GALLERY: Flooding around West Tennessee
Trenton
On Haliburton Street in Trenton, the road was covered in water, making it impassable.
“On a rainy day like today, it floods pretty much over the road. I mean nothing too bad. As you can see, it has gotten pretty high so far,” said Blake Sherron, a resident.
When you get this much rain in a short amount of time like we have, you are not just going to get one road that is flooded like this. Some of the residents said if you keep going down Haliburton, you will find some other flooded areas as well.
“Well yeah, if you go up past the Y here, but then again, everything in Trenton is in a hole. So pretty much everywhere around here holds water well,” said Sherron. “They try to close them but people decide they want to go through them so. We get entertained watching them try and go through it so.”
Union CityÂ
In Union City, many have already started to evacuate from some of their homes as heavy rainfall throughout the night has caused flooding not only in the streets but also inside some houses.
For Keri Bryson, a new resident who moved to Union City almost a week ago, she thought the waters would subside, but unfortunately, that was not the case.
“It just kept rising, and then about in 40 minutes, it was at the tire level of my car, and then it just went, within 20 minutes it started rising, and it’s about ankle-deep in my house right now,” Bryson said.
For another resident, Anna Lewis, this flooding brought up memories from when she first moved into her home in 2004, and it flooded shortly after.
“Last time it was on my bottom step. This time it’s on my second step to the front door. So it’s higher. Water is higher,” said Lewis.
City officials were also in the area assessing the situations for various reasons.
“I own a house right down the street. I was checking on that. And then they already called, pretty much described the same thing. She said it was a total loss inside. All the furniture’s soaked. Beds floating. They are just trying to get out,” said Hal Mosier.
“I saw sheriff’s office, and rescue, and everybody, rescue squad going in trying to help people get out. Asking them, ‘Can you walk, are you able to walk?’ And if they can’t, then they are going in after them. I mean it’s just what you do. Whether you are a rescue, or law enforcement or not, it’s just what you do,” said Becky Ward.
For those who had to leave their homes, some were taken to family members’ homes or shelters.
Flooding was not only in the neighborhoods but throughout the city as well.
“I grew up here, and I have never seen it look like this, never,” Ward said.
Local resident Michael Howard describes waking up to knee-deep water inside his home.
“It was a very scary feeling. Woke up this morning and looked around, and all is water. Didn’t know what to think or what to do,” said Michael Howard.
Those stranded in their homes were rescued by boat, with some taken to family members’ homes or shelters.
Melanie Howard says the severity of the flooding came as a complete shock and that she has never seen it get this bad in the past 10 years she has lived in the area.
“It floods when we get heavy rain up there where the white truck is, but otherwise, no. The water will go right back down. This is worse than I have seen. Never seen it that bad. Never,” said Melanie Howard.
Michael and Melanie Howard returned to their home today to survey the damage and begin picking up the pieces.
If you know anyone in need of a safe place due to the flooding, there are several safe shelters according to the Union City Facebook page, including Calvary Baptist Church, Second Baptist Church, and Union City Middle School.
Jackson-Madison CountyÂ
Many parts of Madison County have been flooded or damaged due to the storms and heavy flooding in the area.
The Jackson Police Department issued a flood warning Friday as heavy rainfall led to rising water levels in various parts of the city and county. Several roads are closed due to the flooding.
One unfortunate incident occurred here in Jackson on 24 Speece Cove when a massive tree fell onto a house.
Homeowner Tanya Akins says around 4 a.m. they heard some thunder followed by a big boom. Shortly after, they realized that something had come through the roof.
“So me and my husband began to move to the rear of the house to check on the kids and we were very devastated and scared,” said Akins.
Once they knew that their kids were okay, they started trying to figure out what had happened.
“It was dark, of course, we couldn’t really see the damage that had been done, only what had happened to the roof and front living room. So we waited for daylight. I had been up all night, and we saw the extent of the damage,” said Akins.
The Jackson Police Department, as well as other emergency responders, are actively responding to emergency calls and working towards the safety of residents during this challenging time.
Residents are advised to stay vigilant and take necessary precautions due to the ongoing flooding.
Find live radar, hour-by-hour forecasts and more in the WBBJ Weather app.
