Heavy rainfall flooded Kentucky and Tennessee over the weekend, and many areas are still seeing the impacts.
The National Weather Service in Memphis issued a flash flood emergency on Sunday morning, confirming the levee had failed near Rives. Areas around Rives saw around 7 inches of rainfall on Saturday.
Water had completely covered residential streets, partially submerging vehicles. The floodwaters swallowed part of State Route 22.
On Sunday afternoon, Obion County Mayor Steve Carr declared a state of emergency and urged any remaining residents to heed mandatory evacuation orders.
Obion County Emergency Management Agency Director Danny Jowers said close to 200 people evacuated by Monday afternoon, including about 100 people who were brought to safety by swift water rescue teams.
Flooding hurts roadways in multiple ways. The force of rushing water can erode the underlying soil, weakening and collapsing the pavement. The erosion can lead to dangerous sinkholes and washouts on the road.
Officials with the Kentucky Transportation Cabinet said that crews are working to put barriers around flooded roadways, but not every road has one yet. Officials urge drivers to be cautious and not to drive through floodwater.
Most of the roads that are closed are due to high water and the roads being impassable in Jefferson, Bullitt, Franklin and Henry counties.
Source: WHAS, FEMA, Tennessee Lookout
