Flooding Kills Five

Relentless storms have made for a deadly weekend in Tennessee. Five deaths are blamed on flash flooding.

National Weather Service rain gauges caught as much as 10 inches in some parts of the state, including the Nashville suburb of Antioch. That’s where one person drowned in the rain-swollen Mill Creek, which saw record flooding.

Emergency responders in Nashville conducted more than 50 water rescues and expect to remain busy. All of the creeks around Nashville are near crest stage. For some homeowners, sandbags are the only thing between them and what are usually quiet backyard streams.

A portion of Interstate 24 and major state highways have been closed because of high water. Dozens of cars have been abandoned after being submerged.

Nashville Mayor Karl Dean called it “one of the most severe rain events Nashville has ever experienced.” And there’s more. Up to another five inches of rain before the weekend is out.