How did Waverly flood so quickly?

So many people here keep asking how it was possible that so much water surged into the town so quickly. That's why our chief investigative reporter Jeremy Finley continues to look into reasons why.

[@josht31]

"built on a creek and in a valley" means do not build a town there. It will happen again with no way to stop the flood.

[@elaineteut9579]

It is the same in New Orleans. Let’s build a city below sea level, what could possibly go wrong.

[@drmoz43]

I agree creeks & valleys no houses should be built. The flood proves that water is very powerful when ground is soft & water flows rapidly.

[@ljrebel6875]

I wonder how hurricane ida will treat Waverly oh and by the way people build their houses on volcanoes an earthquake zones in tornado zones there's almost no place you can go to avoid natural disasters

[@grizzstud22]

My Oceanography professor would stress " Where there was once water there will be water again"

[@drmoz43]

@@grizzstud22 Agreed!!!

[@ShadyLady988]

It was basically a dam break, that railroad track acted as a giant dam then when those 2 sections gave way a lake basically poured into town all at once like a tsunami

[@artemis1style]

It was several areas not just there, as was stated in the video.

[@macalister8881]

Yep

[@rickenbacker315]

I imagine the railroad tracks have been there for a hundred years or more. Unfortunately, the tracks can't be used as a dam. They aren't made for that amount of water rushing in from the side. This tragedy is the direct result of 17 inches of rain within a short period of time. It was inevitable..

[@Rita-yw2tn]

I completely agree with you you’re exactly right

[@orettacarter1312]

Never build homes below dams or creek and low lying areas. You will get flood when it rains heavy.

[@space-date1742]

@@orettacarter1312 if one was to never build below a creek or dam most of the Tennessee and North Carolina foothills would be uninhabitable,there’s something like 4000 miles of creeks and river in NC alone.

[@bennyedmondson8919]

Take a look back at 1997 mass amounts of rain in a short period of time the water has no place to go

[@dknowles60]

built in apx 1846

[@johnblackburn544]

Rather than continue to try and assign blame, let’s just say a prayer, and see what can be done to assist fellow Americans🙏💪🇺🇸

[@theprogressiveway]

Prayer: how to do nothing but feel like you're helping

[@greymagician1]

@@theprogressiveway lol

[@baneverything5580]

@@theprogressiveway I see the democrats have arrived...

[@baneverything5580]

@Ace Degenerate I advise you to study the paranormal and seek the truth or watch what you say before someone involved in the Occult sends you a visitor you won`t soon forget. You`re playing an extremely dangerous game right now. Keep it up...

[@gr8ful89]

You are all in my thoughts fellow Tennesseans in Waverly. This really gets to me. Can’t begin to imagine what you all went through. I’ve been following it since I heard that Saturday morning. I wish there were more I could do.

[@donnagpalk912]

Who here knew we were built on a creek and in a valley? I live in this.....something else happened...it was rising water until it was an OCEAN. Lost friends in this..idk It was horrific. My car was swimming me out of it barely before the ocean came...

[@vbuchanan284]

I totally agree with you...glad you made it out safely! So many didn't....😭 Something as you said happened but this story here? Hmmm so what was mcwens and pine views and Houston counties reasoning for flooding?? Lot just don't add up... I lost family and friends to this horrible monster and friends that will live with things they shouldn't have to from the events of that day... And they gonna try the railroad.... Just thank god school wasn't in session that day... Prayers for you to help guide you thru these trying times....

[@P.B.Theriver]

@@vbuchanan284 ..The difference is the huge lake of water that formed on the other side of the tracks that caused the railroad bed to collapse and send a tsunami down stream.

[@thehillbillyhilton3557]

Rebuild the ground under the railroad tracks with better material that will compact and actually act like a dam. People also have to understand where they live too. My parents place, up the road in Cookeville is in a valley with 2 creeks, but their way up on the high ground. It would take 30+ft of rain to flood them.

[@cynthiacherry9077]

Some of these people are idiots

[@thehillbillyhilton3557]

@@cynthiacherry9077 well that can't be fixed. I think if we take warning labels off stupid will fix itself, but not 100% on that. It hasn't been tested in large numbers.

