Deadly storms kill at least 7 in Tenn., 5 in Miss.

Deadly line of thunderstorms strikes Tennessee and northern Mississippi, killing at least 12 people, damaging homes and closing most of highways

The storms were accompanied by an extreme rain event forcing thousands of people to evacuate, while hundreds of others had to be plucked from rooftops, as flood waters from overflowing rivers and creeks submerged neighborhoods throughout the region.

At least 33cm (13 inches) of of rain fell in Nashville over the weekend, almost double the previous record of 17cm that fell in 1979 when Hurricane Fredrick. struck.

“That is an astonishing amount of rain in a 24- or 36-hour period,” Tennessee Gov. Phil Bredesen said, adding that it was an “unprecedented rain event.”

Schools, hospitals and government buildings also were flooded, forcing many schools in middle Tennessee to close for Monday.

According to one emergency official and long term resident of Nashville,  it was the worst flooding in living memory. “I’ve never seen it this high,” said  Donnie Smith. “I’m sure that it’s rained this hard at one time, but never for this much of an extended period.”

Meanwhile, tornadoes obliterated homes, “overturned vehicles and uprooted trees were scattered across central Arkansas on Saturday after several tornadoes ripped through the state, killing a woman and injuring two dozen others,” AP quoted authorities as saying.

Video footage show the extent of deluge, and a large building being washed away.

Related Links:

• Deadly tornadoes Kill at least 3 in Arkansas
• Giant Tornado Kills at least 10 in Mississippi
• U.S. Warmer, Drier in March
• Saturn-like Storms Strike Southeast U.S.
• Imminent Flood Threat in the U.S. Midwest

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US Southeast floods kill at least 10

Bury your car before it buries you!

Image of the Day: Another washed out bridge

A washed out bridge is shown Monday, Sept. 21, 2009 in Douglasville, Ga. Heavy rain caused flooding in and around the Atlanta area. (AP Photo/John Bazemore). Image may be subject to copyright.

Floods triggered by torrential rain have blocked roads, killing at least a dozen people  in the south-eastern US, including six in the state of Georgia.

One of the victims was reported to be a two-year-old boy who was swept from his father’s arms in one of the worst affected areas, Carroll County, where violent floodwaters  destroyed  the boy’s mobile home.

ANOTHER RAINY NIGHT IN GEORGIA: A motorist abandons her car on Interstate 85 near Lilburn, Ga. early Monday morning after a stalled tropical storm dumped about 60 cm (2ft) of rain in less than 48 hours in the region. (Curtis Compton /Atlanta Journal & Constitution /September 21, 2009, Via LATimes). Image may be subject to copyright.

“Hundreds of roads and bridges were under water or washed out in the Atlanta area and other parts of the state, including 17 bridges on state and interstate highways.” AP reported.

Water rose as high as window-level on some houses in North Carolina’s Polk County, forcing emergency officials to evacuate homes along a seven-mile stretch of road. Flooding in more than 20 counties in western North Carolina closed roads, delayed school and forced evacuations.

As 60cm  (2ft) of rain fell in less than 48 hours, the Governor of Georgia Sonny Perdue declared a state of emergency in 17 counties.

“We are currently focused on rescuing victims of the storms targeting Georgia and preventing further damage,” Perdue said. “State personnel and equipment are being deployed to assist effected communities.”

“Remember, flash floods are the No. 1 weather-related killer in the United States,”  AFP reported Charley English, director of Georgia’s Emergency Management Agency as saying. “Turn around when you come to a flooded area; never drive through flooded roads.”

the states of Alabama, Kentucky, North Carolina and Tennessee have also been affected by flooding, as more heavy rain and flash floods were forecast for the region.

Related News Links:

Storms Pound Southeast; Motorists Trapped In Cars Die As ‘Historic’ Rains Swamp Roads

Related Links:

• FEWW FORECAST: 2009 Likely Wettest Year on Record

• Nature Rejects More Cars
• Car burial day in S. Korea
• Nature’s Assault on Cars Continues
• Drought and Deluge
• Landslides, Floods, Extreme Rain Events

• CO2e Links Page
• World CO2 Emissions
• Carbon Footprint of Your Dollar
• New York Cognitive Dissonance
• Canceling Your Life Insurance Policy with Nature
• The First Wave of World’s Collapsing Cities