Rives reflects on devastating floods one year later

RIVES, Tenn. — One year ago, more than a foot of rain caused record flooding in West Tennessee.

The town of Rives was hit with dangerous flash flooding twice last year within three months. In February, a levee failed, causing water to rush into the town. In April, 15 to 20 inches of rain fell over the span of four days, causing an already swollen Mississippi River to back up into its tributaries.

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“The north levee breaking caused us to have a rush of water in town. The Obion River levee breaking allowed the water to go down in Rives, so it was kind of a curse one way and a blessing the other,” said Campbell Rice, fire chief.

Damage assessment

The town of Rives in Obion County was one of the hardest hit areas, as the Obion River broke record crests downstream from Rives. One year later, the town remains mostly unchanged.

During the flood, Rives reported no loss of life, but two buildings were demolished due to water damage. Rives Church of Christ was already slated for demolition, but years of floods and a recent windstorm accelerated the timeline. All that remains of the church are two piles of bricks.

Fire station repairs stalled

The biggest struggle remains repairs to the fire station. An unannounced adjustment to the 500-year flood plain means the station was not insured properly for flood damage.

“It was built through a state community development block grant. At the time it was surveyed, it was out of the 500-year flood plain. Two years ago, they decided to put it in the floodplain and we had no clue,” Rice said.

Rice calls the people of Rives some of the most resilient he’s ever seen. According to Rice, last April’s flood was the first to ever make it over the railroad tracks in Rives.

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