Twin babies swept from father’s arms among 22 people killed in Tennessee floods as dozens missing
Twin babies were among at least 22 people killed as record-breaking rainfall caused devastating flooding in Tennessee.
Dozens of people are still missing after floodwater caused severe damage to homes, buildings, roads and power cables as it rushed through the southeastern part of the US state on Saturday.
The two seven-month-old babies were said to have been swept out of their father’s arms in Waverly on Saturday morning when water surged into their apartment complex as they tried to escape.
The death of the twins, Ryan and Rileigh Rigney, was confirmed by surviving family members.
And the siblings’ bodies have been found, Sheriff Chris Davis told NBC affiliate WSMV.
Wayne Spears, a foreman at 89-year-old country music star Loretta Lynn’s ranch about 11 miles south of Waverly, also died in the flooding.
“Wayne has been a family friend to the Lynns and a fixture to the Ranch for decades and we are all devastated by his passing,” the ranch said.
Cars and entire houses were swept down a road in Waverly, which is about 60 miles west of Nashville. The town of McEwen was also badly hit by the conditions.
The National Weather Service said up to 17in (1.4ft) of rain fell in Humphreys County in less than 24 hours on Saturday, shattering the Tennessee record for one-day rainfall by more than 3in (0.25ft).
Officials said emergency workers were searching door to door with their hopes of finding more survivors beginning to fade.
A car is among debris that washed up against a bridge over a stream in Waverly. Pic: AP
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Several dead in ‘catastrophic’ Tennessee flooding
“I would expect, given the number of fatalities, that we’re going to see mostly recovery efforts at this point rather than rescue efforts,” said Tennessee emergency management director Patrick Sheehan.
Many of the missing live in the neighbourhoods where the water rose the fastest, said Humphreys County Sheriff Chris Davis, who confirmed the 22 deaths in his county.
Tennessee governor Bill Lee toured the area, calling it a “devastating picture of loss and heartache”.
People in Waverly in mid-Tennessee assess the damage after the heavy rainfall caused devastating floods. Pic: AP
Some of the damage to property caused by Saturday’s flooding in McEwen, Tennessee. Pic: AP
President Joe Biden offered condolences to the people of Tennessee and directed federal disaster officials to talk to the governor and to offer assistance.
A flash flood watch was issued for the area before the rain started, with forecasters saying up to 6in (0.5ft) of rain was possible.
The worst storm previously recorded in this area of Tennessee recorded 9in (0.75ft) of rain, said Krissy Hurley, a weather service meteorologist in Nashville.
She said: “Forecasting almost a record is something we don’t do very often.
“Double the amount we’ve ever seen was almost unfathomable.”
Vladimir Putin told Donald Trump he “will not back down” from Russia’s goals in Ukraine during a phone call today, the Kremlin has said.
The Russian president spoke to his US counterpart for almost an hour, and Mr Trump “again raised the issue of an early end to military action” in Ukraine, Kremlin aide Yuri Ushakov told reporters.
In response, Mr Putin said “Russia will not back down” from its aims there, which include “the elimination of the well-known root causes that led to the current state of affairs,” Mr Ushakov said.
The phrase “root causes” is shorthand for Moscow’s argument that it was compelled to invade Ukraine in order to prevent the country from joining NATO.
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Trump and Putin’s latest call on Ukraine
Ukraine and its European allies say this is a pretext to justify what they call an imperial-style war, but Mr Trump has previously shown sympathy with Russia.
At the same time, Mr Putin told the US president that Russia is ready to continue negotiating, the aide said.
The Russian president said any prospective peace deal must see Ukraine give up its NATO bid and recognise his country’s territorial gains.
Volodymyr Zelenskyy, seen with Mr Trump in June, is pushing for Ukraine to join NATO. Pic: Reuters
He also briefed Mr Trump on agreements made last month, which saw Russia and Ukraine exchange prisoners of war and dead soldiers.
Specific dates for the third round of peace talks in Istanbul were not discussed – nor was the US decision to halt some shipments of critical weapons to Ukraine.
Mr Putin and Mr Trump’s call came after the Pentagon confirmed some weapons due to be sent to Ukraine have been held as it reviews military stockpiles.
The paused shipments include air defence missiles and precision-guided artillery, two people familiar with the situation have said.
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The decision led to Ukraine calling in the acting US envoy to Kyiv on Wednesday to underline the importance of military aid from Washington.
Kyiv also cautioned that the move would weaken Ukraine’s ability to defend itself against intensifying Russian airstrikes and battlefield advances.
Mr Putin and Mr Trump’s phone call was the sixth they have publicly disclosed since the US president returned to the White House in January.
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