Falling tree kills parents and child in car as Chattanooga flooding prompts dozens of water rescues
The three were killed when saturated ground caused a large tree to fall in the Chattanooga suburb of East Ridge just after midnight, Hamilton County Office of Emergency Management spokesperson Amy Maxwell said.
A search was also ongoing Wednesday for a man who walked through a flooded road in Chattanooga on Tuesday night but hadn't been seen since, Maxwell said.
The full extent of the damage isn't yet known. County officials planned to tour the damage Wednesday morning, Maxwell said.
Rainfall totals by Wednesday had piled up to more than half a foot in some parts of the Chattanooga metropolitan area, CBS affiliate WDEF reported, adding that flash flooding was widespread.
Flooding prompted dozens of rescues of people stuck in homes and swamped vehicles on Tuesday, including several drivers that became stranded on an interstate highway as the storm ramped up, WDEF reported. According to the station, officials in Catoosa County — just over the border in Georgia — also reported more than 100 evacuations and dozens of rescues from two local apartment complexes due to the weather.
In Hamilton County, which includes Chattanooga, officials shared a video and images on social media that showed first responders rescuing a family in waist-deep water and paddling down flooded streets in rafts in order to reach them. Schools in the county were closed Wednesday.
The region was bracing for more rainfall and flooding Wednesday. Hamilton County Mayor Weston Wamp declared a local state of emergency Tuesday night. Residents were urged to exercise extreme caution.
The National Weather Service issued a flood watch for much of middle Tennessee through Wednesday night, warning of scattered flash flooding with tropical-like heavy rainfall and the possibility of training storms, especially over already saturated areas.
Chattanooga Fire crews rescued people trapped in vehicles and residents stuck in their homes, fire department officials said. Flooding closed parts of Interstate 24 in the area, but it reopened once floodwaters receded.
Swiftwater rescue teams rescued residents of three East Ridge homes trapped by rising floodwaters, according to the Hamilton County Sheriff's Office. Sheriff Austin Garrett said the flooding was more extensive than he had seen before, noting that it is usually concentrated in one area, The Chattanooga Times Free Press reported.
"This is extremely widespread. It made it difficult for us to even get here ourselves to try to help other people," he said. "So no, I've never seen it to this extent, this widespread in so many areas and impacting travel the way it is."
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
5 hours ago
- Yahoo
Pakistan defends flood response after more than 270 people killed
Rescuers recovered dozens more bodies from the rubble of collapsed homes in a north-western district of Pakistan, bringing the death toll to at least 274, as authorities defended their response to the flooding. Heavy rains and flooding also killed dozens of people in neighbouring Kashmir. Mohammad Suhail, a spokesman for Pakistan's emergency service, said 54 bodies were found in Buner, a mountainous area in Khyber Pakhtunkhwa province, where torrential rains and cloudbursts triggered massive flooding on Friday. Mr Suhail said villagers remained missing, and search efforts were focused on areas where homes were flattened by torrents of water that swept down from the mountains, carrying boulders that smashed into houses like explosions. Authorities have warned of more deluges and possible landslides between now and Tuesday, urging local administrations to remain on alert. Higher-than-normal monsoon rains have lashed the country since June 26 and killed more than 600. In India-administered Kashmir, located across Pakistan's north-eastern border, rains triggered more flash floods in two villages in the Kathua district, killing seven people, officials said on Sunday. Rescuers in Chositi village are still looking for dozens of missing people after the area was hit by flash floods last week during an annual Hindu pilgrimage. At least 60 people were killed, and some 150 injured. More than 300 others were rescued. Residents in Buner have accused officials of failing to warn them to evacuate after torrential rain and cloudbursts triggered deadly flooding and landslides. There was no warning broadcast from