Latest news with #AmyMaxwell
CBC
5 days ago
- Climate
- CBC
3 Tennessee family members killed by falling tree as area deluged with flash flooding
A mother, father and child were killed when a tree fell on their car during heavy rain and flooding in Tennessee, where submerged roads also led to dramatic rescues of people trapped in their cars, authorities said. 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 Wednesday. Additionally, authorities found a body Wednesday while searching for a man who was swept away when he ran past firefighters and a barricade blocking a flooded road on Tuesday, according to the Chattanooga Fire Department. The local police and medical examiner will determine the cause of death. The flooding prompted rescues of people stuck in homes and swamped vehicles. At a news conference Wednesday, officials said they didn't expect so much rain and flooding to hit so quickly. Chattanooga's airport recorded about 16 centimetres of rain Tuesday, marking the second-wettest day recorded for the city dating back to 1879, according to a social media post by the National Weather Service in Morristown. 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 the water receded. Swift-water rescue teams rescued residents of three East Ridge homes trapped by rising floodwaters, according to the Hamilton County Sheriff's Office. At one point, there were 60 vehicles on the flooded interstate, said Chris Adams, director of emergency management for Hamilton County. Some first responders were carrying people on their backs who couldn't move well through the water, placing them on the raised highway divider, Adams added. "We all know to 'turn around, not drown,' but when you look at it, and it's two inches deep, and then next thing you know it's four feet deep, that's something you've never seen before," Adams said. There were so many calls for help that 911 calls were "holding in every minute of every hour for about three hours straight," with more than 940 calls between 6 p.m. and midnight, said Barbara Loveless, director of operations for Hamilton County 911. Dramatic rescue of motorist Troy Plemons, a communications systems technician for EPB, Chattanooga's electricity and telecommunications utility, said he was stuck in traffic on an interstate in his bucket truck for two to three hours Tuesday evening. Plemons said he saw the floodwaters lift an SUV, and when he and two Lawson Electric workers encouraged a woman inside to get out, she threw up her hands because she didn't know if she could. Plemons moved to the bed of a truck next to him to try to get closer, but the water was rising to her chest. "I didn't think there was any time," he said. "I tried my best." Plemons said the water was reaching neck level for the woman in the SUV when he used a boring bit offered by the Lawson Electric workers to break the window and help the woman get out. "It was a rush, for sure. I felt like I was pretty calm until I broke the window," Plemons said. "I was doing everything I could to get her out because the water was rising pretty quick." There were several rescues of people whose cars were overwhelmed by water in the area until the water receded about two to three hours later and traffic began to move again, Plemons said. "I felt like I was there at the right time," he said. "I'm thankful I was there to help that lady." Lawson Electric said its workers, Austin Camp and Brandon Shadwick, co-ordinated for hours with Plemons, as well as authorities to help move between 25 and 35 people. "From babies to seniors, we just kept moving. We didn't talk to each other," Shadwick said in a news release. "We just worked as hard and as fast as we could to move people to safety." WATCH l What went wrong in July's deadly flash flooding in Texas: Texas flash flooding: How the warnings failed 1 month ago Catastrophic floods in Texas have killed more than 100 people. Andrew Chang gives a timeline of the floods to explain why the warning systems in place may not have been enough. Plus, U.S. debt is more than $36 trillion. But is that an actual problem? Anderson Stout watched it unfold from his truck. "As soon as he pulled her out of that vehicle, I'm not joking, in maybe three minutes, her vehicle was almost completely submerged under the water," Stout said.
Euronews
5 days ago
- Climate
- Euronews
Heavy rain and flooding in Tennessee kill at least four
At least four people were killed during heavy rain and flooding in Tennessee, as submerged roads caused chaos and led to dramatic rescues of people trapped in their cars, authorities said Wednesday. A family of 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. Authorities said they found another body on Wednesday while searching for a man who was swept away when he ran past firefighters and a barricade blocking a flooded road on Tuesday, according to the Chattanooga Fire Department. Local police and a medical examiner are expected to determine the cause of death, US media reported. At a news conference on Wednesday, officials said they did not expect so much rain and flooding to hit so quickly. At one point, there were 60 vehicles on the flooded interstate, said Chris Adams, director of emergency management for Hamilton County. Some first responders were carrying people on their backs who couldn't move well through the water and placed them on the raised highway divider, Adams added. 'We all know to 'turn around, not drown,' but when you look at it and it's 2 inches deep, and then next thing you know it's 4 feet deep, that's something you've never seen before,' Adams said. The flooding prompted rescues of people stuck in homes and swamped vehicles, officials said. Some 6 million people were under a flood watch through Wednesday night, according to the US National Weather Service, which also warned of the potential for training storms, particularly over already saturated terrain, and sporadic flash flooding with tropical-like heavy rains. Heavy rain triggers floods across US Chattanooga's airport recorded more than 16 centimetres of rain Tuesday, marking the second-wettest day since 1879, according to a social media post by the National Weather Service in Morristown. The highest single-day total reached nearly 24 centimetres in September 2011 after the remnants of Tropical Storm Lee struck Chattanooga, the weather service said. Chattanooga Fire Department officials said their crews had to rescue people trapped in vehicles and residents stuck in their homes. Although flooding closed parts of Interstate 24 in the area, it reopened once floodwaters receded, authorities said. This summer, parts of the US are experiencing more frequent flash flooding, as record-breaking rains hit some regions, a phenomenon that scientists attribute to climate change caused by pollution from fossil fuels. Last month, the US National Weather Service had already issued over 3,600 flash flood warnings nationwide, nearly equal to its annual average. And according to the latest weather forecasts, several areas of the US will see pockets of severe thunderstorms during the weekend, increasing the possibility of lightning, gusty winds, and flash flooding.
