The word epic has been thrown around to describe the May floods. In
fact, a word National Weather Service meteorologists say is appropriate.
We take a closer look at why the conditions were right for a great
flood. We had so much moisture that we had our rainiest days back to
back, flooding areas of the midstate that never flooded before. So where
did all of this moisture come from?



There were 2 main players. One was an unusually strong area of high
pressure. The first player, the Bermuda High sitting over the southeast,
refusing to budge. That high opened the floodgates from the equator and
the gulf to feed a consistent river of moisture right into the
midsouth.



As for the second player, a spring time area of low pressure rolled in
from the southwest, allowing wind and storms to parade across the area.
Those low pressures worked with all that moisture to spark those storms.
While this may have been the 1000 year flood, and it's unlikely to
happen again for a long time, that doesn't mean it's impossible.



Here's a tidbit for you. Flooding is the #1 reason for weather related deaths across the country.



The May floods weren't confined to just one area of the midstate. The
rising water spilled from creeks and rivers in almost 50 Tennessee
counties, and you helped us document all the damage. You were our eyes.FOX17 FLOOD SPECIAL Part II