At least 22 dead, 17 missing in Tennessee floods

At least 22 people were killed and rescue teams desperately searched for dozens of missing among destroyed homes and piles of debris on Sunday after a rainstorm of historic proportions that caused flooding in central Tennessee.

Saturday’s flooding in rural areas washed away streets, cell phone towers and phone lines, preventing people from knowing whether their loved ones survived the unprecedented flooding. Rescuers searched house to house, said Kristi Brown, health and safety oversight coordinator for Humphreys County schools.

“Given the death toll, I expect there will be more recovery effort than rescue effort at this time,” said Patrick Sheehan, director of emergency management for Tennessee.

Among the dead are two baby twins who were torn from their father’s arms, according to surviving relatives, and a ranch foreman from County music star Loretta Lynn. The sheriff of the county of about 18,000 people, located about 60 miles west of Nashville, said he had lost one of his best friends.

Many of the missing live in neighborhoods where the waters have risen fastest, according to the same county sheriff, Chris Davis. Their names were on a blackboard at the county emergency center and on a list posted on a police department’s Facebook page.

Among those who died are two baby twins who were torn from their father’s arms, relatives say. The county police chief, of about 18,000 people and located about 60 miles (96 kilometers) west of Nashville, said he lost one of his best friends.

The county received up to 17 inches (43 centimeters) of rain in less than 24 hours on Saturday, breaking Tennessee’s record for a day of more than three inches (eight centimeters), according to the National Weather Service.

Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee toured the area, stopping at Waverly Main Street where homes were ripped from their foundations and people sifted through their soaked belongings.

Shirley Foster cried as the Governor approached her. She said she had just learned that a friend from her church was among the deceased. “I thought the fuss over all of this was over. I feel torn by my friend. My house is nothing, but my friend is gone, ”Foster told the governor.

The worst-affected areas saw twice as much rain as the central Tennessee region had received in the previous worst-case flood scenario, forecasters said. The storm swept through the region for hours, causing a record amount of humidity – a scenario that scientists say will become increasingly common due to global warming.

The problem is not confined to Tennessee. A federal study found that human-caused climate change doubles the likelihood of the downpour types that dumped 26 inches (66 centimeters) of rain around Baton Rouge, Louisiana in August 2016. These floods killed in less 13 people and damaged 150,000 houses.

(With AP information, AP, AFP, Reuters photos)

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