Historic flooding hit Chattanooga, Tennessee on Tuesday, August 12th, leaving three people dead and one person missing after hours of heavy rainfall and fast-moving water across the area.
The facts: The Chattanooga Airport got 6.42 inches of rain, making it the city’s second wettest day since the 1800s. Floodwaters closed parts of Interstate 24. Dramatic video from the Chattanooga Fire Department showed both passenger vehicles and semi trucks pushing through deep water on the highway.
- Two adults and one child died when a tree fell on their car during the storm.
- One man is still missing after getting swept away by rushing water while emergency crews watched, and the search continued Wednesday morning.
- First responders saved multiple people, including six from a van that was nearly carried off by a creek at Davidson Road and Gunbarrel Road.
- Rescue crews also moved families out of homes surrounded by rising water in East Ridge using inflatable boats.
Trucking played a key role in rescue efforts and in keeping supplies moving even as sections of I-24 flooded.
By the numbers: Water started to recede early Wednesday and Interstate 24 was back open just after midnight, according to NBC News.
As of Wednesday, flood warnings remain up in some areas, and meteorologists are watching for more storms that could bring new flash flooding to Tennessee and nearby states.