Hamilton County residents got their first glimpse of blue skies and a bright sun Tuesday after seven days of pelting rains and the gloom that came with it.
"I got to roll down my windows today and let back the sunroof. It's been really nice," said Lookout Valley resident Jordan Santos.
Nearly 10 inches of rain fell on the area over the last eight days, prompting floods, street closures and two flood-related deaths.
Even for residents whose homes weren't in the path of flood waters, the storm had an impact.
"It's a little overwhelming when you are seeing everything about the flooding in the area," said Nicole Chandler, of Wildwood, Ga. "It makes it harder to get up in the morning, that's for sure."
Tuesday's daytime weather was at least pleasant, though more rain was expected overnight. The sunny-with-a-mix-of-showers forecast will stick around until Saturday, when a cool front is supposed to sweep into the area and bring more rain.
"But that will set the stage for a drying pattern," said David Glenn, NewsChannel 9 WTVC-TV chief meteorologist.
Even the rain that comes between now and Saturday won't further complicate the already flood-soaked areas, Mr. Glenn predicted.
However, it will feel a bit odd outside, he said.
"Even though fall has begun, it's going to be extremely muggy," Mr. Glenn said. "It's going to feel like summertime because of all the ground moisture evaporating."
And mornings will feature plenty of fog, he said, a consideration for early-morning commuters.
Aside from that, flood waters that hit nearly 28.5 feet in Chickamauga Creek Tuesday will recede quickly today, he said.
"We're going to see a rapid drop down," Mr. Glenn said.
Adam Crisp covers education issues for the Times Free Press. He joined the paper's staff in 2007 and initially covered crime, public safety, courts and general assignment topics. Prior to Chattanooga, Crisp was a crime reporter at the Savannah Morning News and has been a reporter and editor at community newspapers in southeast Georgia. In college, he led his student paper to a first-place general excellence award from the Georgia College Press Association. He earned ...
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