Staff Photo by Gillian Bolsover
Runoff from Tuesday’s rain storm caused the West Chickamauga Creek to flood areas of Camp Jordan Park Thursday.

South Chickamauga Creek flood waters that peaked Thursday morning are returning to normal today and residents, used to the slosh that comes after big rains, say this storm didn’t pack nearly as much punch as years past.

“It’s not nearly as bad as what we saw in 2005,” said Darin Linkins, an employee at Camping World in East Ridge.

That assessment comes even though the RV dealership’s campground was completely underwater Thursday afternoon, and the company’s driveway was bordered on either side by massive ponds of water.

“We have a staff parking lot over there, but now it’s more like Staff Lake,” Mr. Linkins joked.

Data from the National Weather Service shows South Chickamauga Creek crested around 8:45 a.m. Thursday at 23.29 feet. It was expected to recede overnight and be about 17.8 feet by noon today.

The Tennessee River, just east of Veterans Bridge, crested at 4:45 p.m. Thursday at a height of 23.44 feet. Its normal height is around 13 to 14 feet, Weather Service records show. The Tennessee is considered at flood stage when it reaches 18 feet.

The creek was clearly over its banks, flooding the eastern woods alongside Interstate 75 and entering the back lots of businesses on Ringgold Road.

But all and all, residents said, it could be a lot worse. And they should know because flooding is nothing new for the area.

“It’s not the worst we’ve seen, that’s for sure,” said Roger Goff, whose Rossville, Ga., home was threatened by high water over the last few days. “Before I’ve been able to put a boat in from my front porch.”

The Goff’s May Street home is at the end of the roadway considered most likely to flood by the Weather Service. Residents there say they are used to instant lakes forming near them.

But that’s not to say the high water didn’t cause inconvenience. Camping World had to ask a handful of campers to move their RVs elsewhere when it seemed likely the flood waters would creep in. Employees tied picnic tables to the campsite’s trees.

“We had them float away in 2005,” Mr. Linkins said.

Mr. Goff had his wife park her car on higher ground because the dirt road that leads to their home is so mushy only his big Ford F-150 pickup could make it through easily.

“The water will probably be back to normal tomorrow or the next day,” he said. “But then there’s going to be a smell. There’s no telling what’s in that water.”

Jennifer Stines was stuck in the middle of a small pond Thursday when her Dodge minivan shut off as she tried to cross Scruggs Road in East Ridge. The pond that formed across the roadway prompted the city to barricade the road, but Ms. Stines was in a hurry to get her mother to a doctor’s appointment.

“I got halfway through, and then I started floating,” Ms. Stiles said. “I wasn’t trying to drive straight through. I was trying to drive around the edges, but I guess it was too deep.”

EPB reported more 13,000 customers lost power during the heavy rains and high winds, but by Thursday afternoon all but 50 had electricity again, said Lacie Newton, EPB spokeswoman.

Some power lines were knocked out when high winds and heavy rain jostled loose branches. Other lines were snatched when trees in very wet soil toppled over.