2 years ago.

Two years ago it started to rain. And it didn't stop.



I woke up Saturday morning knowing rain was in the forecast, but it didn't start until I was about an hour into my day. It rained hard, it rained constantly. Then it began to flood.

It was such a strange experience. The news covered the flooding non-stop, commercial free, for three days. They told people to stay home. They dispelled rumors. I watched as the news showed live footage of cars floating down I-24 at Bell Road, a stretch of interstate I drove along often. I watched the water creep up to my neighbor Margaret's doorstep. The shed in her backyard was flooded. I had water in my crawlspace, but was spared any damage.

When I finally left the house after three days when the rain stopped, I had a new connection with every person I saw. We had all experienced the flood. We had all survived. I volunteered to help clean up at the LP Pencil Box, a free school supply store for teachers in West Nashville. Everyone volunteered. Strangers came in armies and ripped soggy drywall and saturated belongings out of people's homes.

The Cumberland River crested 12 feet above flood stage. It was certainly a time Nashvillians will never forget. The locals were proud that despite receiving little to no national media coverage, Tennessee recovered and rebuilt. A spirit of "We are Nashville" rose as the waters receded. Check out more photos from the Boston Globe here.