Catastrophic flooding in Tennessee left at least eight dead and dozens missing Saturday as rains washed away homes and rural roads.

Humphreys County Sheriff Chris Davis told news outlets at least 30 people have been reported missing.

The county, 96 kilometres west of Nashville, saw more than 38 centimetres of rain, according to the Tennessean, prompting water rescues, road closure, and communications disruptions.

U.S. National Weather Service meteorologist Krissy Hurley told the newspaper the area had received “about 20 to 25 per cent of the yearly rainfall total that this area sees in a year” in a single morning.

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