in one area!)

What was unique about our flood was the lack of media attention. The President was on vacation in Hawaii. (Don't turn this into political bullshit, I have zero against our President, just making a point!) It wasn't featured on any of the news except local news. Many people had no idea how massive the flooding was. The Flood was one of the costliest disasters in US History- and it took days before anyone even noticed. 

And that's when We Are Nashville started. We didn't need the media attention. Because nothing banded this town together quite like the disastrous flood of 2010. Not a person in this town turned down the chance to help their neighbors. Businesses closing for a day of employees out to volunteer, churches banding together - there was nothing like it.

When Anderson Cooper came to town, other media outlets starting picking up on our story, and before we knew it, everyone was talking about how sad it was to see historic buildings like the Opry be flooded. But one of the very first things Anderson Cooper mentioned was they should have been in Nashville way earlier. Because they waited to come - what was the focus of their broadcast? What an amazing town Nashville is - and how the town rallied together.

I may be a Florida girl, but Nashville has been home for almost 18 of my 30 years. I love this city, and everyone in it - the flood just proved how amazing this place is.