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As residents of Humphreys County, western Tennessee, began to cope with damage from the deadly and devastating flooding, search and rescue efforts continued on Wednesday.
The City of Waverly Department of Public Safety wrote in a Facebook post on Wednesday morning that salvage work would resume when cleanup begins.
TENNESSE FLOODING BROUGHT HEROSM AND TRAGEDY, REPORTS INDICATE
“We are continuing our salvage efforts today as we begin the cleanup operations. We have a lot of research volunteers. If you can help with the cleanup, please come to 515 West Main St (Dollar Tree Parking Lot) and you save. We will assign you a crew and take you out to help people, “the department said.” Thank you for the outpouring of support towards our community! “
Speaking to Fox News on Tuesday night, Humphreys County Emergency Management Agency spokesperson Gray Collier said the updated death toll for the disaster was 18, down from around 22 more early in the week.
Dustin Shadownes, of the Ashland City Fire Department, searches for a creek for missing persons, Monday, August 23, 2021, in Waverly, Tennessee. Heavy rains caused flooding in central Tennessee days earlier and left several dead, missing people and destroyed property.
(AP Photo / John Amis)
“It went down a bit. We had a gap at the hospital. There was a natural cause of death that was blamed on flood victims and we had a Jane and John Doe who – when identified – they didn’t ‘didn’t take the Jane and John Doe went out and it left us a little heavy, ”she explained. “So that’s why it went down to 18. Our missing [count] is three. “
In an update on Facebook, the Humphreys County Sheriff’s Office said Tuesday afternoon that “salvage and damage assessments remain active” with more than 500 homes identified including 271 destroyed, 160 severely damaged, 28 slightly damaged and 19 “affected”.
“The discrepancy in the previously reported death toll was due to a natural cause death in the emergency room that was mistakenly added to the tally; and a John Doe and Jane Doe, who after being positively identified, remained on the list as unidentified, “the office wrote on Tuesday.
Annie Rushing steps down from her porch after a flood forcing her into a shelter on Monday, August 23, 2021, in Waverly, Tennessee. Heavy rains caused flooding in central Tennessee days ago and left several people dead and missing as homes and rural roads washed away as well.
(AP Photo / John Amis)
“We found these discrepancies yesterday and have suspended the count until we can investigate,” Waverly Public Safety Chief Grant Gillespie said in a statement. “We have now performed 100% identification of each victim and have an accurate tally.”
Gillespie told reporters at a press conference on Tuesday that witnesses said they saw the three people still missing in the water as flooding destroyed roads, bridges and cell phone towers.
The Waverly Department of Public Safety noted in an article published Tuesday that 139 people who had previously been reported missing had been reunited with friends and family at the McEwen Reunification Center, which has since officially closed.
“From now on, if you ask for a [welfare] to verify someone in our city or county, you will need to call our central 911 dispatch at (931) 296-7792, ”the department noted.
BODY OF TENNESSEE BOY, 2, FOUND AFTER FLOODWATER RIPPED HIM FROM HIS MOTHER’S ARMS
As federal, state and local teams worked tirelessly to push through the debris to locate those still missing, the heat in the area increased.
The cause of the flood was historical precipitation which more than tripled the forecast and broke the state record for one-day precipitation.
Utilities officials said on Tuesday that 750 customers were still without power – up from a few thousand on Monday – although many in the county of 18,000 were suddenly displaced in the ordeal.
John Curtis, co-owner of Waverly Cash Saver grocery store, walks through his damaged store on Sunday, August 22, 2021 in Waverly, Tennessee. carried away. Curtis’ store is the only grocery store in town.
(AP Photo / Mark Humphrey)
The Waverly Department of Public Safety also took to Facebook to detonate looting amid recovery efforts as officials scramble to provide medical care like tetanus vaccines, mend the path of iron and ordered residents to boil their water.
In a Tuesday statement, the White House wrote that President Joe Biden had approved a declaration of disaster for the state on Wednesday, freeing up federal aid to complement state and local recovery efforts.
Heartbreaking and heroic stories have emerged in the aftermath of the floods.
Debris captured atop a bridge shows how high the waters reached when cars were washed into the creek after recent flooding on Monday, August 23, 2021, in Waverly, Tennessee. Heavy rains caused flooding in central Tennessee days earlier and killed several people. , and missing people as homes and rural roads were also washed away.
(AP Photo / John Amis)
Rescuers found the body of 2-year-old Kellen Cole Burrow on Tuesday and two 7-month-old twins were killed as they were torn from their father’s arms.
FOX 17 Nashville reported that two brothers had used jet ski to reach victims in distress, a helicopter pilot from Hellstar Aviation also rescued residents stranded on rooftops and a veteran father helped open a door to save his daughters and his wife, who have stage 4 cancer.
Republican Gov. Bill Lee, who visited the affected area, called it “a devastating picture of loss and grief.”
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He advised that those who want to help turn to the Red Cross, the Salvation Army and non-profit organizations serving those affected.
“You’ve seen us get a little emotional. You have to remember these are the people we know, the families of the people, the people we grew up with – just the people in our small town,” the sheriff said Tuesday. Chris Davis. “It’s just really close to us.”
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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