The steel flood wall proposed to protect downtown from a repeat of the 2010 Nashville flood was not the top or second recommendation in a 2013 study commissioned by Metro government.
But it was the most costly.
The Unified Flood Preparedness Plan prepared by a Metro-hired engineering firm recommended a “flood warning preparedness system” and “floodproofing/elevation” over any flood wall option. And there were two types of flood walls considered — one using steel as Mayor Karl Dean has proposed and another using an inflatable barrier.
Some Metro Council members are now questioning the $100 million expenditure for the steel flood wall.
“We need a better explanation of why we chose that one,” Councilman Jason Holleman said.
Dean announced the plan at a February news conference and cited the $2 billion in damages that occurred downtown in 2010. He said (continue reading)