The Brief
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Severe floodwaters in Tennessee submerged entire neighborhoods this week, but one family was prepared.
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A homemade levee system protected a home in Ridgely, Tennessee, preventing water from seeping onto their property.
A family in western Tennessee was ready for the recent floodwaters that submerged neighborhoods and flooded homes and businesses.
Aerial video taken by Randy Moore shows a home in Ridgely, Tennessee, surrounded by floodwaters on Tuesday, April 8, but the property was untouched thanks to homemade levees.
A photo of the house posted on Facebook revealed that it’s not the first time the family had constructed a levee to protect themselves.
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What they’re saying
“Country folks can survive,” one commenter said, while others noted that the family with the homemade levee system had continually worked on it to keep water from seeping onto their land.
“It ain’t their first rodeo, y’all,” another person said.
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“I’m glad their levee held up and they were able to save their property,” another commenter said. “It’s a great reminder that with determination and hard work, we can overcome even the toughest challenges! It’s also a testament to the importance of being prepared and taking proactive steps to protect ourselves and our communities.”
Homemade levee protects property from staggering floodwaters (Randy Moore via Storyful)
Severe flooding in Tennessee
The backstory
Moore’s video showed widespread flooding – except for the one house – in Bogota, Tennessee, where more than 100 people had to be rescued, according to WREG.
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Significant rainfall led to rivers overflowing in parts of Tennessee, Kentucky, Arkansas and other states. The flooding prompted mandatory evacuations – at least 10 deaths were reported in Tennessee because of tornadoes and flooding. Memphis, Tennessee, saw 14 inches of rain from Wednesday through Sunday.
The Source
This report includes information from Storyful, Facebook, The Associated Press and WREG.

DJ Kamal Mustafa
I’m DJ Kamal Mustafa, the founder and Editor-in-Chief of EMEA Tribune, a digital news platform that focuses on critical stories from Europe, the Middle East, Africa, and Pakistan. With a deep passion for investigative journalism, I’ve built a reputation for delivering exclusive, thought-provoking reports that highlight the region’s most pressing issues.
I’ve been a journalist for over 10 years, and I’m currently associated with EMEA Tribune, ARY News, Daily Times, Samaa TV, Minute Mirror, and many other media outlets. Throughout my career, I’ve remained committed to uncovering the truth and providing valuable insights that inform and engage the public.