Many Tennessee residents continue to wait for floodwaters to recede before they can assess the damage caused by weekend rains. The subsequent flooding killed 21 people in the state – a new fatality was confirmed today in Memphis.
It’s a five-minute trip through the flood water to get to Randy Thornton’s house on the still-swollen Cumberland River. In a borrowed boat, he pulls up to the submerged log home he and his son built. He says he wasn’t thinking clearly Sunday when the waters were coming up. He left his own boat parked in the garage.
THORNTON: “Momma’s Cadillac, I just got it out. By the time I come back got my truck, it got right over my headlights.”
The water rose quickly, but it’s not receding nearly as fast. The river system is digesting nearly 14 inches of rain that fell over two days.
Drinking water has become an increasing concern. In Ashland City, a boil notice is in effect. Parts of the water system in Hickman County could be down for more than two weeks. And residents of Nashville are under a mandatory conservation order.
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