Waverly prepares for high flood and tornado risk overnight and into weekend

Yahoo

03-04-2025

WAVERLY, Tenn. (WKRN) — Ahead of heavy rains and possible tornadoes in the forecast, Humphreys County and Waverly officials are preparing for every scenario.
Trace Creek was one of a couple of surrounding creeks that contributed to the 2021 deadly flood in Waverly. On Wednesday, city and county officials were out preparing for the increased risk of flooding for Wednesday night through the weekend.
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'This community is horrified when we get a forecast like we've had,' Waverly mayor Buddy Frazier said.
Humphreys County, along with many other Middle Tennessee counties, are under a tornado watch Wednesday night. Days of heavy rain will increase the overall flood risk in the area.
'We've got a lot of creeks and rivers and we've got a lot of areas that will overflow,' Humphreys County EMA Director Odell Poyner said.
Poyner told News 2 they were preparing for every possible scenario.
'I just got off the phone with one of our churches just in case we need a shelter of some sort,' Poyner said. '[I've] been talking with the Red Cross this morning. They are on standby.'
'We have only one flood monitor that's actually in operation right now, so it will be monitored,' Frazier said. '…The main thing we do is try to keep obstructions away from our bridges.'
On Wednesday morning, city officials cleared debris from creekbeds. Frazier explained that if a blockage occurs at any time, crews are on standby, ready to clear the debris. If creek levels rise, it will be all hands on deck.
'If we need to do an evacuation, we will have law enforcement [and] fire going door-to-door in some cases, if necessary,' Poyner said.
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An alert would also be sent out to residents in the area with information on local shelters, but Poyner added officials feel prepared to navigate all the conditions that could come their way.
'It's not going to surprise us; the magnitude might surprise us, but the storm is not going to surprise us,' Poyner said. 'We are preparing for it, and we are going to be as prepared as we possibly can to try to meet the needs of our community.'
City and county officials told News 2 that before going to bed Wednesday night, residents should have their phones charged and ready to receive alerts.
Don't forget to take the power and reliability of the WKRN Weather Authority with you at all times by downloading the News 2 Storm Tracker app.
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