Latest news with #EastRidge
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Climate
- Yahoo
Whirlpool engulfs cars as deadly floods strike Tennessee
On August 12, 2025, severe floods hit Tennessee after heavy rainfall, creating dangerous whirlpools. Footage from East Ridge shows a car nearly submerged in swirling floodwaters. Three people were killed, and one remains missing as rescues continue across the region.
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.
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.
Daily Mail
5 days ago
- Climate
- Daily Mail
Three people, including a child, are crushed to death by falling tree as catastrophic flooding wrecks Tennessee
A falling tree killed three people, including one child, as disastrous flooding wrecked Tennessee overnight. The tree crushed a car with three passengers inside in East Ridge - about 15 minutes outside of Chattanooga - early Wednesday morning. Nearly seven inches of rain fell Tuesday evening, leading to catastrophic flooding in the area. Hamilton County Mayor Weston Wamp declared a state of emergency just before 8am Wednesday and will remain in effect until 9.30pm. Schools in the county are also closed along with several roadways, including I-24, due to the heavy rainfall.
Yahoo
23-05-2025
- Yahoo
Woodbury: East Ridge teacher on leave following report of racial slur
A female teacher at East Ridge High School in Woodbury was placed on administrative leave Thursday after she reportedly repeatedly used a racial slur while talking with students, officials said. The teacher was 'immediately walked out of the building' after students reported the staff member had used the slur, said Shawn Hogendorf, a spokesman for South Washington County Schools. The teacher, who was not identified, was placed on administrative leave pending the outcome of the investigation, he said. In a letter sent to families, Principal Jim Smokrovich wrote that he received a report Thursday morning that the staff member used a racial slur 'while discussing inappropriate comments a student was making toward other students.' The staff member 'repeated the racial slur multiple times during the conversation,' Smokrovich wrote. 'As soon as we were made aware of this situation, we met with the students who reported what they heard the staff member say, and connected with their families,' he wrote. 'Understandably, the students were upset by the use of the racial slur. We are grateful to the students who were brave enough to bring this forward and to support our East Ridge values.' Staff are available to meet with students if they are 'in need of additional support to process this incident,' he wrote. East Ridge 'does not tolerate derogatory, discriminatory or racist language,' he wrote. 'As educators, we must be held to the highest possible standard. I offer my sincere apology for the actions that took place in our school.' Officials in the school district last fall banned a substitute teacher from its classrooms after he allegedly reenacted George Floyd's murder during classes at Woodbury High School. Meanwhile, the South Washington County school board on Thursday night voted 5-2 to update the district's racial equity and inclusion policy to remove duplications and clarify definitions and language. Board members Ryan Clarke and Eric Tessner dissented. The rewritten policy states that district administrators will 'condemn hate speech and expressions of racism, xenophobia, discrimination and ethnic or racial intolerance.' Hate speech is defined in the policy as speech that either disparages, demeans, targets, 'threatens or harasses a person or group based on protected class status.' Inmate rights groups demand say in Stillwater prison closure plan Pioneer Press 2025 patio guide: Wring every second out of summer at these 100+ Twin Cities spots Pioneer Press 2025 patio guide: Along the water and scenic spots Truck driver tells trooper he was distracted by map before Washington County fatal crash Woodbury officials seek info on rug connected to house fire
