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NASHVILLE (Reuters)Residents and volunteers in Nashville Wednesday dug through ruined possessions, mud and debris inundating flood-hit homes and businesses, with the recovery from deadly weekend storms hampered by power outages.
The overflowing Cumberland River and its tributaries were gradually retreating, but flood waters that submerged part of Nashville’s downtown and forced evacuations across the region have caused billions of dollars in losses, officials said.
President Barack Obama granted the state's request for disaster relief in four counties, with more areas likely to receive federal help.
The weekend storms and flash floods were blamed for 20 deaths in Tennessee and 10 more in neighboring Kentucky and Mississippi.
Tennessee officials warned more victims may be discovered as the flood waters recede.
Nearly 1,000 people in Tennessee were living in emergency shelters, according to the Red Cross, and 10,000 were without power.
Nashville's downtown area near the Cumberland River as well as a Metro Center business area lacked electricity, and several tourist attractions in the capital of country music suffered serious damage.
Nashville officials pleaded with residents to conserve water as the city was relying on a single water treatment plant that sandbags had barely spared from the flooding.