Flooding from the rising Cumberland River, swollen by two days of thunderstorms, led to the closure of a major meetings hotel and closed a total of about 5,000 rooms in the Music Valley area, which is located about 20 minutes east of downtown Nashville.
“Some of those hotels may be open in a few weeks,” said Molly Sudderth, director of communications for the Nashville CVB. “Though Gaylord will take several months to come back online.”
Gaylord Opryland Resort and Convention Center, which is located near the Cumberland River, was hit hard by the flooding, with parts of the hotel under 10 feet of water.
Hotel guests were evacuated Sunday night. That is also when water started to enter the check-in area of the hotel. The Delta atrium is under about eight feet of water. The hotel accounts for 2,881 of the 5,000 rooms that have closed.
“Hotels are working hard to relocate groups that are meeting in Nashville this week,” Sudderth said. “June is actually our busiest month for meetings. We are hopeful that many of the affected hotels will be operational in a few weeks. It’s just too early to tell right now. We are currently assessing the overall impact.”
She said the airport is operating normally, and all hotels in the downtown (with the exception of a Hampton Inn property) are open for business.
“The river is expected to crest tonight and then begin receding,” Sudderth added.
For more information, follow Meetings Media at www.twitter.com/meetingsmedia. For current information on hotel availability and attraction information, visit www.visitmusiccity.com/visitors or the bureau’s Visitor Information Centers at 800.657.6910 or 615.259-4747. Look for the CVB’s updates at www.twitter.com/visitmusiccity.com or go to its page at Visit Music City on Facebook.
