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."
The water was about shin-deep inside the house where he lives with his fiancee and her family, he said. He wasn't home when the water started to rise, so he had to wade through to get to the house to help evacuate his fiancee's five children and the rest of the family.
"I was about swimming in it last night," Pack said. "I went up a side street trying to get there so quick, and I thought I could cut through the woods. I didn't know the yard real well, and I'm walking through and all of a sudden I hit a hole in their yard and dropped into water [that was neck deep]."
By about 1:30 a.m., the fire department came with rafts and evacuated the family and pets. They are staying with other family and friends, he said.
Later Tuesday morning at around 9:30 a.m., Pack returned to check on the house. He was smoking a cigarette and emptying his pockets behind the Ridgewood Village Shopping Center getting ready to wade out into the cold water.
He made it to waist-deep water before he turned around after realizing he'd have to keep walking into chest-deep water before he got to his house.
"Where's the cheapest place to buy a raft?" he asked as he exited the water.
On the other side of the water stood Paula Hughes. She, her two daughters, grandson and dog were evacuated just hours earlier after her basement flooded.
It was about 10 p.m. when water started coming into her home, she said.
"After the tornado, it rained really bad and water started coming up in the bathroom, but it does that when the street fills up with water," she said. "That's nothing out of the ordinary."
By about 4:30 a.m., the fire department warned the water would continue to rise and that they needed to get out. So they did and stayed in a hotel for the night, something for which she's having to pay out of her own pocket.
Hughes had already taken a financial hit after having to take a medical leave from her job. And due to the coronavirus outbreak, she's only able to return to work as a part-time employee.
"We didn't get a chance to get a lot of anything," Hughes said. "I was hoping this would go down today, and we'd be able to get back into the house."
Hughes' daughter lives in the basement, and all of her belongings are ruined, she said. Except for her daughter's cap and gown.
"We got it," Hughes said. "'Cause she's getting her master's and got her little hat decorated. She said, 'My cap and my gown!' I said, "Baby, go for it.'"
Her daughter's graduation ceremony had already been postponed to August due to the pandemic.
"In my 63 years, I have never seen such a year as this," Hughes said. "I won't complain, 'cause it could always been worse."
East Ridge Fire Department personnel said Spring Creek's flood levels weren't expected to peak until later Tuesday afternoon. They hadn't received any more calls for rescue, but they were monitoring the situation.
Hamilton County Emergency Management Agency spokeswoman Amy Maxwell said East Ridge's flooding would be considered a part of the damage caused by Sunday night's storms and tornado, though she wasn't sure when EMA officials would get to East Ridge.
Contact Rosana Hughes at rhughes@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6327 with tips or story ideas. Follow her on Twitter @Hughes Rosana.
