The massive crush of water and the heavy granite blocks of the reservoir walls smashed through the city. Many Nashvillians were awakened when the water rushed into their bedrooms it even floated one family out of the house on their beds. The walls had been leaking and crumbling for some time, but the sudden 175-foot breach caused nearly 25 million gallons of water to spill into the city. Just after midnight on the 5th of November, 1912, one of the walls of the Nashville Reservoir, located on a hill above 8th Avenue, ruptured. Nashville Reservoir Rupture, Nashville, Tennessee, November 5, 1912 ![]() With so many cities situated near or around Tennessee’s numerous rivers, lakes, and streams, the threat of flooding is an ever-present danger to the citizens of the state. Unlike the slow-rising floods caused by swollen natural rivers, streams, and lakes, dam or reservoir ruptures are sudden and difficult to predict or contain. Dam and reservoir breaks add to these troubles, for many of Tennessee's rivers have been dammed, and much of the state lies in the flood plains of dammed rivers and lakes. Even small floods can take the lives of Tennesseans living near waterways, destroy entire towns, produce thousands or tens of thousands of refugees, and spread disease. Major floods in 1847, 1902, 1927, 1937, 1948, and 1951, among other years, have caused severe damage to property and lives. ![]() Heavy rains or ice run-off can cause many bodies of water to swell and encroach upon towns and cities. RG 82, Department of Conservation Photograph CollectionĬrisscrossed by several major rivers and home to numerous lakes and streams, Tennessee is one of the most water-rich states in America. Sulphur Dell Baseball Field during Flood,
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