[@torqzebrawoody]

The Dynamic forces involved in the Freight Train do not allow the Roadbed to be a dam.

[@stephnwaneri7370]

“Built on a creek and in a valley.” 🤔 first red flag

[@RornStreetFood]

Wow this is floods

[@vbuchanan284]

I lived there most of my life and yes there have been floods but NOTHING EVEN REMOTELY CLOSE to this and I would almost bet my life the majority does not know it's "built on a creek"? First I've heard of that smh....17 inches of rain in less than 7 hours.... Think about that.....

[@RornStreetFood]

@@vbuchanan284 Please join, sorry, My sister

[@itsnotthesamething]

There is a similar raised railroad in Columbia, Tn. Bigby Creek runs under it. In 1967, the water got deep enough that it reached the bottom of the trestle bridge, which acted as a dam, at that point. Once that happened, the water rose rapidly into the Valewood neighborhood, swamping dozens of homes. It almost did it again in 1972. In 1973 the Army Corps of Engineers came and dredged out the creek and widened it along about a half mile stretch. It didn't threaten to flood again until the early 2000's. Thing was, they cleared the creek with the agreement that Columbia would keep it cleaned out. Columbia didn't uphold their end of the bargain, and slowly the creek filled back in. There are only two or three people living in that neighborhood that know what that creek can do. Most of those homes are now rentals, with tenants who probably couldn't afford to start over, and also who have no idea they might be sitting on a ticking timebomb. I walked down to the bridge a few weeks ago to see what it looked like. Aside from not having the big old trees like it had back then, the banks look very much as they did before the cleanout. My brother, sister and I still own our parent's home there, and my sister lives in the house. We pay a fortune for flood insurance, but the house is paid for, so she lives there, and we pray she can live out the rest of her life without another flood.

[@nickwest1476]

Trace Creek sits north or the railroad tracks and water flows under a trestle then a bridge under hwy70 then thru town! The floods have gotten worse the last 10 years and no doubt 17 inches of rain would have caused flooding but a trestle blocked with trees and debris allowed 200 acres of water to create a lake then railroad bed collapses of the weight of water to destroy our town. Funny how railroad was more interested in getting their tracks back on line instead of helping the town look for the dead!

[@sharondull2103]

Our State of Wisconsin most part of Wisconsin had flooding along with in the Beloit area and Janesville area Wisconsin back in April 21 1973.

[@sharondull2103]

And back in 2008 Wisconsin had it's one hundred years of flooding in Wisconsin most parts of Wisconsin. Rock County Janesville and Beloit Wisconsin area. Manitowoc county.

[@RornStreetFood]

Good

[@furzkram]

Simple: don't build at the lowest point in the area, especially not when there's running water nearby.

[@mpk6664]

Simple: Don't talk about something that doesn't really matter. 17" of rain is a catastrophic amount of water no matter where you live. That's more rain than Katrina dropped in Louisiana.

[@craigbeeson222]

Seems they are looking for someone or some company to hold accountable and then to possibly sue. Let’s see the coverage from “drone 1,2, & 3” before making a conclusion

[@nickwest1476]

I guess the LN railroad that didn't respond for two days to two propane tanks that had derailed! Building a raised railroad tracks behind a creek is the problem! Seems everyone blames tree huggers for bad planning for the direction of a train!

[@scaryharryflanagan70]

I always wondered why when I read the want ads that the Storm Water Runoff Specialist starting pay was so high.

[@ticrific]

There was around 9 feet of water outside when I was escaping. How the fuck is 17 inches of rain to blame? Me and my family stand firm in the belief that some sort of dam broke. This could explain it. I really hope an extensive investigation is launched on how it occurred and the negligence of police rescues after

[@mpk6664]

17" of rain is more than Katrina dropped, and is more than New York got from Ida. You can see for yourself what happened there. The ground can only hold so much water before being completely logged. Also, the railroad WAS a dam essentially. It blocked hundreds of gallons and released it all at once.

[@toastoftowne1076]

People will never cease to amaze me with their lack of foresight and blind faith

[@baracktrump1410]

People can be upset at the city, railroad or county, it's not their fault. No area can recieve 17" of rain in 12 hours without catastrophic failures and floods. I graduated high school in Tulsa 5-26-1984, that night into the morning we received 16 inches of rain in 6 to 8 hours. 5500 homes and businesses along with 7000 cars and trucks were damaged or destroyed.

