It’s now official! The new 24-hour Record Rainfall for Tennessee has been set by the State Climate Extremes Committee (SCEC) in coordination with the National Weather Service (NWS) in Nashville and the Tennessee State Climate Office at East Tennessee State University. They have officially confirmed that 20.73″ of rain in 24 hours is a new state record.
NWS Nashville, “This new 24-hour Precipitation Record occurred on August 21, 2021 at the McEwen, TN Wastewater Treatment Plant. It breaks a previous record of 13.60” in Milan, TN on September 13, 1982. The SCEC carefully reviewed the meteorology and equipment conditions for this event.
A unanimous vote of 5-0 determined that the 20.73″ observed in McEwen, TN on 8/21/2021 was valid and constituted a state record for 24-hour total precipitation. Catastrophic flooding occurred in Waverly, TN and surrounding areas as a result of this record rainfall.”
An impressive rainfall event, for sure. Our hearts continue to go out to all those who lost friends, loved ones, and precious possessions. Some communities were forever changed.
“For reference, a 1,000-year storm event in this area is about 11.1″ of rain in 24 hours, or about half of what fell in August 2021,” Michael Rawetzki
