NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Flags at the Tennessee Capitol are flying at half-staff after Governor Bill Lee ordered them to be lowered in memory of the victims in Middle Tennessee's recent floods.
He said the flags would stay at half-staff until Friday. Officials said Wednesday that 20 people were killed in four counties over the weekend, and also said they did not expect to find any additional victims. Instead, officials said they will start trying to clean up and recover after damage from the floods.
Gov. Lee had also requested an Expedited Major Disaster Declaration from President Joe Biden to cover four counties, including Humphreys, Dickson, Houston and Hickman counties. Biden approved the measure Tuesday, making federal funding available to affected individuals in Humphreys County.
Assistance can include grants for temporary housing and home repairs, low-cost loans to cover uninsured property losses and other programs to help individuals and business owners recover from the effects of the disaster.
The catastrophic flooding happened Saturday after 17 inches of rain fell on the town of Waverly in less than 24 hours, setting a new one-day rainfall record for Tennessee.
