Nashville Flooded; Bloggers Freaking Over Lack of National Attention
Buckets of rain fell on Nashville and central Tennessee for hours and hours and hours over the weekend.
The “news” bloggers are freaking out that this isn’t getting the same national news coverage as the oil volcano or the flubbed up terrorist attack in Manhattan.
It is a disaster for NashVegas for sure and will have tremendous impact on a million or so people. But I live about 70 miles away and it has absolutely NO impact on my life. Ergo: not a national news story.
As a matter of fact, we will be going to the Tennessee Performing Arts Center tonight. TPAC is just a few blocks away from where the picture was taken.
Performances of “A Chorus Line” at the Tennessee Performing Arts Center will be presented as originally scheduled, May 4-9.
There is a meme developing about how NashVegas was ignored by the national media.
In one of the most shamefully underreported stories so far, the fatal flooding in Nashville, Tennessee, continues to get worse as the river approaches its crest. The entirety of downtown Nashville had to be evacuated, including 1500 people from the Opryland Hotel.
Shamefully? Overstate much? BTW: Opryland Hotel is not even close to downtown, it’s at least 15 miles away. (Pre-flood, post-flood the parkway may be closed.)
The flood in Nashville and central Tennessee just isn’t as important on the national scene. Shameful? Puh-leeze.
One blogger claimed the best source of information is the Nashvillest… which is just a couple of folks aggregating what other main stream (har) media have published/broadcasted. It’s a local story and the local media outlets are going overboard (har) to cover the flood.
We’re looking at some of the worst flooding in decades, the interstates are closed, people’s houses are flooding, some cows are stranded, and it’s probably going to get worse before it gets better.
Cows. We have stranded cows. (Made the front page of Nashvillest.) The perceived lack of national media coverage was explained this way by a blogger…
Part of the lack of national response for Nashville may come from the lag between the real time web and when traditional media figures out there’s a story.
“Traditional media” had this story from the first flooding. The NashVegas Tee Vee station we get here in Smallburg was wall-to-wall even though their newsroom was flooding and equipment was being moved to higher ground.
Am I affected by oil volcano? Yes, gas prices have already jumped by 15 cents a gallon. Taxpayers will be shelling out to clean up the BP oil volcano. Commodities that move up and down the Mississippi river will be curtailed, thus causing shortages and higher prices.
Does Firecracker Boy in Manhattan affect me? Probably not as much – yet. But the next time we fly anyplace, I expect to see increased security.
Flooding NashVegas is a local story. And the bloggers and tweeters are just regurgitating what the television stations and newspapers are reporting.
UPDATE: Adding to the insult – Tornado Penis aimed at NashVegas is getting lots of attention from web but not mainstream media.
UPDATE 2: 18 inch dicks would help NashVegas hit the national media too…
Do you have any idea how much shipping comes through the Nashville and Memphis areas through the interstates? Delays on I-40, I-24 and I-65 will undoubtedly have a noticeable ripple on the prices of gas and a host of other products (your oil spill in the gulf will have a negligible impact on gas prices in and of itself, its the increased cost of shipping due to shipping lanes and even the Mississippi river being un-navigable that will cause a rise in gas prices)If you think this is a purely local story you’re sadly misinformed. When MSNBC gives more time to the UVA lacrosse player that murdered his girlfriend or the water main that broke in Boston its obvious that the flooding of a major metropolitan area is simply not getting the coverage it deserves.
@Donald Driver: Yes I forgot, truck freight can’t get north of TN via other routes.
Gas prices jump for no good reason, you know that. This is a GOOD reason (in the eyes of some.)
“Deserves” coverage? My point exactly. News coverage has to be interesting to broadcasters because they live and die by the ratings. When they find the body of a country-music star floating down the Cumberland, then coverage will go ape-shit.
Honestly, I hadn’t even heard about the flooding in Nashville until a friend of mine told me yesterday because she has relatives there. She told me the house next to one of her relatives was completely under water…as were many. I guess it really has been under-reported. This is really awful. ~Joy
.-= Joy´s last blog pithThe ‘Joy’ of Cooking…Not! =-.
Tornado penis. Hee.
Baby Boomer…you’re a jerk. Your thinking regarding the non-coverage of the Nashville floods is completely illogical and nonsensical. Sorry, but you just sound really, really stupid. Oh, and also…as hard as you try (which is way too hard) you’re not even close to being funny.
@Kara: And I’m UGLY too (as OP points out). Thank you for your thoughtful and insightful comment. Please stop in anytime. I always welcome a breath of fresh air like this to break up the constant adulation.
I think it’s big news that you’re actually driving somewhere to see A Chorus Line.
Spoiler Alert: No one gets cast in the show because people in America would rather stay home and watch “Dancing With the Stars.”
.-= Larry Wallberg´s last blog pithThe Shroud of Tourin’ =-.
@Larry: Almost didn’t, but I figured winner of 7-8 Tonys it must be fantastic. It wasn’t. We left at the 90 minute mark scratching our heads wondering what is wrong with us that we just didn’t ADORE this performance. Thank you for the spoiler, now we know.
