On This Day

Flash flooding in Humphreys County, Middle Tennessee, kills 22, with dozens missing

Between midnight and 10:00 am CDT on Saturday, August 21, 2021, very heavy rainfall resulted in widespread flash flooding across western Middle Tennessee, including the town of Waverly.

Between midnight and 10:00 am CDT on Saturday, August 21, 2021, very heavy rainfall resulted in widespread flash flooding across western Middle Tennessee, including the town of Waverly. During the event, much of a five-county area received up to a quarter of normal annual rainfall in under 12 hours, as much as 10 to 15 inches (250 to 380 mm). In a situation described as catastrophic, Waverly was severely damaged by floodwater, with hundreds of homes and dozens of businesses destroyed and swept away. Numerous people became trapped, leading to widespread water rescues. The event resulted in 19 fatalities in Waverly, with another in nearby Hurricane Mills, and is regarded as one of the worst natural disasters in Tennessee history.

Historical Significance

Between midnight and 10:00 am CDT on Saturday, August 21, 2021, very heavy rainfall resulted in widespread flash flooding across western Middle Tennessee, including the town of Waverly.

Events Before

  1. Pro-Iranian protesters end siege of US Embassy in Baghdad, Iraq

    Pro-Iranian protesters end siege of US Embassy in Baghdad, Iraq

  2. Scotland's Peter Wright beats Dutch defending champion Michael Van Gerwen 7-3 with a 102.79 average, 34 x 140s, 11 maxim

    Scotland's Peter Wright beats Dutch defending champion Michael Van Gerwen 7-3 with a 102.79 average, 34 x 140s, 11 maximums, and 53% on doubles to seal his first PDC World Darts Championship in London

  3. Australian actor Liam Hemsworth and American singer Miley Cyrus divorce after 1 year of marriage

    Miley Ray Cyrus ( MY-lee SY-rəs, born Destiny Hope Cyrus; November 23, 1992) is an American singer, songwriter, and actress.

  4. China locks down the city of Wuhan and its 9 million people in a belated but ultimately successful effort to control the

    China locks down the city of Wuhan and its 9 million people in a belated but ultimately successful effort to control the city's COVID-19 outbreak

  5. American actress and TV host Niecy Nash (50) divorces American electrical engineer Jay Tucker after over 8 years of marr

    American actress and TV host Niecy Nash (50) divorces American electrical engineer Jay Tucker after over 8 years of marriage

Events After

  1. Chicago Bulls forward DeMar DeRozan becomes the first player in NBA history to hit buzzer-beaters on consecutive days; h

    Chicago Bulls forward DeMar DeRozan becomes the first player in NBA history to hit buzzer-beaters on consecutive days; he hits 3-pointers to beat the Washington Wizards 120-119 and the previous night the Indiana Pacers 108-106

  2. Actors Lisa Bonet and Jason Momoa divorce after four years of marriage

    Actors Lisa Bonet and Jason Momoa divorce after four years of marriage

  3. Russia launches a full-scale pre-dawn and unprovoked invasion of Ukraine by land, air, and sea, with bombings in several

    Russia launches a full-scale pre-dawn and unprovoked invasion of Ukraine by land, air, and sea, with bombings in several cities. Moments later, Vladimir Putin announces the start of a three-day “special military operation” in Ukraine to "demilitarize" the country. [1]

  4. In a major victory for Ukraine, Russia announces it is withdrawing its badly mauled forces from around Ukraine's capital

    In a major victory for Ukraine, Russia announces it is withdrawing its badly mauled forces from around Ukraine's capital, Kyiv

  5. "Top Gun Maverick" the sequel starring Tom Cruise, Miles Teller and Jennifer Connelly is released 36 years after the ori

    "Top Gun Maverick" the sequel starring Tom Cruise, Miles Teller and Jennifer Connelly is released 36 years after the original film

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Frequently Asked Questions

What happened on August 21, 2021?
Between midnight and 10:00 am CDT on Saturday, August 21, 2021, very heavy rainfall resulted in widespread flash flooding across western Middle Tennessee, including the town of Waverly. During the event, much of a five-county area received up to a quarter of normal annual rainfall in under 12 hours, as much as 10 to 15 inches (250 to 380 mm). In a situation described as catastrophic, Waverly was severely damaged by floodwater, with hundreds of homes and dozens of businesses destroyed and swept away.
Why is Flash flooding in Humphreys County, Middle Tennessee, kills 22, with dozens m... significant?
Between midnight and 10:00 am CDT on Saturday, August 21, 2021, very heavy rainfall resulted in widespread flash flooding across western Middle Tennessee, including the town of Waverly.

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