Latest news with #WestonWamp
The Guardian
5 days ago
- Climate
- The Guardian
Flash flooding leaves at least three dead in Tennessee
Flash flooding and torrential rain has cost at least three lives in Tennessee on Wednesday and caused havoc on the roads around Chattanooga, as the county mayor declared a state of emergency. A tree uprooted from saturated ground and fell on a family in their car early on Wednesday morning, in East Ridge, on the outskirts of Chattanooga, killing a child and two adults, according to authorities in the area. Almost seven inches of rain was dumped on the Hamilton county area on Tuesday night, closing an interstate highway and prompting the county mayor, Weston Wamp, to announce a state of emergency that remained in effect on Wednesday morning. A man was also missing after emergency officials saw him being swept away by floodwaters in the Chattanooga area on Tuesday night but were unable to reach him despite searching for him with a rescue boat. Chattanooga's mayor, Tim Kelly, said on morning TV in Tennessee that 'we have got more rain coming' and warned the public not to drive into floodwaters. People became stranded in their cars and homes overnight after the flash flooding hit. Fire department responders rescued several people from vehicles that were in danger of being swept away as floodwaters swamped roads. 'Firefighters spent hours checking sunken cars for any trapped people. This was a large coordinated response effort by city, county and state agencies as flash flooding caused dangerous situations in Chattanooga,' the fire department said and NBC reported. Sheriffs deputies rescued some residents trapped in their homes in the East Ridge area as the waters rose, helping people into inflatable rescue boats.
Yahoo
5 days ago
- Climate
- Yahoo
3 dead, 1 missing as flooding in southern Tennessee prompts Chattanooga to declare state of emergency
CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. – Three people have been killed, and one person remains missing after severe weather and flooding slammed the Chattanooga area in Tennessee on Tuesday night and Wednesday morning. According to the Hamilton County Office of Emergency Management and Homeland Security, saturated ground from storms caused a large tree to fall on a car in the 1100 block of South Moore Road in East Ridge early Wednesday morning, killing two adults and a child. Chattanooga officials said search efforts are continuing for a man last seen in floodwaters on East Brainerd Road on Tuesday night. How To Watch Fox Weather Weston Wamp, the mayor of Hamilton County, Tennessee, declared a state of emergency on Tuesday evening as emergency workers conducted water rescues and floodwaters inundated dozens of roads. Wamp said Wednesday that he met with Office of Emergency Management officials and East Ridge first responders to survey flood damage and to discuss the next steps in response and recovery. More than 6 inches of rain fell in Chattanooga on Tuesday, according to the National Weather Service, the city's second-wettest day on record, as thunderstorms dropped heavy rain ahead of a cold-front that moved through the region. Download The Fox Weather App The Chattanooga Fire Department reported conducting numerous rescues, including pulling stranded drivers from vehicles and assisting residents trapped inside homes as water levels rose rapidly. One of the hardest-hit areas appeared to be along Interstate 24 southeast of Chattanooga, where floodwaters several feet deep forced crews to close the highway in both directions. Emergency managers said at least one storm shelter was opened at a local recreation center to assist residents displaced by the flooding. "Turn around, don't drown when encountering flooded roads," the NWS said in its Flash Flood Warning bulletin. "Most flood deaths occur in vehicles. Move to higher ground now. Act quickly to protect your life." First responders urged drivers to avoid flooded roadways, especially during nightfall when water depths are harder to gauge. Just 6 inches of moving water can knock an adult off their feet, while a foot of floodwater can cause most vehicles to stall and even be carried away. The FOX Forecast Center attributed the deluge to abundant moisture streaming northward from the Gulf, combined with the hilly terrain of the southern Appalachian region, which can enhance convection. Know Your Flood Terminology: What Flood Watches, Warnings And Emergencies Really Mean The storms responsible for Tuesday's flooding were part of a broader unsettled pattern across the Southeast that is expected to persist for a few more days. More periods of heavy thunderstorms are expected Wednesday, according to the NWS office in Morristown. A flood watch remains in effect through Wednesday for parts of southwest North Carolina and eastern Tennessee. Once the precipitation departs, forecasters expect temperatures to climb, with highs reaching the 90s and heat indexes approaching 100 article source: 3 dead, 1 missing as flooding in southern Tennessee prompts Chattanooga to declare state of emergency
The Guardian
5 days ago
- Climate
- The Guardian
Flash flooding leaves at least three dead in Tennessee
Flash flooding and torrential rain has cost at least three lives in Tennessee on Wednesday and caused havoc on the roads around Chattanooga, as the county mayor declared a state of emergency. A tree uprooted from saturated ground and fell on a family in their car early on Wednesday morning, in East Ridge, on the outskirts of Chattanooga, killing a child and two adults, according to authorities in the area. Almost seven inches of rain was dumped on the Hamilton county area on Tuesday night, closing an interstate highway and prompting the county mayor, Weston Wamp, to announce a state of emergency that remained in effect on Wednesday morning. A man was also missing after emergency officials saw him being swept away by floodwaters in the Chattanooga area on Tuesday night but were unable to reach him despite searching for him with a rescue boat. Chattanooga's mayor, Tim Kelly, said on morning TV in Tennessee that 'we have got more rain coming' and warned the public not to drive into floodwaters. People became stranded in their cars and homes overnight after the flash flooding hit. Fire department responders rescued several people from vehicles that were in danger of being swept away as floodwaters swamped roads. 'Firefighters spent hours checking sunken cars for any trapped people. This was a large coordinated response effort by city, county and state agencies as flash flooding caused dangerous situations in Chattanooga,' the fire department said and NBC reported. Sheriffs deputies rescued some residents trapped in their homes in the East Ridge area as the waters rose, helping people into inflatable rescue boats.
Daily Mail
6 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.
CTV News
6 days ago
- Climate
- CTV News
Parents and child killed when tree falls on car amid heavy rain, flooding in Tennessee
CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. — A mother, father and child were killed when a tree fell on their car amid 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 by telephone. The full extent of the damage isn't yet known, Maxwell said. County officials will tour the damage in the East Ridge area on Wednesday morning, she said. The flooding prompted rescues of people stuck in homes and swamped vehicles on Tuesday, and the region was bracing for more rainfall and flooding Wednesday. Hamilton County Mayor Weston Wamp declared a local state of emergency Tuesday night as first responders responded to flash flooding and urged people 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 motorists 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.' The Associated Press
