Recent extreme floods have prompted buyouts of Nashville homes deemed too risky to continue living in. A combination of local, state and federal government entities have stepped in to offer exit packages to owners in South Nashville otherwise facing chronic devastating property damage.
Two pieces of legislation — passed Tuesday by the Metro Council and signed by Mayor John Cooper on Wednesday — updated property lists related to flood risk management near Sevenmile Creek and Mill Creek. The legislation added three properties near Sevenmile Creek and replaced six properties near Mill Creek with six nearby properties.
In most cases, these properties are acquired to be demolished, deemed unlivable because of their proximity to flood-prone waterways. In a few cases, properties are raised to mitigate flood risk. The Federal Emergency Management Agency, Tennessee Emergency Management Agency and Metro government combine to fund acquisitions, with a majority of funding coming from state and federal agencies. Home values are pegged to appraisals based on the property’s pre-flood condition, according to Councilmember Courtney Johnson, who represents many of the homeowners and co-sponsored the legislation.
“These homes are in floodplains and are ‘repetitive losses’ meaning multiple floods,” Johnston tells the Scene in a text message. “The homeowners opt in to this. It’s not eminent domain.” Sevenmile Creek and Mill Creek have faced several extreme flooding events in the past decade.
“It’s such a blessing for these folks,” says Johnston. “It’s nearly impossible to sell. Some could sell but they don’t want to because they’re selling to a future flood victim.”
Seven Mile Creek
Lists for Mill Creek and Sevenmile Creek include a hundred properties with addresses on Elysian Fields Road, Paragon Mills Road, Edmondson Pike, Wimpole Drive and Margo Lane, among others. According to Metro Water spokesperson Sonia Allman, Metro has additional buyout projects planned for homes near Whites Creek and Browns Creek, and will soon enter into an agreement with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers regarding 39 homes near Richland Creek.
“Metro has purchased 438 homes located in flood risk areas within Davidson County,” Allman tells the Scene. “Most of these homes have been demolished, creating over 220 acres of open space.”
Buyout programs have existed for more than 20 years but saw a sharp uptick in Davidson County after extreme flooding in May 2010, after which Metro acquired 254 homes. Based on damage history, homes can qualify for Substantial Damage, Repetitive Loss or Severe Repetitive Loss designations from FEMA.
Extreme flooding hit South Nashville in March 2021. Many hard-hit homes along Mill Creek and Sevenmile Creek are still abandoned, boarded up and succumbing to water damage.