Thanks for taking the time to write this, and comment on my post. I totally disagree with you, but that’s your call and anyone who’s passionate about anything will give it the two minutes it deserves.
On to the problem:
I’ll start with this statement. I, personally, have suffered no ill effects from this flood. There are neighborhoods two miles from me that are underwater due to what’s called a 500-year flood. It means just what it says – that the chance of a flood of this magnitude happening is once every 500 years. There are people who didn’t have an inkling of a foresight that they needed flood insurance who have lost everything.
Tennessee has banded together to pull each other up from the mud. I was out this afternoon in the neighborhood near me helping with the cleanup. Why? Because most decent people would. That’s how we roll.
I know this is your blog, but pride comes before the fall. Just because it doesn’t affect you doesn’t mean that there’s not someone else who’s hurting.
.-= Mitch Canter´s last blog pithNashville Flood 2010: Volunteering in Cottonwood =-.
@Mitch Canter: you jumped from bitching about media coverage to how people are hurting. NO place in my blog did I say that this was anything but devastating for Nashville and central TN. That is re-stating the obvious.
I bet no commenter has every jumped to a conclusion on your blog! 🙂
Am I sorry for BNA? yes. Was it a national story over the weekend? No. It was a local story. (Again, restating the obvious: the local media did a great job of bringing the story to the public.)
Just because it doesn’t affect you doesn’t mean that there’s not someone else who’s hurting.
Right. So every event that causes any pain anywhere is a national news story, is that what you’re saying? Hell, I went to the dentist the other day, and not a single reporter covered it.
.-= Larry Wallberg´s last blog pithThe Shroud of Tourin’ =-.
Instead of writing this insensitive crap, why don’t you try to help! So you didn’t have any problems. Big deal. You sound so stuck up. How would you feel if YOU were the one in trouble and people were making jokes about it?
.-= Sarah Ruth´s last blog pithNashville Flood is Overwhelming! =-.
I did help. I went to TPAC last night.
Next up: BNA boo-hooing because all the tourists have left town and stopped coming because of all the attention from the national media. Predicted: Mayor and Governor hold joint press conference to say “NashVegas is OPEN and FUN.”
I didn’t make fun of the people that are suffering – you read something that isn’t there. I made fun of the bloggers who were whining about the lack of media attention on a national level. Did you even read the headline?
Dude, you suck. Your community was just devastated and THIS is how you choose to respond. Your narcissism is rivaled only by your ignorance. I’m sorry I clicked on this post and wish I wasn’t helping your search rankings by leaving a comment. I couldn’t resist telling you what an as*hole you sound like though. I hope for your sake that your neighbors are more enlightened than yourself should you ever find yourself in need. What a jerk.
@Dustin: Ditto my response to Kara’s comment.
I’m not offended. This is your shtick, your thing…”I’m an old fart falling apart and I’m cranky so I’ll try to piss people off.” If that’s what it takes for you to have a voice, then have at it.
@Jeb: Thanks. I have been awaiting your permission for years! Finally you came through. mwah!
I’m not going to whine or cry about the lack of national coverage, however, I do find it a little odd that something like the 2010 Red River flood in Fargo, North Dakota received much, much more national news coverage than the Nashville flood. And the Red River flood was something that did almost zero damage in 2010. The 2009 Red River flood got incredible national coverage and it only damaged about 100 homes — the Nashville flood has damages thousands, if not tens of thousands of homes.
@Jacob: my point was that compared to the other two big stories of the weekend: oil volcano and terrorist, the BNA flood should rank 3rd on the national interest level.
If it happened at some other time, it might have rated more “breaking news” type coverage, ala Fargo. BTW: Fargo’s business district was destroyed totally by the flood and resulting fires.
you obviously don’t have a clue.
@Meagan: Obviously you are dope.
.-= GoingLikeSixty´s last blog pithBeaufort, SC Raghead =-.
It seems like there is finally some good news with the spill. The Houston Chronicle reports, U.S. ships were being outfitted earlier this month with four pairs of skimming booms airlifted from the Netherlands and should be deployed within days.” I hope this is a sign of things to come. For all those feeling pretty gloomy about this situation, I recommend a good laugh… Here’s a funny joke, http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N3j7uSbccSc
Wow! This was a real tragedy for Nashville and Middle Tennessee. Even if there wasn’t rampant looting and massive losses of life, it doesn’t take away from this was a horrible event for the area. And yes the national media ignored it until Anderson Copper stepped up and put the spotlight on us.
Kind of surprised that you rag on bloggers for helping disseminate information to area residents.
@Cool Springs: It was NOT, still is NOT a national story. Notice how it has disappeared? Yes, it was a tragedy, I even said so in the post.
“It is a disaster for NashVegas”
Don’t read what isn’t there. I ragged on bloggers for whining about the lack of national coverage, not for their part in spreading the word.
I used to live in Nashville. Great town. Hpoe it survived the flood of both water and comments.
Russ