In the USA, severe storms have hit the country. At least 21 people die in severe Tennessee flooding. Others are still missing.
Nashville – In the US state of Tennessee, heavy rains over the weekend caused floods. At least 21 people were killed and many are still missing. According to the AFP news agency, the weather service spoke of “historic” rainfall that fell locally. It is believed that the death toll will continue to rise.
As eyewitnesses report, the masses of water came so quickly that many people could no longer get to safety. “It was almost as fast as a tornado,” said the mayor of Waverly, a town of 4,500 in Humphreys County, on local television. The area was hit hardest by the storms.
Severe storms in the USA: Floods in Tennessee – 21 people die
The video footage shows flooded streets and cars that have been washed away. Whole houses were also torn away by the masses of water. Country roads, highways and bridges washed away, trees fell, thousands of people were without electricity.
According to police, 20 people were killed in Waverly. Another fatality occurred elsewhere in the district. At least two toddlers are said to be among the dead, as Sheriff Chris Davis told CNN. Six other children are missing, as are several adults.
Floods in Tennessee: US President Biden promises aid
The clean-up has been going on since Sunday. Rescue workers who went from house to house to look for missing people were sometimes up to their necks in the water, reports the German press agency. There are at least 20 missing people, the authorities said.
After visiting the affected areas, Governor Bill Lee spoke of “great losses and much pain”. US President Joe Biden expressed condolences to those affected by the Tennessee flood. He had instructed his team to pledge federal aid to the state governor. “We offer all the support you need at this terrible moment,” said Biden.
| State | Tennessee |
| capital city | Nashville |
| governor | Bill Lee (Republican Party) |
| population | 6.829 million (2019) |
USA: Tropical storm “Henri” moves across the northeast of the country
In addition to Tennessee, extreme weather events also occurred in other states of the USA. In the northeast of the country, however, tropical storm “Henri” was less severe than feared. Nevertheless, more than 100,000 residents in Rhode Island, Connecticut and Massachusetts were without electricity, and there were initially no reports of possible victims. Immediately before it hit land, “Henri” had weakened over the sea from the hurricane to tropical storm strength.
On the night of Sunday, the first rain foothills from “Henri” had reached the state of New York and other US states in the northeast. In New York City, a major concert with dozens of stars had to be canceled due to a severe thunderstorm to mark the hoped-for end of the corona pandemic in Central Park. The city was spared worse damage on Sunday despite heavy rains.
There are repeated severe storms in the USA. Tropical storm Elsa caused devastation in the Caribbean in early July 2021. At least three people lost their lives. (svw with afp and dpa)
List of rubric lists: © Mark Humphrey / dpa
