At least 16 dead, 51 missing in ‘unbelievable’ Tennessee flooding – Everett Post

(HUMPHREYS COUNTY, Tennessee) – At least 16 people are dead and 51 are missing after record rains hit central Tennessee Friday through Saturday morning.

The flooding in the area resulted in cars being thrown away like toys and houses being torn from their foundations.

In Humphreys County, 10 people were killed and about 40 people missing, according to Rob Edwards, assistant director of the Humphreys County Sheriff’s Office.

“We’re working very hard to find the missing people,” Edwards said in an email to ABC News. “We are conducting door-to-door inspections in the areas that are most affected in our county.”

Humphreys County is on the Tennessee River, about 90 minutes west of Nashville.

“We have blackouts all over the area,” added Edwards. “An aggravating problem is the loss of the entire cellular network coverage of the large cellular network providers. They bring portable units to aid in communication. We have lost many roads, both rural and major highways. In my 28 years it’s the worst I’ve ever seen. “

McEwen, Tennessee, recorded preliminary rainfall of 17.02 inches on Saturday, breaking the all-time 24-hour rain record for the state of Tennessee, according to the National Weather Service. The old record was 13.06 inches, taken in Milan on September 13, 1982.

Flash flood monitors were in effect across much of central Tennessee on Saturday.

The Hardin County Fire Department, which supported nearby Humphreys County, called the destruction “incredible” and said search teams would be returning to the area on Sunday morning.

The Tennessee Emergency Management Agency warned people not to travel to Humphreys, Houston, Dickson, and Hickman counties.

The Red Cross said it opened emergency shelters in YMCA Dickson County, Dickson; the Fairfield Church of Christ in Centerville; and the Waverly Church of Christ and Waverly First Baptist Church in Waverly.

ABC News’ Max Golembo, Victoria Arancio and Matt Foster contributed to this report.

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