February 2019 vs December 1926

February 2019 Rainfall Compared to December 1926 Rainfall

Most of the state of Tennessee received record amounts of rain this February, including the mid-state region.  Nashville ended up with 13.47 inches of rain for the entire month, surpassing the previous record of 12.37 inches set back in 1880.  February 2019 also ended up as the 7th wettest month overall, just behind December of 1926 (13.53 inches).  Historians will note the rainfall in December, 1926 led to record flooding on the Cumberland River which crested at 56.2 feet in Nashville on January 1, 1927.  Upstream at Carthage, TN the river crested at 59.8 feet on December 30, 1926, and even farther upstream at Celina, TN, the river crested at 57.25 feet on December 29, 1926. 

How high did the Cumberland River crest this February?  Thanks to the many dams within the Cumberland River basin, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers was able to keep the peak level at Nashville at 40.93 feet (15 feet lower), with 33.80 feet at Carthage (26 feet lower) and 32.61 feet at Celina (25 feet lower).

Here is a map of the rain that fell in December 1926:

Here is a map of the rain that fell in February 2019: