After his twin babies perished in the terrible flooding in Tennessee, a devastated father has claimed he feels like he "failed" his family.
On Saturday, record-breaking rains and floodwater caused significant damage to houses, businesses, highways, and power lines as it swept across the southern portion of the US state, killing at least 22 people and leaving scores more missing.
The Twin's Unfortunate Death
The parents of 7-month-old twins murdered in Tennessee flash floods claim they had little time to respond to the catastrophic rush of rain that washed away two of their children.
According to the National Weather Service, the twins, Ryan and Riliegh, were ripped from their father's grip inside their apartment Saturday in Waverly, near McEwen, where 17.02 inches of rain poured, surpassing the state's 24-hour record by nearly 4 inches.
Matthew Rigney and Danielle Hall, their distraught parents, have recalled how the water began to flow into their flat, where they were sheltering with their four children.
The family, who had only moved into their apartment 20 feet from Trace Creek two weeks earlier, relocated their four children to a rear bedroom, including 19-month-old Brayla and 5-year-old Maleah, but the downpour inside rapidly intensified, leading the children's mother, Danielle Hall, to crawl out a window.
Mr. Rigney told local news station WTVF-TV, "We woke up, and water was flooding our flat. The glass on our front entrance cracked, and water poured in into our house."
He told the TV station, "I had the twins in my arms, I had (19-month-old) Brayla on my hip, and I had (five-year-old) Maleah wrapped around my neck."
Rushing Rapids
Kenny Miller told AccuWeather, "That water came up so quickly." When Miller attempted to relocate his car on Saturday, he said he was nearly carried away by powerful floodwaters.
As the water surged around him and almost drew him into its hold, he held onto a shrub. As he hung on, debris was pelting him and going over his head. He assessed the depth of the water to be 7 feet. Finally, he was able to break away and make his way to his house, where his daughter and her mother were waiting.
"It was already... we couldn't open the door to let him in by the time he came back," Sadie Vaughn recalled of her father, Kenny. "He had to go in via the window."
Deaths in Waverly, Tennessee
Flash Flood Kills Over 20 With Dozens More Missing In Central Tennessee
Thousands of people in Waverly, Tennessee, survived the devastating flood over the weekend, including Vaughn and Miller. But, unfortunately, every single one of them is sure to have a similarly horrific story to tell.
The floods, which happened after 17 inches of rain fell in less than 24 hours, had a "big impact" on "this little community," according to public safety head Grant Gillespie of Waverly, the small town where the majority of the deaths occurred.
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