Seven numbers that reflect the coronavirus pandemic's impact in Nashville

Nashville is practically unrecognizable compared to two months ago.

First, the deadly tornado destroyed parts of the city.

And then, the coronavirus pandemic forced the city's economy, with others around the state, to sputter along at a limited capacity.

The pandemic has reshaped the city and the state. These are some of the numbers that have defined life for Middle Tennesseans during the coronavirus. 

Nearly 15% of Tennesseans unemployed

As businesses have temporarily shuttered and workers have been laid off, unemployment has exploded across the state; Tennessee had an unemployment rate of nearly 15% in April. 

April's 14.7% seasonally adjusted unemployment rate is a staggering 11.4 percentage points higher, and surpasses Tennessee's previous all-time high of 12.9% in December 1982 and January 1983.

The leisure and hospitality, manufacturing and business services industries were hit the hardest, according to the Tennessee Department of Labor and Workforce Development. The state's total non-farm workforce plummeted by 376,900 jobs between March and April.

More:Tennessee unemployment rate neared 15% in April; weekly claims continue drop

Tennessee's unemployment rate for March registered at a relatively level 3.3% — not reflective of the massive uptick in claims in the latter half of the month — because the federal government surveyed unemployment data in Tennessee from March 8 through 14 to calculate the rate. 

In Davidson County, 2.8% of the population filed for unemployment in March.

95% drop in air travel 

The Nashville International Airport typically sees 50,000 travelers a day, and that number plummeted to below 2,000 at the peak of the pandemic. 

This is the steepest drop in travel the airport has ever seen, CEO Doug Kreulen told The Tennessean.

"This takes us from 2020 back to 1960," Kreulen said. 

The sharp decline of passengers in the Nashville airport is what airports are seeing nationwide as flights are grounded, officials restrict travel and people stay home to stop the spread of the coronavirus. 

2,000 pet adoption inquiries 

Since the coronavirus pandemic hit Nashville, the Nashville Humane Association has received 2,000 email inquiries about adopting available pets — a number that far outweighs the amount of available animals. 

Since people have been hunkered down at home, many have turned to a fluffy pal to ease tension. 

“A lot of people are having anxiety, and the unknown is scary," Director of Development and Community Outreach Becca Morris previously said. "And having someone there for you, either two-legged or four-legged, feels good.”

Since COVID-19, the NHA has placed 312 animals in foster homes and processed 138 "quarantine adoptions," Morris said. 

6.6% drop in water use

 According to Metro Water Services, Nashvillians have decreased their water consumption in both March and April. 

in March, there was a 2.4% drop compared to last year, and the decrease nearly tripled to a 6.6% decline in April. 

1,983 people got a library card

The Nashville Public Library is reporting that almost 2,000 people signed up for a library card in April, only a slight decrease compared to last year. 

Although the library was temporarily shuttered because of the coronavirus, causing a decline in physical book checkouts, eBooks and audiobooks have seen a jump in interest. The library system saw a 30% increase in eBook downloads from patrons and 22% more audiobook checkouts compared to last April.

With a library card, you can download books to enjoy while the system is closed using apps like OverDrive.

66% decline in public bus use

In April, the WeGo busses in Nashville were pretty empty, filled with only one-third of the transit system's normal amount of riders.

While the city was mostly closed during April, Nashville saw 284,827 riders throughout the month — a decrease of more than 554,000 riders compared to the year before.

The people who were still using public transit relied on it for work, grocery store trips and other essential business. 

"Transit plays a critical role for Nashvillians," WeGo spokeswoman Amanda Clelland said. "Transit will be a vital part of Nashville’s economic recovery as more people go back to work in the coming months."

No one was cited for parking 

Last April, Metro Public Works issued over 2,000 citations for drivers who parked incorrectly. 

How many have they filed this year? Zero.

Reach Brinley Hineman at bhineman@gannett.com, at 615-278-5164 and on Twitter @brinleyhineman.