mosque loudspeakers, a traditional method in remote areas. The government said that while an early warning system was in place, the sudden downpour in Buner was so intense that the deluge struck before residents could be alerted. Lieutenant General Inam Haider, chairman of the national disaster management authority, told a hastily convened news conference in Islamabad that Pakistan was experiencing shifting weather patterns because of climate change. Since the monsoon season began in June, Pakistan has already received 50% more rainfall than in the same period last year, he said. He warned that more intense weather could follow, with heavy rains forecast to continue this month. Some countries have reached out to Islamabad offering help, but Lt Gen Haider said Pakistan had sufficient resources and did not require foreign assistance at this time. Asfandyar Khan Khattak, director-general of the provincial disaster management authority, said there was 'no forecasting system anywhere in the world' that could predict the exact time and location of a cloudburst, a sudden and intense downpour. Idrees Mahsud, a disaster management official, said Pakistan's early warning system used satellite imagery and meteorological data to send alerts to local authorities. These were shared through the media and community leaders. An emergency services spokesman in Buner, Mohammad Sohail, said more than half the damaged roads in the district had reopened by Sunday, allowing vehicles and heavy machinery to reach cut-off villages. Crews were clearing piles of rocks and mud dumped by the floods. They were still using heavy machinery to remove the rubble of collapsed homes after families reported that some of their relatives were missing. Pakistan is highly vulnerable to climate-induced disasters. In 2022, a record-breaking monsoon killed nearly 1,700 people and destroyed millions of homes. The country also suffers regular flash floods and landslides during the monsoon season, which runs from June to September, particularly in the rugged north-west of the country, where villages are often perched on steep slopes and riverbanks. Experts say climate change is intensifying the frequency and severity of such extreme weather events in South Asia. Khalid Khan, a weather expert, said Pakistan produced less than 1% of planet-warming emissions but faced heat waves, heavy rains, glacial outburst floods and now cloudbursts, underscoring how climate change was devastating communities within hours.
CNN
7 hours ago
- CNN
Hurricane hunters fly into eye of Hurricane Erin
Hurricane hunters fly into eye of Hurricane Erin Hurricane hunters with the NOAA flew through the eye of Hurricane Erin after it rapidly intensified into a rare Category 5 hurricane. Erin is expected to continue to fluctuate in intensity as it undergoes an eyewall replacement cycle. 00:37 - Source: CNN Vertical Trending Now 15 videos Hurricane hunters fly into eye of Hurricane Erin Hurricane hunters with the NOAA flew through the eye of Hurricane Erin after it rapidly intensified into a rare Category 5 hurricane. Erin is expected to continue to fluctuate in intensity as it undergoes an eyewall replacement cycle. 00:37 - Source: CNN Canadian government orders end to Air Canada strike After more than 10,000 Air Canada flight attendants went on strike seeking wage increases and paid compensation for work when planes are on the ground, the Canada Industrial Relations Board has ordered them to return to work according to an announcement by Canadian Jobs Minister Patty Hajdu. 01:05 - Source: CNN Spike Lee's Reaction to Trump's Smithsonian Orders 'To roll back the clock' says Director Spike Lee to CNN's Victor Blackwell in response to President Donald Trump's Smithsonian orders. 01:14 - Source: CNN Russian media reacts positively to Trump-Putin Summit Russian state TV gave a positive coverage of the outcome of the Trump-Putin summit in Alaska, celebrating the handshake between the two leaders. Russian officials also stated that the meeting resulted in progress on sanctions and opened up room for future negotiations. CNN's Fred Pleitgen reports. 01:23 - Source: CNN London's toxic trash 'volcano' Arnolds Field landfill on Launders Lane in east London is better known to locals as the 'Rainham volcano.' The site was used as an illegal dump for years and now, every summer, it bursts into flames, sending plumes of acrid smoke over nearby homes, parks and schools. CNN's Laura Paddison speaks to residents who feel abandoned and trapped. 