Days of Deadly Disaster

Record Flooding In Tennessee Pushes Nashville and Memphis to Brink of Disaster

Nashville, TN (PRWEB) May 4, 2010 -- As firefighters and EMS crews rushed to rescue people from their homes and rooftops, local TV news departments went wall-to-wall with hours of Extended Special Report coverage. A critical part of the coverage included content submitted from viewers. Using the Cell Journalist platform, stations in Nashville and Memphis received over 40-thousand pictures and videos in less than 48-hours.

“Cell Journalist....allowed us to make our viewers part of the process..... to cover every county and city impacted in our coverage area. Now instead of just calling us and telling us what it’s doing at their house – they can show us" says Tracey Rogers Action News 5 News Director.

Southeast Death Toll Rising As Rain Leaves

Despite improving weather over northern Mississippi to western and central Tennessee and Kentucky this week, many rivers were still rising and evacuations were continuing on Tuesday. The flooding is blamed on a series of storms which have left 28 dead across the Southeast.

Storm systems with showers and thunderstorms will avoid the region for much of the week.

Since the rain has stopped, the risk of "flash" flooding is ending. However, it is feared that ongoing river flooding will continue over the next several days, leading to additional loss of life.

Oil Spill Now Size of Delaware, Threatens Four States

Two weeks after the Deepwater Horizon oil rig exploded in the Gulf of Mexico, a massive oil spill continues to threaten the ecology and economy of the U.S. Gulf Coast. The ever-growing oil slick now measures approximately 130 miles by 70 miles – about the size of the state of Delaware. Four states – Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, and Florida – are under threat from the spill.

According to Reuters, BP, which was leasing Deepwater Horizon from TransOcean LTD, has reported some progress slowing the flow of oil from the leaking well. Crews in Louisiana have finished building the first of three massive steel and concrete containment domes the company plans to lower in place over one of the three leaks on the ocean floor. BP expects to load the dome aboard a ship tomorrow for transport to the site.

BP also has started drilling a relief well that could cap the oil spill, but that effort will take up to three months to complete, Reuters said.