Go Back
  • For Business
  • |
  • Warnings
  • Data Suite
  • Forensics
  • Advertising
  • Superior Accuracy™
Flood-weary Texas finally drying out, but near 100-degree heat looms Chevron right
Tropical trouble brewing near Florida, Carolinas and parts of Gulf Coast. Chevron right

Columbus, OH

83°F
Location Chevron down
Location News Videos
Use Current Location
Recent

Columbus

Ohio

83°
No results found.
Try searching for a city, zip code or point of interest.
settings
Columbus, OH Weather
Today WinterCast Local {stormName} Tracker Hourly Daily Radar MinuteCast Monthly Air Quality Health & Activities

Around the Globe

Hurricane Tracker

Severe Weather

Radar & Maps

News

News & Features

Astronomy

Business

Climate

Health

Recreation

Sports

Travel

For Business

Warnings

Data Suite

Forensics

Advertising

Superior Accuracy™

Video

Winter Center

AccuWeather Early Hurricane Center Top Stories Trending Today Astronomy Heat Climate Health Recreation In Memoriam Case Studies Blogs & Webinars

News / Severe Weather

Catastrophic flooding in Tennessee leaves at least 22 dead, dozens missing

By Nicole LoBiondo, AccuWeather meteorologist & Kevin Byrne, AccuWeather senior editor

Updated Aug 24, 2021 9:52 AM EDT

Copied

At least 20 people were killed when more than a foot of rain fell in just hours, causing a creek to rise and tear through the town of Waverly, Tennessee.

Frantic search and rescue efforts continued on Monday across the flood-ravaged Middle Tennessee region as many remained missing following a devastating flood event on Saturday.

As intense and relentless downpours persisted throughout much of the day on Saturday, homes were destroyed and roads were washed out, according to The Associated Press (AP). At least 22 deaths have been reported, according to the AP, while dozens remain missing.

Officials said Monday that telecommunication services were gradually being restored after the flooding damaged cell phone towers and knocked out telephone lines. More than 3,000 were without power on Monday.

Heavy rain started falling early Saturday in Humphreys County, which includes cities such as McEwen and Waverly. It was in this part of the county where the National Weather Service office issued a rare flash flood emergency. The Tennesse Emergency Management Agency said the bulk of the rain occurred in a six-hour stretch.

Infrared satellite shows storms that plagued Tennessee

This infrared satellite shows storms that plagued Tennessee on August 21, 2021. (NOAA/CIRA)

One of the worst-hit areas was Waverly, home to about 4,500 and about 75 miles west of Nashville. There, business owner Kansas Klein told the AP that it was "amazing" how quick the devastating flooding came and went. Klein noted that his business, a pizzeria, was still standing but had been rendered a total loss by the floodwaters that reached 7 feet inside the building.

“It was devastating: buildings were knocked down, half of them were destroyed,” Klein told the AP. “People were pulling out bodies of people who had drowned and didn’t make it out.”

Drone footage captured by storm chaser Brandon Clement showed the magnitude of the devastation around Waverly and just how powerful the raging floodwaters were. Some homes were knocked off foundations, while cars were flipped completely upright, or sent into nearby rivers. Massive mounds of debris were strewn around streets and creek beds. In one part of Waverly, only the smoldering wreckage of one home remained.

Hundreds of homes are said to be uninhabitable, The Tennesseean reported.

Tennessee flooding leaves at least 22 dead
Twitter

Schools will be closed this week in Humphreys County after 40 to 50 schools buses suffered damage, emergency management officials said.

Downpours persisted throughout the day and into Saturday night with rain finally subsiding in Middle Tennessee by midnight local time.

Tennessee Gov. Bill Lee visited some of the flood-ravaged areas on Sunday, meeting with affected homeowners and thanking first responders.

"Our hearts are with the many Tennesseans experiencing loss & heartbreak following yesterday's deadly floods," Lee said on Twitter. "The loss of life & property damage is devastating, & many of our neighbors are still missing. Please keep these communities in your prayers."

A staggering 17.02 inches of rain fell in McEwen, Tennessee, likely breaking the all-time 24-hour rainfall record for the state of Tennessee, according to the National Weather Service office in Nashville. Elsewhere, the city of Dickson, Tennessee, and a location just north of Centerville, Tennessee, picked up almost 10 inches.

"The slow-moving downpours over Middle Tennessee were due to a blocking pattern in the atmosphere with high pressure centered over Texas and low pressure over the mid-Atlantic," AccuWeather Senior Meterologist Tom Kines said. "These two features allowed storms to become stagnant over Tennessee on Saturday. There was also ample moisture due to humid air being ushered northward from the Gulf of Mexico into the Tennessee River Valley."

CLICK HERE FOR THE FREE ACCUWEATHER APP

As torrential rainfall continued throughout the day on Saturday, the Piney River at Vernon, Tennessee, crested at 31.8 feet, shattering the river's previous record from 2019 by nearly 12 feet and towering 7 feet above major flood stage.

