The Tennessean's coverage of Waverly floods named finalist in 2021 Scripps Howard awards

Molly Davis, Nashville Tennessean
·1 min read

The Scripps Howard Foundation announced the finalists for the 69th Scripps Howard Awards Thursday, naming The Tennessean as one of three finalists in the "Excellence in Coverage of Breaking News" category for "The Floods of Waverly."

The 2021 judges selected the finalists in 15 categories from more than 800 total entries. The winners will be announced during a June 12 broadcast on Newsy, the national news network owned by The E.W. Scripps Company.

A flooded car and debris rest in Trace Creek Monday, Aug. 23, 2021 in Waverly, Tenn. As much as 17 inches of rain hit Humphreys County Saturday, causing flood waters to surge throughout the area killing at least 18 people.
A flooded car and debris rest in Trace Creek Monday, Aug. 23, 2021 in Waverly, Tenn. As much as 17 inches of rain hit Humphreys County Saturday, causing flood waters to surge throughout the area killing at least 18 people.

Twenty people were killed after floodwaters overtook parts of Waverly in late August, 2021. The Tennessean wrote scores of stories and captured hundreds of images in the immediate aftermath of the disaster. In the months since, journalists have followed Waverly's struggles to cope and rebound.

“This is especially meaningful for our newsroom as virtually every one of our journalists contributed,” said Michael A. Anastasi, The Tennessean’s editor and vice president. “The community of Waverly and Tennesseans deserved nothing less. And we haven’t walked away, either. We continue to chronicle recovery, challenge and everyday heroes in Waverly.”

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The other finalists in the breaking news category are the Houston Chronicle for "Astroworld" and NBC News for Richard Engel's Reporting on the "Taliban's Takeover of Afghanistan."

The Scripps Howard awards are among the most prestigious recognitions in journalism. The Scripps Howard Foundation is a philanthropic organization with a focus on journalism and education affiliated with The E.W. Scripps Company.

"The Scripps Howard Awards showcase incredible, life-changing journalism," said Liz Carter, president and CEO of the Scripps Howard Foundation. "This year's show will take the American public behind the scenes with some of our nation's most dedicated journalists and up close with the people impacted by their work. It will be a night to remember."

Reach reporter Molly Davis at mdavis2@gannett.com or on Twitter @mollym_davis.

This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: The Tennessean a finalist for Waverly flood coverage