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Climate
- Yahoo
Family of 3 killed in US state of Tennessee as heavy rains and flash floods wreak havoc
At least three people from the same family were among those killed during heavy rain and flooding in Tennessee, as submerged roads caused chaos and led to dramatic rescues of people trapped in their cars, authorities said Wednesday. The three, a mother, father, and child, 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. Authorities said they found another body on Wednesday while searching for a man who was swept away when he ran past firefighters and a barricade blocking a flooded road on Tuesday, according to the Chattanooga Fire Department. Local police and a medical examiner are expected to determine the cause of death, US media reported. People were stuck in vehicles and homes At a news conference on Wednesday, officials said they didn't expect so much rain and flooding to hit so quickly. At one point, there were 60 vehicles on the flooded interstate, said Chris Adams, director of emergency management for Hamilton County. Some first responders were carrying people on their backs who couldn't move well through the water and placed them on the raised highway divider, Adams added. 'We all know to 'turn around, not drown,' but when you look at it and it's 2 inches deep, and then next thing you know it's 4 feet deep, that's something you've never seen before,' Adams said. The flooding prompted rescues of people stuck in homes and swamped vehicles, officials said. Some six million people were under a flood watch through Wednesday night, according to the National Weather Service, which also warned of the potential for training storms, particularly over already saturated terrain, and sporadic flash flooding with tropical-like heavy rains. Heavy rains triggering floods across US Chattanooga's airport recorded more than 6.4 inches (about 16 centimetres of rain Tuesday, marking the second-wettest day recorded for the city dating back to 1879, according to a social media post by the National Weather Service in Morristown. The highest single-day total was nearly 9.5 inches (24 centimetres) in September 2011 from the remnants of Tropical Storm Lee, the weather service said. Chattanooga Fire Department officials said their crews had to rescue people trapped in vehicles and residents stuck in their homes. Although flooding closed parts of Interstate 24 in the area, it reopened once floodwaters receded, authorities said. Related Heatwaves, floods and sea level rise: UK weather extremes are increasing, Met Office confirms Two people dead, 10 others injured in explosion at US Steel plant in Pennsylvania This summer, parts of the US are seeing more flash flooding, as record-breaking rains pour in some regions, something scientists attribute to climate change brought on by pollution from fossil fuels. Last month, the US National Weather Service had already issued over 3,600 flash flood warnings nationwide, nearly equal to its annual average. And according to the latest weather forecasts, several areas of the US will see pockets of severe thunderstorms during the weekend, increasing the possibility of lightning, gusty winds, and flash flooding.
Euronews
5 days ago
- Climate
- Euronews
At least three people dead in US state of Tennessee flash floods
At least three people from the same family were among those killed during heavy rain and flooding in Tennessee, as submerged roads caused chaos and led to dramatic rescues of people trapped in their cars, authorities said Wednesday. The three, a mother, father, and child, 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. Authorities said they found another body on Wednesday while searching for a man who was swept away when he ran past firefighters and a barricade blocking a flooded road on Tuesday, according to the Chattanooga Fire Department. Local police and a medical examiner are expected to determine the cause of death, US media reported. People were stuck in vehicles and homes At a news conference on Wednesday, officials said they didn't expect so much rain and flooding to hit so quickly. At one point, there were 60 vehicles on the flooded interstate, said Chris Adams, director of emergency management for Hamilton County. Some first responders were carrying people on their backs who couldn't move well through the water and placed them on the raised highway divider, Adams added. 'We all know to 'turn around, not drown,' but when you look at it and it's 2 inches deep, and then next thing you know it's 4 feet deep, that's something you've never seen before,' Adams said. The flooding prompted rescues of people stuck in homes and swamped vehicles, officials said. Some six million people were under a flood watch through Wednesday night, according to the National Weather Service, which also warned of the potential for training storms, particularly over already saturated terrain, and sporadic flash flooding with tropical-like heavy rains. Heavy rains triggering floods across US Chattanooga's airport recorded more than 6.4 inches (about 16 centimetres) of rain Tuesday, marking the second-wettest day recorded for the city dating back to 1879, according to a social media post by the National Weather Service in Morristown. The highest single-day total was nearly 9.5 inches (24 centimetres) in September 2011 from the remnants of Tropical Storm Lee, the weather service said. Chattanooga Fire Department officials said their crews had to rescue people trapped in vehicles and residents stuck in their homes. Although flooding closed parts of Interstate 24 in the area, it reopened once floodwaters receded, authorities said. This summer, parts of the US are seeing more flash flooding, as record-breaking rains pour in some regions, something scientists attribute to climate change brought on by pollution from fossil fuels. According to weather forecasts, several areas of the United States will see pockets of severe thunderstorms during the weekend, increasing the possibility of lightning, gusty winds, and flash flooding.
CBS News
5 days ago
- Climate
- CBS News
Falling tree kills parents and child in car as Chattanooga flooding prompts dozens of water rescues
A mother, father and child were killed when a tree fell on their car during heavy rain and flooding in Tennessee, an official said Wednesday. 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."
