In a tragedy out of Tennessee: Twin babies have died after being swept away by floodwaters over the weekend that left at least 20 other people dead.
Grandmother Angie Willeby told WKRN that 7-month-old twins Ryan and Rileigh were swept from their father's arms as the family tried to escape rising waters in Waverly, Tennessee with two other children. The babies went under the water and disappeared.
Their bodies were recovered after an extensive search, Willeby added. The other children, a 19-month-old and 5-year-old, and parents were not harmed.
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A GoFundMe account for the family has raised over $58,000 as of Monday afternoon.
Law enforcement in Humphreys County said at least 22 people were killed in the catastrophic flooding and dozens more are missing. The National Weather Service in Nashville said it was the deadliest flooding event in Middle Tennessee history.
"While we marvel at the power of nature, we deeply regret when it brings about tragic circumstances," NWS Nashville tweeted. "Those of us who have never lived through a flood of this magnitude cannot possibly know what it's like."
Portions of the state received from 9 to 17 inches of rain in a six hour period on Saturday, which triggered flash floods. Creeks and streams turned into raging rapids. The flooding took out bridges, roads and telephone lines, and knocked down businesses and homes -- hundreds of which are uninhabitable.
President Joe Biden tweeted his support for Tennessee residents impacted by the deadly flooding.
"I send my deepest condolences for the sudden and tragic loss of life due to flash flooding in Tennessee," he said. "We've reached out to the community and will offer any assistance they need in this terrible moment."
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