... it rained
It was the first Friday in May, the first day of our guild quilt show, and it rained off and on during the day. As show chairperson, I wanted to go early and stay till the end of the day. It was still raining when I drove the 35 miles home.
Two guild members stayed overnight to provide security for the quilts. Fortunately, when the church gymnasium roof started to leak, they were able to strategically relocate some quilt racks and place trash cans to contain the rainwater.
On my way back to the show Saturday morning I noticed the gutters along the highway were overflowing. It poured all day. By 2 p.m. we were getting reports of minor flooding in a few areas of the county. When it was time to close the show, there was a break in the weather. With much coordination and fast action, we got the quilts down, distributed to their owners, and racks loaded into trucks and vans in 30 minutes!
The first indication I was in trouble was when I had to turn around on the interstate because a big truck had wrecked in ponding water. I chose an alternate route, but had to turn back because the Harpeth River was over the road. With constant cell calls to my husband I was able to find my way back to the interstate beyond the wreck and made it all the way to our subdivision -- only to find water raging over the road to our side of the Little Harpeth River.
Our house on the hill was not affected, but I spent two nights in a motel as the rain continued through Sunday. Seventeen inches in two days. Much of downtown Nashville was underwater.
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| Nashville - May 2010 |
Many other low-lying pockets were flooded, including areas of the county where the quilt guild is located.
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| Assembly Line |
What do quilters do in a disaster? We make quilts. The quild gathered on a couple of Saturdays following the flood and worked, assembly-line style, to finish quilt tops, cut backs and batting, and doling everything out to be quilted or tied.
Ultimately we produced 140 quilts.
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| 140 Quilts for 2010 Flood Victims |
So many people were affectd by this 500-year event. Nashville took care of itself, we have recovered, we are stronger, and there are plans to build a flood wall so it won't happen again.
I remember this event! I was flying, and I was also getting ready to judge the Miss Tennessee Pageant the following month. Thank goodness you were safe, and all of the quilts at the show were saved!
ReplyDeleteOh my goodness Libby - those days were a real trial. It amazes me how you all recovered and cleaned up! Also - 140 quilts completed during this time - that is purely wonderful! You have a terrific guild. I am glad to hear that a flood wall in in the plans.
ReplyDeleteI remember this. I saw a car floating down Mallory Lane in Cool Springs as I was trying to get home from Nashville and part of I-65 was under water. All of my family made it home safely, and then we watched the water rise since we live in a 100-year flood plain. The water came up to our house, but now in it. It did flood 3 streets in our subdivision. Sharon B in Franklin
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