NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — It has been 25 years since many breathed a collective sigh of relief. Yes, it's been that long since we found out we'd all be OK on Y2K. There was a lot of concern leading up to the first day of 2000. We're taking a look back.
"I'm pretty much ready, including weapons," a man told NewsChannel 5 in late 1999. He spoke between loading up his car with supplies. "How long could I sustain? A couple months. After that, who knows?"
"15 bucks, a shower," he continued, looking at a box for a solar powered spray hose.
As 2000 approached, some were concerned potential computer errors could bring down worldwide infrastructures.
"I'm not sure anything's going to happen, but I want to make sure if it is," one woman told NewsChannel 5, checking out from a store.
"I've got most of those things," a woman shopping at Target said, passing other shoppers picking up flashlights, batteries, and candles. "I'm just now making another list to make sure we have enough of those things."
In 1999, NewsChannel 5 reported suppliers of survival gear were seeing triple their usual business. At a local Lowe's, staff struggled to stock enough kerosene lanterns.
Over at the West End Home for Ladies, there was a Y2K room.
"We want to be ready cause we've got people's lives at stake here," a man told us, walking through a room of canned food and bottled water. "I feel responsible being the administrator here. We require each lady to have a flashlight with plenty of batteries."
The place had a backup generator and then a backup to the backup.
Everywhere, there was pre-emptive action taken by computer programmers.
Metro Nashville had an emergency management plan and backup communications systems. They also had a Y2K information hotline.
"You should start with about two weeks worth of water, one gallon per person per day," a woman told a caller, working the information hotline.
That line was also reserved for concerns caused by computer errors to be called in in the new year.
In a community report card by the Center for Y2K & Society nonprofit, metro gave the city an A in Y2K preparedness. The city was given a B- by citizen action group Nashville Prep 2000.
Ham radio operators were set up at the Red Cross as a precaution.
"Your bank and Y2K. Ready. Safe. Insured," a commercial from 1999 stated.
Banks had Y2K task forces and were testing internal systems working to calm fears from people who might try to take out all their money. Some banks kept generators outside.
"Every bank has been examined," said Tim Amos of the Tennessee Bankers Association. "Every bank has been tested. Every bank in Tennessee is Y2K compliant. We're ready."
Then came the night of New Years Eve.
Air traffic control computers rolled over to the New Year. Planes were landing. Runway lights were working. The year 2000 began in Nashville and everything was fine.
"I think somewhere out of all of this, someone made a whole lot of money off everybody's worries!" a woman laughed, taking her money from an ATM.
"I don't think we'll have any Y2K problems," said a worker inside the state's computer help center. "We're good to go!"
Do you have more information about this story? You can email me at Forrest.sanders@newschannel5.com.
This story by Aaron Cantrell reminds me of my first school in Dyersburg, TN. I was a student at Bruce School from Kindergarten to second grade until the school system was integrated. My parents graduated from this K-12 school in 1960 in one of the city's African American communities. After sitting empty for several years, part of the school was demolished while the rest was renovated and now serves as a community center for the Bruce community in Dyersburg. A local pastor is now trying to do something similar in the Cemetery community in Rutherford Co.
-Lelan Statom
