Jack Watkins, Stated Clerk of Nashville Presbytery, told to The Aquila Report that downtown flooding has not impacted the PCA General Assembly site; a few restaurants and tourist sites are closed

Muddy waters poured over the banks of Nashville’s swollen Cumberland River on Monday, spilling into Music City’s historic downtown streets while rescuers using boats and Jet Skis plucked stranded residents away from their flooded homes as the death toll from the weekend storms climbed to 28 people in three states.

The flash floods caused by record-breaking amounts of rain caught many off-guard, forcing thousands to frantically flee their homes and hotels. The rapidly rising waters led to the deaths of 17 people in Tennessee alone, including 10 in Nashville, and officials feared that the death toll could increase. Officials announced the latest deaths late Monday after receding flood waters revealed six more bodies.

“Do we suspect to find more people? Probably so. We certainly hope that it’s not a large number,” said Metro Nashville Davidson County Fire Chief Kim Lawson.

Though the historic Ryman Auditorium – the former home of the Grand Ole Opry (and site of the Indelible Grace concert) – along with recording studios of Music Row were not in immediate danger, parts of other top Nashville tourist spots including the Country Music Hall of Fame and The Grand Ole Opry House were flooded.

“You never think something like this will happen in Nashville,” said Stan Milstead of Tulsa, Okla., as he watched the dark brown river waters creep deeper into downtown, where authorities had closed off streets.

READ MORE: http://www.cbn.com/cbnnews/us/2010/May/Death-Toll-Rises-as-Nashville-River-Crests/