Catastrophic flood in Waverly, Tennessee, USA

Radars estimated that nearly 21 inches of rain fell in a single day, while river levels rose to historic heights The torrential rainstorm in Middle Tennessee on Saturday was localized, hyper-intense and largely unexpected. Cascades of rain inundated the region of Waverly, Tenn., located about 60 miles west of Nashville. The unrelenting storminess caused at least 21 fatalities and 40 people confirmed missing as of Monday morning. High rainfall rates prompted the National Weather Service at Nashville to issue a flash flood emergency — a flood alert for the most dire situations — around 9 a.m. Saturday. Two and a half hours later, as rainfall totals catapulted into the double digits, the office tweeted that a “catastrophic situation” was unfolding. Radars estimated that 21 inches of rain fell over the community in a single day; nine inches fell in just three hours. A rain gauge measured 17 inches of rain in 24 hours, which will set a new daily record for the state if confirmed.