Three dead and one missing after Tennessee floods

At least three people have died and one person is missing after heavy rains and flash flooding in Tennessee on Tuesday, local officials said.

Two adults and one child were killed when a tree fell on their car early Wednesday morning as a result of the storms in East Ridge, near Chattanooga, the Hamilton County Office of Emergency Management and Homeland Security told the BBC.

One person is still missing after first responders saw him being swept away by floodwaters, the office said. Emergency responders are still searching for him and are not sure whether he was able to swim out.

Flash flood warnings are still in effect on Wednesday for many parts of Tennessee, including Knoxville.

Chattanooga Airport saw 6.42 inches (.16 metres) of rain on Tuesday, making it the second wettest day in history since the city began tracking rainfall in 1879, the National Weather Service Office in Morristown said.

Flash flood warnings are still in effect on Wednesday for many parts of Tennessee, including Knoxville.

Rescuers spent hours on Tuesday evening helping residents flee flooded homes and vehicles in Hamilton County, Tennessee, which includes Chattanooga, the local fire department said.

In one incident, firefighters helped six people get out of a van as water was rising from a nearby overflowing creek and the van was nearly swept away, the Chattanooga Fire Department said.

Hamilton County Mayor Weston Wamp declared a local state of emergency because of the flash flooding.