FEMA is completing aerial preliminary damage assessments over Tennessee following the severe storms and floods. David Fine/FEMA The city of Nashville expects damage from flooding that began as a result of more than 13 inches of rain to surpass the billion-dollar mark, despite the fact that assessments are still taking place.

That is according to Nashville Mayor Karl Dean, who stated in a release that the city "has identified [more than] $1.5 billion in property damage throughout Davidson County," since the Cumberland River crested at 51 feet, which is 11 feet over flood stage.

That dollar figure does not include public buildings, or any building contents. Currently, there are no estimates for damage insured by the National Flood Insurance Program (NFIP).

Additionally, Dean said that an initial assessment made on 83 percent of the county showed that 1,952 residential properties have sustained damage. In order to get a more accurate scope of the damage, Dean is asking property owners to report to the damage to this section of the city's web site.

Yesterday, a fleet of at least 40 privately-contracted trucks were dispatched with 20 Public Works vehicles to begin countywide disaster debris collections. The city also hired two Mobile, Ala. companies -- Storm Reconstruction Services, Inc., and The DRC Group -- which specialize in disaster recovery operations.

According to the Insurance Information Institute, the state of Tennessee has 25,501 NFIP policies in force for a total of $4.9 billion in liability limits.

Special Reports /

Nashville Flood Damage Hits Billion-Dollar Mark

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