At least 21 dead, dozens missing in Tennessee flash floods

At least 21 people are dead and dozens are missing after record-breaking rain caused flash floods in Middle Tennessee, The Washington Post reported. 

Two of the dead are seven-month-old twins that were swept from their parents as they were trying to escape the storm’s path. The twin’s grandfather Joey Hall told the Post the family found the twins still together.

“They’ve been holding on to each other ever since they was born,” Hall said. 

The Associated Press reported that the flash flooding knocked out cellphone towers, phone landlines, and blocked roadways in rural areas of Middle Tennessee.

The state broke its own record with 17 inches of rain falling in one day, according to the National Weather Service.

PRELIMINARY: the 17.02″ of rain measured at McEwen, TN today likely broke the all-time 24 hour rainfall record for the state of #Tennessee – which was 13.60″ in Milan set on September 13, 1982. Data will have to be QC’ed before the new record can be confirmed! #tnwx

— NWS Nashville (@NWSNashville) August 22, 2021

The mayor of Waverly, Tenn., Buddy Frazier, told ABC affiliate WKRN that 50 people remain missing as of Sunday. He called help he’s received in that part of the state was overwhelming. Waverly was hit with some of the worst flooding in that part of the state, according to AP.

“It makes you feel good when you’re dealing with a situation like this and you see you’re not in it by yourself. Your neighbors are with you and everyone starts pulling together,” Frazier told WKRN. 

The Tennessee Emergency Management Agency (TEMA) reported that 3,500 customers in Humphreys County have lost power from the storm, with several other customers in neighboring counties also affected, the Washington Post reported.

Updated at 9:30 p.m.