Flooding does more damage than expected in Benton County

CAMDEN, Tenn. — Highway workers of Benton County were hard at work Thursday afternoon, repairing several roads affected by floodwaters.

Benton County Highway Superintendent Buck Carter said workers have been unstopping storm drains on Birdsong Road in Camden that were affected by six inches of rain.

“Evidently some of the culverts gotten plugged up with some debris, and the water came over the top of the road,” Carter said.

“The pipe that they’re working on, there’s two large culverts there, and evidently it got stopped up, and the pressure folded the ends of them in,” Carter said.

Carter said this is the fourth road they’ve fixed Thursday since the flooding, and he said their work is yet to be done.

“They are taking a torch and cutting them and pulling them back out the way now and opening them back up,” Carter said.

Carter said workers have been able to repair some of the damaged roads immediately for the public’s safety.

However, one driver unfortunately drove across one of the roads that washed away Wednesday night.

“I have children, I have grandchildren. I want everybody to be safe on these roads,” Carter said.

He also said the workers will continue to repair the damaged roads throughout the week.

“We do this for the safety of our citizens,” Carter said. “That’s No. 1 with me. I take my job very seriously.”

Carter advises drivers to not drive through flooded roads.