WAVERLY, Tenn. (WKRN) — After assessing the extensive damage accumulated in just a matter of hours, Waverly officials tell News 2 they believe the current flooding caused by Saturday’s storm is the worst natural disaster the county has ever seen.  

Humphreys County Sheriff Chris Daivs recalled the several hours it took him to travel just a few miles to reach his residents in need on Saturday.  

“It put Waverly on an island for a little while. It took me five hours to get here from McEwen, you know, and it’s eight to 10 miles down the road.” 

Sheriff Davis explained the helpless feeling of not being able to get to his residents in need.  

“From the outside trying to get in, I didn’t like it at all. When you have law enforcement, EMS, and other people calling, needing you, and not being able to get to them, it’s almost like a mom not trying/not being able to get to her kid,” Davis recalled. “It’s a very sinking feeling, very sinking feeling and knowing that you have people that’s needing it, they can’t get help when I’m sitting here getting videos today from you guys that I have people floating down the creek that nobody can get to and nobody can help… it hurts.” 

News 2 asked Sheriff Davis how the current flooding situation compared to that of the 2010 floods. In 2010, officials said the rainfall was more gradual.  

“Faster, probably more devastating, I think we could agree with that, more devastating than that one,” Sheriff Davis said. “My understanding is that we got a significant more rain this time, in a shorter time period and it’s very significant.” 

Waverly Mayor Wallace Frazier also said the current damage was considerably worse. 

“This is bad,” Mayor Frazier said. “By the number of people that’s affected, the number of lives that’s lost, the property that’s been lost, residential housing that’s in short supply to begin with. We have some people that’s going to be hurting for a long time.”