Heavy Rain Causes Flash Flooding in Chattanooga

Flash floods swept through southeastern Tennessee on Tuesday, shutting down several roads in the area around Chattanooga as emergency crews rescued people from the waters.

Weston Wamp, the mayor of Hamilton County, which includes Chattanooga, declared a state of emergency shortly before 10 p.m. and asked residents to “exercise extreme caution.”

The National Weather Service had forecast excessive rain concentrated in the southern Appalachian region, particularly the valley where Chattanooga, a low-lying city of 180,000 people, sits along the Tennessee River.

Six inches of rain fell on Tuesday evening at Chattanooga Metropolitan Airport, known as Lovell Field, according to the Weather Service. A flash flood warning was in effect for Hamilton County and neighboring Bradley County until 2:45 a.m. local time.

Photos and videos posted on social media by the Chattanooga Fire Department showed firefighters rescuing people from floating cars and partly submerged homes. A trailer truck was among the vehicles stuck in muddy waters along Interstate 24, which reopened after floodwaters receded, according to Lindsey Rogers, a spokeswoman for the fire department. No injuries have been reported, she said.

Many roads including the Amnicola Highway, which traverses downtown Chattanooga, were still flooded as of 10 p.m. The Hamilton County Sheriff’s Office urged people in a social media post to avoid unnecessary travel.