Humphreys County Three Years After the Flood: What Has Changed, and What Change is to Come?

On a sunny spring day in May 2024, Humphreys County and the city of Waverly are visibly continuing the road to recovery from the historic, catastrophic floods that struck the area in August 2021.  This bright afternoon provided a stark contrast to the dark morning and day in which the flood ravaged the county nearly three years ago.

The irony is that this particularly sunny day comes just after storms and tornadoes destroyed parts of Maury County yesterday afternoon (May 8, 2024), which left dozens injured and one woman deceased.This is why county disaster mitigation and emergency response planning are becoming more critical: as Tennessee’s population continues to increase, housing and infrastructure needs are putting more pressure on county emergency management agencies (EMA’s) and county leaders. Proper emergency planning and knowing the resources available to you as a county leader can be critical in these times of high stress, when so many lives are at stake.

When driving along the downtown corridor of Waverly--the county seat of Humphreys County—it’s apparent that many residential homes and business fronts have been repaired or totally rebuilt. Some homes have bright, fresh new siding, while others are in the process of gut renovations and mold remediations. On other tracts of land, there are barren lots with only the home’s foundation left standing after that Saturday morning flood on August 21, 2021.

The National Weather Service shared the following rainfall estimates totals for some Humphreys County communities[1]:

•  Waverly: 8.21 inches
•  Bold Spring: 9 inches
•  McEwen: 14.85 inches

These estimates might provide a faint idea of the total rainfall in Humphrey’s County’s most populous areas, but they don’t provide the depth of tragedy that the communities faced in the aftermath of the initial flooding which began early that Saturday morning.

TCSLP Played a Pivotal Role in Humphreys County’s Rebuilding

When the flooding first struck Waverly early that Saturday morning, Waverly’s Junior High School and Elementary School buildings were destroyed within just a few hours. To this day, the vacant school sites have an eerie feeling, with the spirit of the schools being long gone.

As Humphreys County looked to build the new school facilities, they approached the Tennessee County Services Loan Program (TCSLP) and the Tennessee Municipal Bond Fund (TMBF) about possible funding options that were more readily available.

“We were first approached in September [2021] about Humphreys County needing short-term financing to get started with the necessary repairs and rebuilding.  At that time, it was just the schools that needed funds immediately,” said Linda Mooningham, TCSLP Marketing Coordinator and Legal Representative.

“In December 2021, the County then formally requested a quote on a $17 million loan for the schools. We closed on the County’s $17 million fixed-rate Public Building Authority (PBA) loan with the same terms as the City of Waverly’s previously drawn loan at an interest rate of 1.96%.  Since then, the County has made several principal payments on the loan from FEMA funds over its term.  The loan has a final maturity date of February 1, 2025.” 

With the loan funding secured, thanks to TMBF and TCSLP, Humphreys County was able to begin building its physical, temporary school sites for both the Waverly Elementary and Junior High School. The temporary schools are now housed in a large building once used as an Acme Boot Factory—located on notably higher ground than the previous schools.

Even the building of the temporary school sites didn’t come without its own set of challenges, though. Mooningham recounts another request from Humphreys County related to school rebuilding needs:

“In December of 2022, the County contacted us again with the need for an additional $4.5 million in funding for [the temporary] schools due to higher costs of labor and materials.   After some discussion and proper planning, we closed on a $4.5 million PBA fixed rate loan with a three-year term at an interest rate of 3.50% on March 10, 2023.  The loan has a final maturity date of March 1, 2026.”  

Looking Forward

There are discussions and rumors of a new, permanent school site swirling through the community, but no concrete plans, complete funding sources, or construction start dates have been announced yet. FEMA is committing funding to the building of the new, permanent school facilities on another site in Waverly—also on notably higher ground than the previous, permanent school sites.

What Can Be Done When the Helpers Need Help?

