Is this weather normal for Nashville?

[Canadian2021]

I get terrified from news of storms and tornados but then again above is somehow correct. We have to pick our poison.
Every place has some kind of disaster going on.

[PNWx23]

Originally Posted by texanaggie

We're about to sell our house (sign documents tomorrow) and move to Nashville in 3 months. I knew there were tornados but Nashville has been pounded on storm after storm over the last week or so. Is this normal or a rare occurrence?

I had the same question and appreciate all the responses. My son is moving to the area next month, and I may follow as an exploratory adventure for retirement, and the recent storms certainly got my attention. I attempted to find flood zone info last night but had trouble reading what I found. If someone can share a flood zone map of the Nashville and surrounding areas that would be great so we can choose carefully.

[jabogitlu]

https://msc.fema.gov/portal/home

[PNWx23]

Thank you..

[GWoodle]

Originally Posted by texanaggie

We're about to sell our house (sign documents tomorrow) and move to Nashville in 3 months. I knew there were tornados but Nashville has been pounded on storm after storm over the last week or so. Is this normal or a rare occurrence?

The storms last Saturday are unusual in having 6-7 in of rain in a short period. Making the storms worse was the storms tracking into the same areas to get the total rainfall. Official total at the airport was way different. This was the 2nd largest event in the city's history.

What you may have seen on the news is small creeks or water areas suddenly inundated with a flash flood. Those waterways are uncontrolled & could flood anytime in a 1-2 inch per hour storm. The water that flows into the Harpeth is also uncontrolled. The golf center in Bellevue near the Harpeth is notorious for floods.

All this water flows into the Cumberland. From upstream there is little capacity for the Percy Priest or Old Hickory dams to hold flood waters. Next down is Cheatham dam. Last in the chain is Lake Barkley near the Ohio. If we got 2 days of storms with 6-7 inches per day it could happen again.

Between last year's tornado and this year's flood it may be impossible to know if it could be another decade before those events happen again. Having storms capable of high winds & or flood does happen. You have to be aware of NWS watches & warnings. You do need to watch Nashville weather to get the latest reports. Heed the warnings, don't drown.

[NashvilleBoy]

Nashville is one of the most disaster prone cities I have ever lived in due to it's random flash floods and tornados. With a hurricane or blizzard you can at least prepare for one.

[woodrough]

I've lived in places with earthquakes, wildfires, tornadoes, floods, blizzards, ice storms, and more. No place is immune to natural disasters, so you have to pick and choose what you're willing to put up with. Of the disasters I've lived through/near, earthquakes are my least "favorite" because you generally get no notice and they can devastate a wide, wide area. Of course, they don't happen very frequently. Tornadoes and floods are more frequent, but usually you at least have some warning that there is a potential for them, and the damage tends to be in more isolated areas. Wildfires are awful because they can either come overnight with little warning, or cause lingering anxiety for days, not to mention the effect on air quality even when you're not in direct path of the fire.

I think as long as you are aware of the risks, and make appropriate preparations, it's not a big deal.