In Chattanooga, Tennessee, severe flooding has claimed three lives and prompted numerous rescues across the region.
A family of three (mother, father, and child) perished when a large tree, its roots weakened by saturated ground, toppled onto their vehicle just after midnight in East Ridge, a suburb of Chattanooga. This information comes to us from Amy Maxwell, spokesperson for the Hamilton County Office of Emergency Management.
The situation remains fluid, with search efforts underway for a man last seen walking through floodwaters in Chattanooga on Tuesday evening. His fate remains unknown at this hour.
Rainfall totals have exceeded six inches in parts of the Chattanooga metropolitan area, leading to widespread flash flooding. Local authorities report dozens of water rescues, including stranded motorists on interstate highways and residents trapped in flooded homes.
In neighboring Catoosa County, Georgia, officials indicate more than 100 evacuations and numerous rescues from two apartment complexes. Hamilton County emergency services have shared visual evidence of first responders navigating waist-deep waters to reach affected families.
Hamilton County Mayor Weston Wamp has declared a local state of emergency. The National Weather Service maintains a flood watch for much of middle Tennessee, warning of the potential for additional heavy rainfall and flash flooding, particularly in areas already saturated.
This development follows earlier reports of widespread road closures, including temporary shutdowns on Interstate 24. Local officials, including Sheriff Austin Garrett, describe the flooding as unusually extensive, impacting travel and rescue efforts across a wide area.
The evidence suggests that this flooding event is of a magnitude rarely seen in the region. As the situation continues to evolve, residents are urged to exercise extreme caution and heed all warnings from local authorities.
