Ron Brackett
Published: March 29, 2021
A storm system that left five people dead in Tennessee on Sunday also caused extensive flooding that damaged homes and businesses and closed roads in Kentucky and Virginia.
The Tennessee Highway Patrol reported a 61-year-old woman died Sunday afternoon when her Nissan Sentra was swept off a road and into flooded Big Creek in Hawkins County, according to the Kingsport Times News. The THP said Donna Adams of Surgoinsville was swept out of the rear passenger side window and was found about 20 yards from the vehicle.
The Metro Nashville Police Department said four people died in the flooding in that city. A search and rescue team recovered the body of 70-year-old Garry Cole Sunday morning from a Honda sedan submerged in flooding from a creek next to a Walmart at Harding Place and Nolensville Pike.
A second presumed flooding victim was found on the Nashboro Village golf course. Police think Douglas Hammond, 65, was swept away by high water after getting out of a car that ran off the road into a culvert.
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Two additional flooding victims, a man, 64, and a woman, 46, were found dead close to a homeless camp near the Wentworth-Caldwell Park, the police department reported. They have not yet been identified.
Nashville Mayor John Cooper declared a state of emergency in the city because of the flooding.
More than 130 people had to be rescued from the flooding in the city. Some residents of the Glencliff neighborhood climbed into their attics as the floodwaters rose, The Tennessean reported. Rescuers had to save 15 people from an apartment complex after they were trapped by a mudslide and high water.
Outside of Nashville, flooding hit Mt. Juliet, Lebanon, Brentwood and parts of Franklin.
In Williamson County, the rising Harpeth River trapped a family of eight in their home. Rescue crews made two trips with rafts to rescue everyone, WKRN reported. The Williamson County Emergency Management Agency said crews responded to 34 water rescue calls.
The Harpeth River is expected to reach 35 feet by Monday afternoon, WKRN reported. The record is 35 feet and 3 inches.
More than 20 people were evacuated from their homes across Campbell County, WATE reported.
In Kingsport, Tennessee, the Fire Department's swift water rescue team evacuated four families from flooded apartments, WJHL reported.
The flooding destroyed a piece of history in Scott County. Half of the 110-year-old Burnt Mill Bridge near Allardt, Tennessee, washed away, WATE reported.
Debris from the old truss bridge, which had been closed to cars since 2003, slammed into the new bridge, meaning Honey Creek Road is closed until state engineers can inspect the damage, according to the Independent Herald.
The Big South Fork River crested at 20.61 feet at Burnt Mill at 11 a.m. Sunday — the second-highest crest since a flood in 1929 that caused catastrophic damage in Scott County, the Independent Herald reported.
Kentucky
Floodwaters flowed through the streets of Middlesboro, Kentucky, for the second time in a little more than a year on Sunday.
"I want to encourage everyone to please stay home! The water is rising fast in Middlesboro blocking several roads," the city said in a Facebook post shortly after 7 a.m. Sunday. "The flooding appears to be worse than it was in 2020."
The water rose as high as the windows on businesses along Cumberland Avenue, WBIR reported. That road and Highway 25E had to shut down because of the flooding.
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Middlesboro Fire Chief Robert England said some residents had to be rescued from their homes when water quickly rose toward them.
Middlesboro also flooded in early February 2020 after torrential rain left the water as high as 5 feet in some places, according to WBIR.
“About once a year we seem to have a flood and it affects a pretty big part of the city and kind of shuts us down,” Mayor Rick Nelson told WBIR.
About 50 miles to the northeast, Hazard, Kentucky, also flooded Sunday. Police diverted traffic in at least six locations.
The flooding also covered roads and bridges in Clay and Leslie counties, according to WYMT. Floodwaters almost reached the net on a basketball goal in River Front Park in downtown Hyden, WYMT reported.
The Kentucky Transportation Cabinet said the flooding shut down roads in Bell, Harlan, Knox and Whitley counties. More than 30 closures remained Monday morning.
Virginia
Flooding also shut down roads in Abingdon on Sunday afternoon, WJHL reported.
U.S. Highway 421 was closed in Lee County between Woodway and Pennington Gap, the Lee County Sheriff's Department said.
New Jersey
The storm system brought high winds with gusts up to 60 and 70 mph to parts of New Jersey on Sunday.
The strong winds ripped sections of roof off the Neptune Motor Lodge in Neptune, New Jersey, and scattered debris across Route 35, according to the Asbury Park Press.
"The storm came through pretty quickly, caused damage primarily to this building and some power lines down, some poles snapped, a lot of debris in the roadways," Michael Bascom, emergency management coordinator in Neptune Township, said. "One minor car crash was a result of the debris in the roadway."
The National Weather Service will investigate the damage to determine if it came from a tornado or straight-line winds.
The NWS said it had received several wind damage reports mainly along the Interstate 95 corridor.
The storms also caused roof damage and trees to fall on structures in Mercer, Ocean and Union counties, nj.com reported. Police in West Windsor closed sections of Route 571 and Clarksville Road because of downed trees and utility poles.
About 27,000 customers were without electricity in New Jersey at about 9 p.m., according to nj.com.
The Weather Company’s primary journalistic mission is to report on breaking weather news, the environment and the importance of science to our lives. This story does not necessarily represent the position of our parent company, IBM.
The Weather Company’s primary journalistic mission is to report on breaking weather news, the environment and the importance of science to our lives. This story does not necessarily represent the position of our parent company, IBM.
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