Roads and highways throughout Humphreys County were turned into rubble as large portions of asphalt were washed away, making rescue efforts more difficult for crews searching for any missing persons.

The Tennessee Department of Transportation urged travelers on Saturday to avoid heading through Humphreys, Houston, Dickson and Hickman counties, while the Tennessee Emergency Management Agency said a reunification center had been opened at McEwen High School.

48-hour rainfall totals as of 8 p.m. Saturday local time.

As of Sunday morning, river levels had fallen and floodwaters were receding as rescuers continued to search through the debris left behind by the storms.

The Tennessee National Guard was deployed to the region to help with rescue efforts and assist residents left reeling as a result of the flooding.

Weather conditions throughout the area should remain dry through at least Wednesday, according to AccuWeather forecasters. Conditions will be hot and humid as crews continue to search for any missing persons.

SEE ALSO:

Business High-tech bench gives new meaning to phrase 'chilling out'
Weather News California lake becomes pool for air pollution during wildfire season
Hurricane Super soaker: Henri deluges Northeast after rare New England landfall

Keep checking back on AccuWeather.com and stay tuned to the AccuWeather Network on DirecTV, Frontier, Spectrum, FuboTV, Philo, and Verizon Fios.

Report a Typo
Comments that don't add to the conversation may be automatically or manually removed by Facebook or AccuWeather. Profanity, personal attacks, and spam will not be tolerated.
Comments
Hide Comments

Weather News

Weather News

Evacuations ordered as flooding returns to central Texas

Jul. 13, 2025
Weather News

Death toll reaches 129 in Texas as new flash flood threat expands

Jul. 13, 2025
Hurricane

Tropical trouble in the Atlantic may brew this week

Jul. 14, 2025
video

Before-and-after pictures show devastation caused by Texas floods

Jul. 9, 2025
Severe Weather

Severe weather to rumble in the central US through the holiday weekend

Jul. 6, 2025
Weather News

Record sargassum seaweed piles up on Caribbean islands, Gulf

Jul. 2, 2025
Weather News

Alabama teen in ICU after lightning strike hits boat, causing burns an...

Jul. 2, 2025
Show more Show less Chevron down

Topics

AccuWeather Early

Hurricane Center

Top Stories

Trending Today

Astronomy

Heat

Climate

Health

Recreation

In Memoriam

Case Studies

Blogs & Webinars

Top Stories

Weather Forecasts

Flood-weary Texas finally drying out, but near 100-degree heat looms

50 minutes ago

Weather News

Thunderstorms bring more flooding, evacuations to central Texas

3 hours ago

Weather News

Grand Canyon fires force closures

4 hours ago

Hurricane

Tropical trouble in the Atlantic may brew this week

2 hours ago

Severe Weather

Rounds of severe weather to rumble in the central US into midweek

7 hours ago

More Stories

Featured Stories

Recreation

Yellowstone’s landscape shifts again with discovery of new hot pool

1 hour ago

Weather News

Orcas are bringing humans gifts of food – but why?

3 days ago

Health

How can families handle new anxieties around summer camp?

3 days ago

Business

Samsung is looking into more AI devices potentially including earrings...

3 days ago

Weather News

The US has a plan to breed millions of flies and drop them from planes

4 days ago

AccuWeather Severe Weather Catastrophic flooding in Tennessee leaves at least 22 dead, dozens missing
Company
Proven Superior Accuracy About AccuWeather Digital Advertising Careers Press Contact Us
Products & Services
For Business For Partners For Advertising AccuWeather APIs AccuWeather Connect RealFeel® and RealFeel Shade™ Personal Weather Stations
Apps & Downloads
iPhone App Android App See all Apps & Downloads
Subscription Services
AccuWeather Premium AccuWeather Professional
More
AccuWeather Ready Business Health Hurricane Leisure and Recreation Severe Weather Space and Astronomy Sports Travel Weather News Winter Center
Company
Proven Superior Accuracy About AccuWeather Digital Advertising Careers Press Contact Us
Products & Services
For Business For Partners For Advertising AccuWeather APIs AccuWeather Connect RealFeel® and RealFeel Shade™ Personal Weather Stations
Apps & Downloads
iPhone App Android App See all Apps & Downloads
Subscription Services
AccuWeather Premium AccuWeather Professional
More
AccuWeather Ready Business Health Hurricane Leisure and Recreation Severe Weather Space and Astronomy Sports Travel Weather News Winter Center
© 2025 AccuWeather, Inc. "AccuWeather" and sun design are registered trademarks of AccuWeather, Inc. All Rights Reserved.
Terms of Use | Privacy Policy | Cookie Policy | About Your Privacy Do Not Sell or Share My Personal Information

...

...

...