17 inches of rain in the US state of Tennessee: 22 dead, many missing

Tornado forecast for northeastern U.S. states

In a rural area of ​​the state of Tennessee, rushing water pulled the twin girls out of the father's arms

WASHINGTON: At least 22 people have been killed and many more are missing after 17 inches of rain in the U.S. state of Tennessee and flash floods flooded homes in several cities across the state. Rescuers are still searching for people trapped in the water or under the rubble of houses.

Meanwhile, the National Weather Service said in Boston that torrential rains would break out in the northeastern states on Monday in the wake of a slow-moving hurricane system named Henry. The weather service also forecast tornadoes with heavy rains with very strong winds.

The rains wreaked havoc mostly in the rural areas of the state as roads in the rural areas were completely washed away, mobile phone towers collapsed and landline telephone lines were completely paralyzed.

That means small towns in rural areas have been cut off from major cities so people can't even ask for the distance to their relatives, "said Christy Brown, a Humphrey County School safety supervisor.

Many of the missing were living in areas where floodwaters quickly returned to small towns and villages, Humphrey County Police Officer Chris Davis said. The police official himself confirmed the reports of 22 deaths.

A list of missing persons has been placed on a notice board at the county's emergency center, he said, adding that the dead included two twin girls who had been swept away by floodwaters from their father's hands. Survivors of the girl's family and a foreman working on the ranch of the county's famous music star Loretta Lynn confirmed the incident.