Daniel Newbern

Leadership of the Music City Flood: How Nashville, Tennessee Led Its Community Through the Devastating Flood That Occurred in May, 2010 Daniel Newbern

Many government entities prepare for what they feel is the inevitable, a natural or man-made disaster. Research, training, and academic degree programs focus on the planning and preparation, response, and recovery efforts that surround these devastating events. Though many agencies and programs prepare for disasters, a vast majority will never experience them. This Action Research Project focuses around the leadership aspects, characteristics, attributes, and circumstances, etc. that played out during the Nashville Flood in May, 2010. Within a two day period, Nashville received record high rainfalls of greater than 19 inches, causing more than 2 billon dollars in damage. The Metropolitan Nashville Police Department was estimated to have incurred more than 2.5 million dollars in damages alone. Despite the devastation caused by this epidemic disaster, Nashville did not suffer the casualty rates seen by areas affected with similar tragedies. The efforts of the Metropolitan Nashville Government as a whole, combined with countless volunteers, were inspirational. Selflessness such as theirs truly embodied the phrase "WE ARE NASHVILLE."