Recovering from the 2010 Nashville Flood: Pavement Management as a Tool in Long Term Disaster Recovery

Abstract

In the spring of 2010, Nashville, Tennessee and surrounding Davidson County (commonly referred to as "Metro") was hit by a massive flood along the Cumberland River and its associated tributaries. This event broke nearly all flood-related records for the Nashville area and was identified as a 1,000-year flood by the National Weather Service. Damage to the transportation network was significant; flood related damages to pavement included major surface damage, washouts, and erosion of the soil that Metro's roads are built upon. This paper is a case study of Metro's response to the 2010 flood with respect to its roadway network and the role the existing pavement management system played in the long-term recovery of Metro's pavements. It discusses the impacts of the flooding, how the system was used to identify repair areas, how the appropriate approach was determined for specific damaged areas, and how the results of repairs were tracked to ensure that they were both appropriate and effective. The development of new approaches used to address an event of this magnitude along with the impact to Metro's financial reporting and ability to issue bonds will also be discussed.