Rives, TN: CN/IC Route threatened by a flood

(Satellite, the fields east of town are designed to flood; the town is not supposed to flood.)

2025 TVA Flood: See Pickwick Lock_2025 for more information about the weather event.

Feb 16, 2025:

Phil Grant posted that CN's Main Line "has been hit by flooding due to a levee failure at Rives, TN."

Luke Winzenried: There is a speed restriction, but from what I hear trains are still moving. There was also a mudslide in Dyersburg that blocked the tracks.

George Cox: The levee has not broken or failed, flood water started over running the top of the levee at around 5AM this morning.

From the Union City Messenger at about 2:20 PM CST today:

Obion County Emergency Management Agency director Danny Jowers was in the air surveying the serious situation about 1:15 p.m. today (Sunday) when he spoke with The Messenger.

Jowers said water began going over the top of the levee about 5 a.m. today, flooding the tiny town south of Union City off Highway 45 West.

“That’s all it’s doing right now is going over the top,” he said. “It hasn’t broken yet, but we’re flying it right now to see if there’s anything else that’s happening.”

When water begins going over the top of a levee, there is the danger of eating away the levee.

Peyton Smith commented on Phil's post
Water is still rising.

The railroad route that went straight through town was the GM&O.

1951/51 Rives Quad @ 24,000

The GM&O route is abandoned south of town, but we can clearly see the RoW because of the tree line. Note the "Obion County floods" label.

Satellite

I wonder how long that link will be defined. This is what I got on Feb 19 when I clicked the Obion County floods" label.

Satellite

The TEMA link was remarkably uninformative. Buried among generic advice about coping with cold weather, I found a share of this post:

Steve Carr posted the comment:

STATE OF EMERGENCY 

📢 Statement from Obion County Mayor Steve Carr 📢

Dear Residents of Obion County,

Effective immediately, I AM declaring a STATE OF EMERGENCY in response to the severe flooding in Rives and the imminent threats to other low-lying areas within our county (potentially Kenton). This decision has been made to ensure the safety and well-being of our community as we navigate these challenging conditions.

Evacuations: There will be mandatory evacuations in effect for the residents in Rives due to the rising water, no electricity, and freezing temperature creating a life-threatening situation. 

Security: Law enforcement will be actively securing the affected areas to protect residents and property. Please be advised that there will be no trespassing in these zones. Private drones are not allowed as helicopters and public safety drones are in use at this time. We urge everyone to respect this directive, as it is vital for the safety of both our first responders and the community at large.

Public Information: Residents are encouraged to stay informed through official channels, including my social media page, Danny Jowers at EMA, and Sheriff Karl Jackson for updates on the situation and safety instructions.

I encourage all residents in flood-prone areas to remain vigilant and take necessary precautions. Please stay tuned for further updates and follow guidance from local authorities.

Together, let us join our hearts in prayer for all of those affected and we will overcome this situation with His help. Stay safe, and look out for one another.

Sincerely,  

Steve Carr  

Mayor of Obion County

The shelter information was focused on warming shelters.

The "Tipton County Fire Department" link was informative.

Tipton County Fire Department posted

Swiftwater Deployment Update:

The Tipton County Swiftwater Team that was deployed to Obion County this morning has finished their rescue mission and are headed back to Tipton County.

See below concerning "More updates on Google"

Here is Gov. Bill's information:

Gov. Bill Lee posted on X/Twitter

I clicked "More on X," but it wanted me to sign in, and I'm not going to do that on X.

Pursuing the Google Search results.

The distinction between the levee being overtopped instead of breached does not reduce the amount of damage done. But it does provide more time for people to be evacuated. I am surprised that an overtopped levee didn't erode into a breach.

wpsdlocal6, Jasmine Youngblood
The Levee near Rives Mt. Pelia Road.
[Pleasant Hill Road in Rives becomes Mt. Pelia Road a little further east.]

I haven't been able to precisely reconcile the above photo with a satellite map, but I believe that the levee is along the left branch of the Obion River so that the farm fields between the branches of the Obion River can act as a flood plain. The levee around this homestead confirms that the fields are a flood plain. Also, it appears the homestead is just storage. That is, no one lives there.

Street View, May 2024

I think most people would think levee breach rather than levee overtopping when they here "levee failure." But I'm sure Fox News would get more clicks with "failure" than "overtopping." It is a failure in that it was not built high enough to do the job.

fox13memphis, Photo Credit: Lake County Rescue Squad
"State of emergency declared in northwest Tennessee county after levee failure"

In every photo and video that I saw, the top of the CN rails were still above water so the traction motors are safe. But the embankments were soaked above the ties, thus the slow order to go through town. If you look at the above topo map, you can see that the railroad routes are on embankments going far out into the adjacent fields.