[@KenjiMapes]

We had crazy rain & flooding in NYC around the same time. The streets were like rivers and for all the cars that got submerged & totaled the drains seems to work even while overwhelmed. It is a concrete jungle here but luckily there wasn’t catastrophic destruction or loss of life. Seeing all the destruction & death in Tennessee was horrifying. Plus when humans are harmed & hurt so are their pets. 2 little babies were swept away in the torrent. It doesn’t get any more horrific than that. My heart aches for Tennessee. I hope that they can make some changes to help mitigate the potential of this happening again now that theyve identified the apparent cause. Apparently the rail road tracks acted like a de facto levee & once it gave way it unleashed a mini tsunami on the town & neighborhood. Here in NYC we live on the ocean so the water has a place to escape. They need to build runoff channels down there. My thoughts & prayers all go to Tennessee. Hope you can recoup & rebuild as best as you can.

[@psalm9166]

I read your post and you said NYC is on the ocean and the water has a place to run. I imagined what if the Ocean decides to take back NYC. Normally I would be like it hasn't happened before that will never happen. It seems like since January 2020, never happened before means nothing. Stay safe Kenji. 🙏

[@KenjiMapes]

@@psalm9166 Yea this is also true. New York is what it is partly because of history & luck, but also because of it’s location & geography. Manhattan is an island with a great natural harbor. It is connected by sea and rivers. Long Island is huge. There are 4 seasons but downstate New York has a much milder climate than upstate. The gulf stream keeps less frigid in winter than upstate. It is blessed with fresh water from upstate, etc Rising seas indeed poses a problem. Likely something drastic has to happen. These weather events will hit with my frequency & higher intensity. Sadly because of human nature & politics, we have a proclivity to be reactive not be proactive. Things won’t get done until after a catastrophe. Superstorm Sandy has already been forgotten about. Improvements around New Orleans didn’t happen until Katrina & even now it is still vulnerable in spots despite billions being spent on levees, infrastructure, etc

[@joelgalvan8358]

Wish I could, some how provide assistance, I live in another country. Hope you all get the help, you need.

[@cashiscamping5126]

Post10 taught me everything i need to know about this.

[@PerfectaRhyme]

it's because nobody ever expected this kind of flooding! they lax out until it's too late

[@markb1764]

You could try building higher up the slope that might help

[@cynthiacherry9077]

Many are commenting build on higher ground. I get it and understand. Look how many times New Orleans has been rebuilt and it is in a hole that has hurricanes on the regular. This is these people's hometown. Have some compassion. They've not even got their dead buried yet. This town got 9 inches of rain in less than 2 hrs. and 17 inches total for the day. The grown can't handle that much water that fast. So stop with the finger pointing and talking down about these people. One day you could have a disaster in you own back yard. All towns are around water ways. A lot of you are not very bright.

[@tiffyyorkshire6124]

Developers get rich building on flood plains. I feel so sorry for people who have lost friends and family members and sentimental items

[@BoilaFrog]

Hey channel 4- there is a drone guy on KZbin that has lots of footage of the flood snd he has surmised that it was the railroad acting as a dam that once breached made the water rush in like a dam breaking. Look though the footage- show it to the towns leaders. They need to know.

[@alan4309]

Wow what great reporting, Five Stars. So seldom do we hear why. Also it's very interesting, there are flood control structures all over America some dating back to the 1930's put in by different Federal agencies and the old conservation corps. Often you'll find them with a brass plaque and a date all over grown and not maintained at all. But the infrastructure is there. In some counties the NRCS worked with conservation districts to install structures and the army corp of engineers. But cities and counties and states also need to step up and protect people from floods. It's not like a flood is a unforeseen event, it's inevitable in low lying areas.

[@john172867]

You think they would have saw this coming. Looks like a dereliction of duty to me. And now people are dead.

[@LiLoTech]

Hindsight 20/20. I'm sure there are potential disasters in just about every community if you look.

[@mattmoschkau84]

Yeah, because everyone sees the 8th highest single day rainfall total in history happening.

