Family among four killed in Tennessee floods

First responders worked for hours to try to rescue people trapped in floodwaters

At least four people have died after heavy rains and flash flooding in Tennessee on Tuesday, officials said.

A family of two adults and one child died when a tree fell on their car on Wednesday morning as a result of the storms in East Ridge, near Chattanooga, the Hamilton County Office of Emergency Management and Homeland Security said.

Local officials also found the body of man that they say matches the description of a person last seen by first responders being swept away by floodwaters.

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

Local media identified the family, citing city officials, as Tomas Vicente Lopez, 29, Giomara Epifania Vasquez, 27, and three-year old Emma Vicente.

Chattanooga Mayor Tim Kelly said at a news conference that the man found matched the description of a person who "unfortunately, unwisely manoeuvered around fire department barricades and was swept away by a stream".

He said authorities had not yet identified him.

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

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 an 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.