Update: The Cumberland crested at 48.13 feet at 7:30 p.m. Friday, then began a steady decline.
Update, 8:50 a.m.: The Cumberland River appears to be cresting at 47.6 feet, as of 8 a.m.
Coincidentally, this week is the 14th anniversary of the big 2010 flood, in which the Cumberland crested at 62.58 feet. Here are the highest recorded Cumberland River floods in Clarksville:
- Jan. 25, 1937: 65.7 feet (source: U.S. Geological Survey)
- January 1882: 62.7 feet (source: 1937 Clarksville Leaf-Chronicle)
- May 4, 2010: 62.58 feet
At 8:30 a.m., the Red River had dropped to 41.55 feet, down from its crest Thursday night at 43.65.
Previously:
CLARKSVILLE, TN (CLARKSVILLE NOW) – Two days after Clarksville was swept by storms carrying several rounds of hail and heavy rain on Wednesday, the Red River crested overnight and is on the way back down.
At 10 p.m. Thursday, the river crested at 43.65 feet, which is 13.65 feet over the 30-foot flood stage, according to the National Weather Service.
Waters have begun to recede, and just before 7 a.m. today, the river was at 41.4 feet. It’s expected to fall below flood stage Saturday afternoon. A Flood Warning remains in effect until then.
At 44 feet, water reaches homes on Rivermont Drive, River Run, Idlewood Drive, and Wimbledon Court, and reaches yards of homes on Colin Court, East Accipiter Circle, Pond Apple Road, Foxfire Road, Hay Market Road, and Riverhaven Drive. Water reaches the Port Royal State Park Trail of Tears Trailhead parking area, and approaches yards of homes on Stonegate Drive and Willow Bend Drive.
Cumberland River
The much-larger Cumberland River, which is controlled by the Cheatham Dam upstream, is forecast in Clarksville at 47.7 feet at 7 a.m. today. That’s 1.7 feet above the 46-foot flood stage, and lower than predicted.
The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Nashville District is monitoring water levels on the Cumberland and said locks and dams throughout the basin are performing as designed, controlling water levels along the length of the river.
“We are working closely with our local and state partners to proactively communicate the water levels across the system and encourage the public to stay informed through local news, alerts and the National Weather Service,” said Lt. Col. Robert Green, USACE Nashville District commander, said Thursday. “We are managing a large amount of water through our projects designed to mitigate flooding and we strongly discourage the public from recreating in these areas at this time.”
Dunbar Cave Road
At Dunbar Cave State Park, floodwaters reached the edge of Dunbar Cave Road on one side and spilled over the Swan Lake embankment on the other.
Dunbar Cave Road is closed to thru-traffic between Idaho Springs Road and Warfield Boulevard. Only drivers who reside in that immediate area can use the road for now, according to a city news release.
The National Weather Service says most of Clarksville received 6 inches of rain, on already-saturated ground, during Wednesday’s severe storms and flash flooding.
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