[@ChrisCoombes]

00:03 why does the sign say no mobile phones in a school zone?

[@chrischoice2707]

Do they have a draining system there

[@pavitrajaimungal1889]

Please people move to higher grounds.

[@mainecoonmomma9494]

So sorry for anyone that lost their life or homes… Umm is that boat trailer in the beginning on a boat trailer? Looks like it was already on land.

[@eugenedavis5252]

there doing same china did the gov break the dam flood you out

[@MysticBreakdown]

A town built on a creek in a valley never thought to install a levee? This is unacceptable.

[@rushmore3927]

That theory seems misguided. Seems being on the plain of a creek area is more to do with it.

[@barbarazuviceh6506]

Prayers

[@justwatching6186]

The push out to show a boat -ON A TRAILER- was probably the Stupidest thing I’ve ever seen.

[@CJinsoo]

Is the railroad relatively new? did they build it with adequate drainage? it may just be that it was too much rain in a short time. the answer to that incredibly simplistic and frequent disaster/crisis/tragedy question at the end is maybe nothing, we’ll see.

[@artemis1style]

The amount of water overflowing in several areas caused it.

[@michaelsublet3283]

That creek had a history of flooding. They expected the tracks to hold back the water instead of building any kind of embankments. They rolled the dice and lost. Now it's just the blame game.

[@SurfingTubes]

What about the Loretta Lynn museum ? "Coal minor's daughter," all that washed away too?

[@ljrebel6875]

I wonder how hurricane ida will be on Waverly today

[@StrangeTerror]

Y'all should've called post10 about some culvert checks.

[@esa56]

I would look directly at the City commissioner the city planners they have been getting paid well for a long time to research study and figure stuff like this out yet they are not held accountable that's the bottom line we have lack of leadership yet they been getting paid

[@Blue2crows]

My my the truth comes out. It’s still terrible accident

[@scorpioncoreuniverse8981]

Well I've got one idea you get a lot of people to gold mine in those creeks maybe to lower the ground level of the creeks. It's just an idea.

[@josephsouth4795]

Higher ground

[@deadringer2349]

Yep. Higher ground

[@ticrific]

These comments about “don’t build in that area then” are so annoying. Do you think the people who died knew this would happen? No. It’s too late to tell people not to build there. That won’t bring back the 20 people who died. We need to focus on keeping it safe in the future if anyone chooses to stay there (I most certainly am never going back) and the lack of organized rescue

[@MrHeyhomes]

If you want to blame something then blame the railroad, not for holding water back but for expanding the places in which people move to and settle down. This valley would never been populated without that railroad. Nothing will be learnt from this just ask Louisiana

[@sfm9098]

I live in tornado alley. And for a long time I've thought about it and really there's no safe place on earth when it comes to natural disasters. It's either tornadoes, hurricanes, earthquakes, volcanoes etc. We're at the Mercy of God and nature. The way I look at it, when it's your turn, it's your turn. Even big time prepers buying silos can have a great earthquake and it's all gone. Even the government/elites are scared of nature. Probably more so than us because they have more to loose.

[@nickb220]

jeez they're lucky a train never went through

[@lorettakuhn2514]

A record amount of rain in a short time caused this. Who plans for this? NO ONE. Time to take care of the people.

[@tttoya2012]

Wow... built on a creek and in a valley... that explains it

[@WH6FQE]

Wondering what can be done to keep this from happening in the future? Well, how about DONT BUILD ON CREEKS AND IN VALLEYS?

[@aardvarkbiscuit2677]

It's a boat on a trailer. I hate the news.

[@p52893]

I’ve never trusted College engineers.

[@sophierobinson2738]

You trust jackleg engineers?

[@p52893]

@@sophierobinson2738 everything a college engineer sees is from his Chair.

[@lisalane7648]

🙏♥️🦋✌️🌈🌹

[@wlm2618]

This community has asked for help for years from the state government, Army Corps of Engineers, any others they could appeal to. All ignored as the pols kicked the can down the road and kept pouring money into social programs. Both sides are guilty of this.

[@versace_mel]

Now the police chief is a weather and flood expert.. smh

[@dvrdvrr1440]

The sign should say flood zone, not school zone.

