Flooding forces evacuations in Chattanooga area

Fort Oglethorpe Fire and Rescue members evacuate residents from Battlewood Apartments after heavy rain flooded parts of the complex and forced a shut off of electricity to the complex.

As the water began to rise above Joy Medford’s neighbor’s tires and past the bumpers Monday afternoon, she knew it was time to leave her Fort Oglethorpe apartment.

With a baby on one hip, bags in the other hand and a 5-year-old and an 8-year-old running through the knee-deep water covering the complex parking lot, Medford was able to evacuate before the water was too high.

“I didn’t want to take any chances,” she said.