WAVERLY, Tenn. — Seventeen people, relatives of those killed in an Aug. 21, 2021, flood in Waverly are suing CSX Transportation for up to $450 million, saying debris that backed up behind a railroad culvert led to the deadly flooding.
The Associated Press reports the suit was filed Tuesday in Humphreys County Circuit Court. A total of 20 people died in the flooding, which damaged more than 500 homes and 50 businesses after Trace Creek overflowed its banks. The suit says debris caught against the railroad’s bridge over the creek led to “a deadly tidal wave formed by millions of gallons of water.”
In addition to the railroad, the suit names two nearby landowners, alleging they allowed CSX to use their property as a basin for water and to store debris removed from behind the culver, which would wash back into the creek during the next heavy rain.
The Nashville Tennessean reports the suit seeks damages for emotional pain and suffering, and ongoing care for those who suffered severe injuries in the flood.
Attorney Timothy Potter told the newspaper that the suit “has been filed in an effort to hold those persons who were negligent, responsible.”
CSX said in a statement that its “most heartfelt thoughts are with the families whose lives were tragically impacted by this historic weather event.
“While we can’t comment on any specific allegations of the lawsuit, it is important to point out that the significant rain storm in August of 2021 that resulted in the catastrophic flooding of many communities in Middle Tennessee, including Waverly, was an unprecedented and extraordinary event.”
The National Weather service reported that nearly 21 inches of rain fell in 24 hours in McEwen, Tenn., less than 10 miles away.
Share this article
