Traffic flowed freely on Wednesday following a deluge that turned Chattanooga’s Interstate 75/Interstate 24 interchange into a muddy lake peppered with stalled vehicles.
State officials and construction crews on the $161 million split project are checking for flooding impacts, according to Rae Anne Bradley, spokesperson for the Tennessee Department of Transportation. Officials focused on the area of McBrien, South Moore and Spring Creek roads.
“No significant damage has been identified,” Bradley said in an email. “Minor erosion occurred in a few spots, which is typical during heavy rain, and the contractor will regrade the area. This is a routine fix and will not affect the project’s schedule or budget. While we can’t speak to the specifics of the contractor’s insurance coverage, this event is not expected to raise any insurance-related concerns.”
Hamilton County authorities reported that three people, two adults and a child, died when a large tree fell on the car they were in around the 1100 block of South Moore Road, a Chattanooga Fire Department press release said.
First responders in Chattanooga also located a deceased individual on Wednesday afternoon while searching for a man who was swept away by floodwaters Tuesday, bringing the flooding death count to four, officials said.
(READ MORE: Yes, deadly floods are possible in Chattanooga)
Lanes on I-24, the hardest hit portion of the project, were reopened on the eastbound side late Tuesday, and the westbound side was reopened to traffic a couple of hours later, Bradley said Tuesday night in social media posts. Crews worked with law enforcement and emergency responders to remove trapped and stalled vehicles and clear debris.
The National Weather Service reports Chattanooga got 6.4 inches of rain Tuesday, and more rain is predicted for Wednesday.
“You guys got hit hard yesterday,” weather service meteorologist David Hotz said by phone. “That’s actually the second-highest one-day rainfall total in Chattanooga.”
The most rain to hit Chattanooga happened on Sept. 5, 2011, when 9.49 inches of rain was dumped on the city, Hotz said.
“Honestly, when we had the 9.49 inches, that was from a tropical system,” Hotz said. “If you think of a non-tropical system, this was the highest ever. How much rainfall is important, but actually what’s even more important is how fast it comes down.”
The majority of the rain fell in a couple of hours, he said.
“This is really due to tropical moisture that’s been pulled up all the way from the Gulf into the Southeastern Tennessee Valley,” Hotz said. “We had some energy coming up from the Gulf, and it just focused right there on top of Chattanooga and around the Ringgold area of Georgia, and that’s where it just kind of dumped.”
(SIGN UP: Get breaking news in your inbox as it happens by going to timesfreepress.com/breaking)
Amy Maxwell, public information officer with Hamilton County Office of Emergency Management, said “significant” flash flooding was triggered by heavy rains from 6 p.m. to around 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, causing severe flash flooding in the Brainerd and the East Ridge areas.
The forecast for Wednesday calls for an 80% chance of showers and thunderstorms, mostly before 5 p.m., according to Hotz. A flood watch remains in effect.
Contact Southeast Tennessee reporter Ben Benton at bbenton@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6569.
AREA CLOSINGS AND DELAYS