Almost 7 inches of rain fell in a short time period Tuesday evening around East Ridge and northwest Georgia, causing enough flooding to close Interstate 24 and dozens of roads across Hamilton County.
The event forced Mayor Weston Wamp to declare a “State of Emergency.”
Overwhelmed waterways caused widespread flash flooding throughout East Ridge and the surrounding areas in Hamilton County. Major corridors, including I-24, Brainerd Road, Bonny Oaks Drive, and SR 153, were impacted as Spring Creek rose above its banks, flooding adjacent roadways.
Saturated ground caused a large tree to fall on a car in East Ridge early Wednesday morning, killing a child and two people who were inside.
East Ridge Assistant Chief of Police Josh Creel says the car was heading northbound on South Moore Road when the tree fell on the vehicle.
Chattanooga Fire Department officials say the search for a man who was swept away by floodwaters in East Brainerd on Tuesday has ended after his body was found. This brings the death total to four.
In a positive story, a man identified as Troy Plemmons, was able to rescue a woman from a vehicle on Interstate 24. The man apparently jumped into the quick moving water, knocked out a window with a rock and pulled the female to safety. See the video shot by provided by Andy Stout.
Flooding in Northwest Georgia:
