By Elizabeth Waibel
One year after floodwaters inundated Middle Tennessee many area residents have cleaned up and moved on, but some businesses are still in the recovery process.
After the May 2010 flood hit Nashville and other areas in Tennessee, especially around the Cumberland River, the Associated Press reported that damages in Nashville alone totaled more than $1.5 billion.
Jackson and the rest of West Tennessee were also hit by heavy rains that saw cars stranded by floodwaters, businesses damaged and a sinkhole that opened up in the road near Jackson-Madison County General Hospital.
Nashville’s Opry Mills announced April 12 that most of the stores in the shopping center will reopen in the spring of 2012. According to a press release, the mall sustained more than $200 million worth of damage in the flood and is currently involved in a lawsuit against its insurers. Many stores in the mall before the flood will return, and several new stores are expected to move in, including Coach Factory Store, White House Black Market and Under Armour Factory House. Bass Pro Shops is already open.
“The response from the retail community has been incredibly positive and enthusiastic,” said Gregg Goodman, president of The Mills, in a statement.
Many businesses have already reopened, including the Grand Ole Opry House, which hosted its first show after the flood on Sept. 28, according to its website, and Gaylord Opryland, which reopened Nov. 15.
The basement of the Nashville Symphony’s Schermerhorn Symphony Center was also flooded, causing millions of dollars of damage, said James C. Gooch, board chair, in the symphony’s annual report. The center is open and hosting concerts, but repairs are ongoing.
