Court Nixes Grand Ole Opry Appeal Over Flood Damage

A federal appeals court has affirmed a lower court’s decision to dismiss a lawsuit claiming the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers was responsible for flood damage at the Grand Ole Opry in 2010.

The Tennessean reports Gaylord Entertainment Co. appealed the primary ruling that said the government has legal immunity under the Flood Control Act of 1928.

The lawsuit claimed corps officials acted negligently in April 2010 by not lowering water levels at the Old Hickory Dam ahead of heavy rains predicted by the National Weather Service. The corps has said that the flooding would have been worse if it hadn’t opened the gates to prevent floodwater from overtopping the dam.

The flooding left 26 people dead and caused an estimated $2 billion worth of damage in Nashville.