NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — Gray, cloudy skies and near-daily rain have dominated May in Nashville, and the impact is being felt across the region.
According to the National Weather Service, this is the wettest May since the devastating 2010 floods, with significant rainfall totals already recorded.
“We’ve recorded 8.49 inches of rain this month at the airport,” said Mark Rose, meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Nashville. “That makes this the seventh-wettest May on record — with records going back to 1871.”
In addition to historic rainfall, Middle Tennessee has experienced 21 tornadoes so far this year, Rose said.
The unusually wet weather has caused widespread issues for homeowners, roadways and small businesses. Lawn care companies such as Rescue 5 say they’ve been busier than normal, and many residents are dealing with cleanup from flood damage.
Rose emphasized that while this May hasn’t matched the scale of the 2010 flood disaster, the effects are still significant.
“The flooding damage in 2010 was very widespread,” he said. “The damage this month has been much more storm-related and flood-related.”
With more rain in the forecast, Rose warned there is still a risk for flash flooding due to saturated ground.
“It’s not severe storms we’re worried about over the next few days,” he said. “It’s ordinary thunderstorms that drop heavy rain for 20 to 30 minutes that could lead to flash flooding.”
While the rain may ease heading into June, Rose said extreme summer heat will likely take its place.
So far this year, Nashville has recorded 31.48 inches of rainfall.
Have you experienced flooding or storm damage this May? Share your photos and stories with us to help document this historic rainfall season. Contact Aaron directly at aaron.cantrell@NewsChannel5.com
This story was reported by Aaron Cantrell and has been converted to this platform with the assistance of AI. Aaron and our editorial team verifies all reporting on all platforms for fairness and accuracy.
Music lessons for just 50 cents! A Nashville music school has been providing that to area students for over 40 years including for the city's current mayor. As a child, I always wanted to take piano lessons. I was able to for about 6 months but had to stop due to family finances. I would have loved to have had access to a program like this at the W. O. Smith Music School.
- Lelan Statom
