WAVERLY, Tenn. (AP) – President Joe Biden has approved a major disaster declaration sought by Tennessee after record rainfall caused devastating floods that killed more than 20 people, according to a statement sent Tuesday.
The action frees up federal aid to help with recovery efforts in Humphreys County, Biden’s statement said.
The flooding on Saturday took out roads, cellphone towers and telephone lines, leaving people uncertain about whether family and friends survived the unprecedented deluge, with rainfall that more than tripled forecasts and shattered the state’s one-day record.
Fewer than 10 people remained unaccounted for on Tuesday. Emergency workers were searching door to door, said Kristi Brown, coordinated health and safety supervisor with Humphreys County Schools.
It also left large swaths of the community suddenly displaced, sorting through difficult decisions about what comes next.