Flooding due to heavy rains in the Deep South has brought on many different trying situations such as flash floods, mudslides, landslides, bodies of water overflowing, and the trials don’t stop there.
On Tennessee’s Highway 70N in Hawkins County, a large and devastating landslide occurred early Thursday evening, taking out both lanes of the road. Two vehicles were involved in the slide as the road collapsed, and one person was transported immediately to a nearby hospital for care. Voluntary evacuations of nearby homes was advised, though not required.
This landslide alone will cost an estimated $140,000 in damages thus far, which is more than the floods endured in Nashville back in 2010. The mountainside continues to collapse and shift under the unstable amount of rainwater that has saturated the ground, making this a continual danger for people in this area.
In addition, four people in Indiana were rescued Thursday after being forced to spend 14 hours on top of their Jeep overnight as they were stranded in rising flood waters while the fifth member of their party sought assistance. He had to wade through four feet of water in order to find someone to help and they were finally rescued and transported to a local hospital where they received medical attention for hypothermia and were later cleared to go home.
Similar reports of high water levels, road closures, state of emergency declarations, evacuations, and landslides/mudslides have been reported in Kentucky, Nashville, Alabama, Missouri, southern Illinois, and Indiana
Unfortunately, this is not over just yet, as the forecast calls for more rain and thunderstorms throughout weekend. Keeping safe and dry needs to be priority! Residents, as always, should listen for any emergency broadcasts and heed the warnings of local law enforcement, because when it’s time to evacuate to a safer location, you want to be in the know!