Woman dead after being swept away by swift water during flash flooding in Tennessee
According to officials, a 64-year-old woman died outside her home after strong, swift water conditions took her downstream.
FILE: Infant rescued from car stranded in rushing Texas floodwater
Intense rain flooded a creek in Beeville, Texas, trapping a vehicle in the middle of the road. First responders immediately rushed to the stranded white sedan and rescued an infant from the vehicle, before assisting the driver out of the dangerous floodwater.
COCKE COUNTY, Tenn. – Tragedy has unfolded in Tennessee, where persistent wet weather and flooding have resulted in the death of a woman on Thursday.
According to officials, a 64-year-old woman died outside her home after strong, swift water conditions took her downstream.
Members of the Cocke County Sheriff’s Office said the woman was outside her home and was close to a nearby vehicle when the strong flow of the floodwater swept her away.
Streams overflow their banks caused by days of rain in Oak Ridge, Tennessee
(epantha / Getty Images)
"Swift water teams and other first responders were able to recover the victim from the water and was pronounced deceased," a statement from Sheriff C.J. Ball of the Cocke County Sheriff’s Office reads.
The chance of more rain and thunderstorms continues across the county through Friday night, as the wet weather doesn’t seem to let up.
Flash Flood Warnings were issued early Thursday in Cocke and Greene counties in East Tennessee.
The Tennessee Department of Transportation shut down part of State Route 160 and posted an image of powerful floodwaters spilling over the road.
WHAT FLOOD WATCHES, WARNINGS AND EMERGENCIES REALLY MEAN
The weather pattern that triggered water rescues in Texas earlier this week has shifted eastward, with a flash flood threat covering more than 50 million people across a broad swath of the Southeast, through Friday morning.
Officials recommend completely avoiding or limiting exposure to floodwaters due to the dangers they present.