[@johnalver]

Oh Jeremy ❤️not that Jeremy my jeremy

[@elizaleroux9173]

Poor areas don't get the much needed drain systems... And yes with global warming be sure it will happen again.. Either build proper large drain trenches or move the town. Both expensive options. But it will safe lives.

[@JamMaul]

Houses 🏠 needs to be built on higher ground s. ... ... must have learned a few lessons from history of flooding

[@jamesirwin1409]

"Built on a creek AND in a valley"........mystery solved.

[@RornStreetFood]

Wow Thais is floods

[@marlonriley662]

Infrastructure !

[@GX-th8is]

uuummmm.... Duhhh...

[@Puzekat2]

Have a floodplain have a floodplain

[@paulie5076]

The town is built on a creek?,,,,,, Really

[@SMgaming619]

You're saying rain contributed to the flooding? Rain? RAIN? Wait, wait, wait, WAIT... are you trying to imply that WATER caused WATER to appear? MADNESS.

[@mimseydeartist1691]

Ok you build ON A CREEK and want to not only rebuild but be mad? Y’all do realize water always travel the same path? I’m fact I was told before you buy a home to check all those things out. Like the flow of water, what happens when it rains, the sun, does the earth move what happens. You’re suppose to go back 100 years BEFORE YOU BUY. SO PLEASE DONT REBUILD IN A CREEK BED.

[@speakthewordbiblestudy]

God

[@mikakorhonen5715]

@Redgren Grumbholdt Don't believe him.

[@mikakorhonen5715]

@Ace Degenerate Huh, worst nightmare!

[@battles423]

Well done on this report

[@tomsutton2241]

The

[@P.B.Theriver]

The railroad tracks need to be engineered to allow water to flow from one side of the tracks to the other without creating a levee or dam failure situation. Construction on the project should begin today not next week.

[@kentondickerson]

You have to wait until the ground dries.

[@dknowles60]

it was the fed gov that rebuilt the rail road in 1918 when the Fed gov was in charge of all rail roads in the us. Take it up with the Fed Gov

[@msspears8915]

So you think that railroad track are a levee or a dam? What a stupid thing

[@wjksea]

That actually sounds like a terrible waste of time and effort as for saving the community. If doing so is to maintain a viable rail route in the absence of alternatives for shipping supplies then sure. Otherwise why mop the floor when the toilet is actively overflowing? This won't be the first time at this rodeo. It's a floodplain in the context of rapidly changing conditions. People have no idea what's coming in the next 5-10 years or so but all of humanity will be seeing it unfold.

[@baneverything5580]

@@msspears8915 That`s what was reported in the video.

[@tobuscusfoop]

Looks like some drains should be installed

[@rodericksumaway5441]

All false religion in the world will be destroyed N killed very neAr in a great tribulAtiOn, Jesus sOn Of JEHOVAH God said that in mAthew 24:21, Revelation 17:16-17, JEHOVAH God used United Nations n all governments in the world tO destroyed N killed all false religion in the world, sO, WOrship JEHOVAH God father of Jesus b4 it's 2 late because d end is very neAr, Jeremiah 25:33, mAthew 4:10

[@Haywood.2802]

Disrespectful. The ground underneath is weak! Engineers are paid high dollars for what reason ?

[@oldscuba]

TREE HUGGER CAUSED: The overgrowth was a big part of this.

[@philoctetes_wordsworth]

INFRASTRUCTURE, INFRASTRUCTURE, INFRASTRUCTURE. Duh.

[@macalister8881]

Built on a creek in a valley . Who you gona blame GLOBAL WARMING , thats who .... h

[@northerniltree]

Trump would give them rakes.

[@thedrabfour]

You drink a lot of orange juice, the natural sugars will do their thing. "BLOW OUT BIG TIME"

[@acedegenerate2254]

The sheriff has been paid well to lay the blame elsewhere

[@phillipbonner5215]

Not a good place to build. DUH

[@HiMarsPewPew]

GLOBAL WARMING YALL!

[@Ujeb08]

Thats smart. building a town on a flood plain with a sand dam

[@gregakinson2800]

No answers......

[@TheGreatLightM416]

God gave us the rainbow 🌈 as a sign of peace from floods but you spit in his face: and turn his good nature into sin🤫🤫🤫