NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — After several days of heavy rain this week, a flood awareness group is asking officials to create a statewide plan to help save lives and properties in these types of storms.
The group, Flood Ready Tennessee, believes the state can’t keep doing what's in place and hope for the best.
The group said there is legislation currently before the Tennessee General Assembly that would create a task force with experts from state agencies like EMA and TDOT. They’d craft a statewide plan to address the threat of floods so communities have resources to be prepared.
Almost 400,000 properties across the state are at risk of severe flooding like what was seen in Waverly last summer according to FloodFactor.
This comes as the National Weather Service’s Severe Weather Awareness Week ends Saturday. All week, experts have been encouraging people to create safety plans.
Krissy Hurley with the National Weather Service in Nashville said Tennessee had 22 flash flooding fatalities last year. She wants people to understand just how dangerous flooding can become since warnings are often dismissed.
"Floods are the number two weather-related killer just behind tornadoes," said Hurley. "I think it’s another one of those deceiving kinds of threats that you don’t really think twice about."
On average, data shows floods cost Tennessee almost $250 million a year.
