Some East Ridge, Tennessee, residents were forced to leave their homes in the area of Swope Drive by rising flood waters early Tuesday morning, a day after violent storms and at least one tornado ripped through the region.
The storms brought heavy rain and killed at least 10 people in Southeast Tennessee and North Georgia. Much of East Ridge was spared the brunt of the tornado, but the rains caused minor flooding Sunday night into Monday morning. By Tuesday morning, the floodwaters had risen to at least 4 or 5 feet in some areas.
Damage assessments hadn’t yet begun in East Ridge, so it’s unclear how badly some homes are affected. But the financial burden is heavy for those already taking a hit from job losses brought on by the coronavirus pandemic.
Scottie Pack was one of those evacuated.
“It came up quick, that water,” he said. “The funny thing is [the creek] came up yesterday like it normally does and then it went away. And then all of a sudden it started coming back.”