02:05 - Source: CNN Hong Kong twin pandas turn one Giant panda twins Jia Jia and De De celebrated their first birthdays in Hong Kong on Friday. The cubs were born last August to Ying Ying, who became the oldest giant panda on record to give birth. 00:43 - Source: CNN Football player's emotional press conference sparks conversation University of Nebraska freshman punter, Archie Wilson, left his home in Australia to play for the Cornhuskers. During a press conference, a reporter asked Wilson how he was doing being so far away from his family and his emotional reaction sparked a conversation around masculinity. Writer and philosopher Ryan Holiday joined CNN's Boris Sanchez to discuss. 01:29 - Source: CNN McDonald's Japan causes Pokémon food waste frenzy Piles of untouched Happy Meals littered sidewalks outside McDonald's restaurants in Japan over the weekend, as frenzied customers scrambled to buy limited-edition sets with Pokémon cards. CNN International Correspondent Hanako Montgomery has the story. 00:55 - Source: CNN Taylor Swift unveils album details on boyfriend Travis Kelce's podcast Taylor Swift announced her 12th studio album 'The Life of a Showgirl' will be released on October 3rd. Swift made an appearance on the podcast 'New Heights,' hosted by her boyfriend Travis Kelce and his brother Jason Kelce where they discussed the album 00:48 - Source: CNN Taylor Swift jokes about male sports fans in new teaser video A new teaser for the highly anticipated podcast featuring Taylor Swift, Travis Kelce and Jason Kelce was just released. In the new clip, Swift jokes about male sports fans who have criticized her appearance on NFL broadcasts of Kansas City Chiefs games. 00:43 - Source: CNN Beyoncé wins her first Emmy Beyoncé won her first Emmy for the "Beyoncé Bowl" halftime show during a Christmas NFL game that aired on Netflix, which takes her halfway to an EGOT. 00:26 - Source: CNN Did Taylor Swift drop another Easter egg? Taylor Swift announced her newest album "The Life of a Showgirl" on Travis and Jason Kelce's podcast "New Heights." CNN's Lisa France reports that the announcement could reveal hints about the future of Travis and Taylor's relationship. 00:55 - Source: CNN Meet the winner of 2025's World's Ugliest Dog Contest The World's Ugliest Dog Contest named Petunia, a hairless bulldog, the winner of this year's competition in California on Friday. The prize was $5,000 and a merchandise deal with Mug Root Beer. 00:30 - Source: CNN A relic of the 90s and early 2000s, AOL ending its dial-up internet service AOL, an internet pioneer that brought millions of Americans online for the first time, is discontinuing its dial-up service next month. AOL posted a statement saying it 'routinely evaluates its products and has decided to discontinue Dial-up Internet' on September 30, ending more than three decades of operations. 00:33 - Source: CNN Masked thieves steal $7,000 worth of Labubu dolls Masked thieves stole about $7,000 worth of Labubu dolls from a Los Angeles-area store on Wednesday, according to the Associated Press. The Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department are investigating the incident. 00:44 - Source: CNN
CBS News
7 hours ago
- CBS News
Extreme heat continues as chances for rain, storms increase this week across North Texas
Another above-average day is on tap for North Texas. High temperatures this time of the year typically are around 96 degrees, but most of the area will reach into the upper 90s on Sunday. The moist airmass over the region will make the feel-like temperature increase, ranging from 100 to 107 degrees in the afternoon. Hence, the National Weather Service has issued another Heat Advisory for dangerously hot temperatures until 8 p.m. The heat combined with the moisture and the moderately unstable environment will promote the chance of a few isolated storms. Cities to the west and the east have the highest potential for activity. An active forecast is expected this next week with daily storm opportunities. Monday and Tuesday, a few storms will be possible, but Wednesday through Friday, the rain chances increase. A cold front will drape across North Texas starting Wednesday. As of now, no severe weather is expected. However, any storm that does initiate has the potential for strong winds, heavy rain and frequent lightning. The cold front will also usher in cooler temperatures by the end of the week.
