A ranch foreman who worked for country music superstar Loretta Lynn and two twin toddlers were among the 22 people who tragically lost their lives as the US town of Waverly, Tennessee, and its surrounding counties were devastated by catastrophic flash flooding over the weekend, the disaster brought on by torrential rainfall that struck without warning.
Search and rescue efforts continue with an estimated 20 people still missing as local citizens say they were caught totally off guard by the 17 inches of rain that hammered the area over 24 hours - much of it within a six-hour window.
Responding to the tragedy, US president Joe Biden expressed his sincere condolences from the White House and said: “We’ve reached out to the community and we stand ready to offer them support.”
Waverly public safety officials have posted a partial list of those missing in the flood, asking the public’s help in locating them.
Survivors described the floodwaters as rushing in like a tsunami.
“All of a sudden it was like a tidal wave that just came over the road and into my yard,” Casey Hipshire told CNN. “Next thing I know the water is in my house, and it’s up to my chest.”
