Event narrative (NOAA)
Mr. Ritenour and Mrs. Linda Ritenour became surrounded by high water while Mr. Ritenour was driving a Chevrolet Suburban across a low bridge on their property, which is approximately two miles west of State Route 49 between Tennessee Ridge and Dover, along Upper Alsup Road. A neighbor saw the couple's predicament and alerted another neighbor, Steve Zywicki, who rushed to the scene to help. Mr. Ritenour tried to throw a rope to his neighbor, who could not quite reach it and was swept away. Mr. and Mrs. Ritenour, along with the Suburban, were swept away also. The Suburban was carried at least one half mile downstream from the low bridge. Mr. Ritenour survived after he managed to reach safety on one of the banks of the roaring creek. Both Linda Ritenour and Steve Zywicki drowned as a result o
Other notable flood events in Tennessee
Source: NOAA/NCEI Storm Events Database. Deaths and injuries are those NOAA classifies as direct. Damage is the reporting office's estimate at the time and is not inflation-adjusted. This is a catalogue record, not a forecast.