Tennessee flash floods leave at least 22 dead

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Dickson Public Works personnel check the flooding on Old Pond Lane following heavy rainfall Saturday in Dickson, Tenn. Associated Press/Photo by Josie Norris/The Tennessean

Tennessee flash floods leave at least 22 dead

Rescue workers on Sunday searched for missing people after record rainfall brought down cellphone towers and took out roads in rural areas an hour west of Nashville. Humphreys County received more than 17 inches of rain in less than 24 hours on Saturday, topping the state’s one-day record by more than 3 inches. The victims include a ranch foreman and seven-month-old twins swept from their father’s arms.

How bad was the impact? Many of those missing lived in neighborhoods where the water rose most quickly. Tennessee Emergency Management Director Patrick Sheehan said aid efforts would likely focus more on recovery and not rescue going forward. President Joe Biden extended his condolences on Sunday and asked federal disaster officials to talk with Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee.

Onize Ohikere

Onize is WORLD’s Africa reporter and deputy global desk chief. She is a World Journalism Institute graduate and earned a journalism degree from Minnesota State University–Moorhead. Onize resides in Abuja, Nigeria.

@onize_ohiks