A family of three was killed outside Chattanooga and emergency crews conducted water rescues as floods swept through Tennessee overnight. More flooding was expected in the eastern part of the state on Wednesday.
After midnight, a large tree fell and crushed the car of a family in East Ridge, a suburb of Chattanooga, said Amy Maxwell, a spokeswoman for the Hamilton County Office of Emergency Management.
“They died on the scene,” she said. “It’s obviously due to the loose soil that caused the tree to fall.”
The National Weather Service issued a new flash flood warning for several counties in east Tennessee on Wednesday morning as thunderstorms were expected to bring additional rainfall to the region.
Six inches of rain fell on Tuesday evening at Chattanooga Metropolitan Airport, known as Lovell Field, according to the Weather Service. Flash flood warnings were 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.
Aimee Ortiz contributed reporting.
Hannah Ziegler is a general assignment reporter for The Times, covering topics such as crime, business, weather, pop culture and online trends.
Francesca Regalado is a Times reporter covering breaking news.
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