GRAINGER COUNTY — Mary Evelyn Nicole Manning-Kellione, 39, died in Grainger County, Tennessee, on a Sunday morning while attempting to rescue her son from high floodwaters. The Grainger County Sheriff's Office confirmed the details of the incident, stating that Manning-Kellione saw her son get swept into a culvert and entered the water to save him. Her son was swept through the culvert to the other side, but Manning-Kellione became stuck in the culvert and drowned.

The Grainger County Sheriff's Office stated, "The son was able to surface at the other end and came to safety when he realized his mother was in the water." The law enforcement agency further noted, "Rescue personnel located the individual lodged inside the culvert."

Recent flooding in Tennessee and Kentucky resulted in at least five reported deaths, with at least four occurring in Kentucky. The National Weather Service prediction center upgraded the flood threat for parts of Kentucky and Tennessee to a level three out of four on Sunday, describing it as a "moderate risk." Meteorologists warned that rainfall rates could reach 2 to 3 inches per hour, with daily totals potentially reaching up to 5 inches in some areas.

Kentucky Governor Andy Beshear stated that nine counties in his state had declared states of emergency. Beshear said some counties received record or near-record amounts of rain in brief periods and advised residents to avoid roads. He described the damage, saying, "Bridges have been wiped out, entire roads have been wiped away and there is still standing and moving water." Beshear also warned businesses against price-gouging, signed an order allowing pharmacies in affected areas to replace prescriptions lost or rendered unsafe, and asked the public to join him and his wife in prayer for families impacted by the flooding.