Although the Waverly Junior High School and Elementary School were two major public facilities that were significantly impacted by the floods, the Waverly Public Works Department headquarters was also plundered by the heavy rainfall and nearby flooded creeks. The facility is in downtown Waverly, at the corner of East Duffle and North Church Streets. East Duffle Street runs parallel to Trace Creek, a large that creek flows from eastern Humphreys County (McEwen, TN) to western Humphreys County, toward the Buffalo River.

It’s important to note here that in McEwen’s Wastewater Treatment Plant, a record 20.73 inches of rainfall during the August 21^st floods that eventually made it downstream to Waverly. The Waverly Public Works department headquarters, being adjacent to Trace Creek, was heavily affected by a lot of this floodwater.

“[TCSLP] was first contacted by the City of Waverly in mid-September 2021, needing funds as soon as possible to get started with the repairs and clean-up by the City from the flood,” said Mooningham.

“TMBF and TCSLP, due to our fixed rate PBA loan program, was able to assist the city with a 3-year PBA loan with the rate locked in for the term on a draw basis—meaning the city only had to pay interest on the outstanding amount and not make any principal payments during the term. However, they do have the ability to prepay the loan—in whole or in part—at any time.

We closed on that PBA loan for [the city of] Waverly on November 19, 2021, in the amount of $5 million for a term of 3 years and a 1% interest rate from First Federal Bank, which is a local bank, with a final maturity date of November 1, 2024.  The city has made payments on the loan from FEMA [grant funding], and it intends to pay the balance of the loan before the end of June 2024.”

As of May 2024, the City of Waverly’s Public Works Department facility has been restored, and the team is now back to work from the buildings on North Church Street downtown.

Humphreys County Highway Department: “We Were Here 24/7”

Humphreys County Highway Department (HCHD) played a key role in the initial emergency response, but the team also played a much larger role in the long-term infrastructure repair that’s currently ongoing. Nancy Turner, Administrative Assistant at HCHD, sheds some light on the immediate severity of the situation for highway department response teams.

“The first few days, we were here 24/7. We didn’t have any electricity here or at home, so if someone left for a bit, they came right back,” said Turner. “[When the flooding first happened,] we couldn’t get in or out, you know? People couldn’t get into work or people got locked into work.

[At first,] we weren’t just working on the roads and stuff. We were rescuing people. We all came together. We also couldn’t refuel [at the department], so the guys were having to get gas at the local gas stations when they could; otherwise, we couldn’t run our equipment.”

As the immediate disaster response was dealt with, more long-term repair and planning was then needed throughout the county. Nancy also shared some information about the ongoing infrastructure repair that the HCHD is working to complete, including roads, bridges, and culverts.

“Based on our estimates, we had 15 total loss bridges, which need total replacement. We’ve been able to repair five bridges to this point. We’ve still got some under repair, and a few more that are waiting to be rebuilt.

Right now, we have three bridges in repair, and we have four bridge replacements that have not been completed or started yet. Once all that is done, we’ll be complete with all the bridge repairs and replacements.”

To date, the HCHD has received $4.9 million in FEMA funding and $245k in TEMA funding. Essentially, many costs and expenses were paid upfront using funds from local sources such as TCLSP and TMBF, and then FEMA assistance payments were used to pay toward those loans once projects were completed. These local funding partners have tools and resources that many Tennessee counties affected by natural disasters can utilize in times of disaster mitigation, or even growth planning opportunities.

After the Flood: What Has Changed, and What Change is to Come?

As the Humphreys County community continues to navigate the disaster recovery and repairs needed, current Humphreys County Executive Mike Pogreba says that many agencies and organizations, both locally and nationally, have stepped in to help:

“[After the floods] our community pulled together and just tackled the jobs that had to be done. We had so many people both local and from all over the country that came in to help. We honestly could not have done it without those good folks that selflessly gave their time skills and hard work,” says Pogreba.  “And that continues to this day. That's not over. We still have volunteers that come in and are working on construction of private homes and getting people back into their properties. [Humphreys County] has so much gratitude for everyone that has helped and continues to help our community. It is truly humbling.”