Inundated
Evacuations, rescues surge in record rainfall
Rescuers plucked motorists from submerged cars, dozens of residents fled their homes, and water rushed into businesses and public buildings Thursday as intense, roof-rattling thunderstorms engulfed Greater Memphis with the area’s worst flooding in three years.
From the predawn hours and lasting until around midday, as much as 9 inches of rain saturated some areas, falling at rates of up to 3 inches per hour. Flooding menaced communities from Lauderdale County to DeSoto County, with Bartlett, Horn Lake and Southaven among the hardest-hit areas.
In Memphis alone, about 25 homes were evacuated and police and fire crews conducted 30 rescue missions. Authorities set up shelters in community centers in Bartlett, Frayser and Southaven, and public buildings that included Bartlett Station Municipal Center sustained damage, as did commercial facilities such as Southland Mall.
The flooding, the most extensive locally since the historic Mississippi River flood of May 2011, resulted from a storm system similar to one that rolled into the area during the last
weekend in June. A lowlevel stream of warm, air that began flowing up the Mississippi Valley overnight collided with an approaching cold front from the north and then became wedged atop it, said National Weather Service meteorologist Scott McNeil.
“Early morning is the best time for these events,” McNeil said, because the movement of warm air tends to develop at night.
By around 4 a.m., flashflooding was reported in Lauderdale County, with torrential downpours in Bartlett, Covington and Millington soon to come. In a one-hour period ending around 7:40 a.m., more than 3 inches of rain fell in Bartlett, according to reports fielded by the weather service.
By 8:18 a.m., the Memphis Fire Department was calling for boats to help rescue people from flooded homes on Mountain Terrace in Frayser.
The flooding played havoc with morning rushhour traffic. Streets such as Bartlett Boulevard resembled rivers, and motorists attempting to cross them often became stranded.
Memphis Fire Department spokesman Lt. Wayne Cooke stressed the importance of not driving through water. “Stay near your vehicle or in your home,” he said. “Do not walk or drive through water, because there may be pothole or manhole covers that may have been dislodged. Get to the highest point of your house or vehicle, call us and we will be there as soon as possible.”
Shelby County Schools officials announced they would excuse any students who were late or absent because of the weather. Shelby County and Bartlett City schools systems canceled after-school activities.
By late evening, the 4.45 inches reported at Memphis International Airport had shattered the previous record rainfall for the date of 1.87 inches, set in 1965. The highest reported total in Shelby County was 7.23 inches just north of Bartlett, but in DeSoto, residents reported 9 inches in an area between Olive Branch and Southaven.
Rain is predicted to persist into Friday, but weather service meteorologist Jim Branda said the sun will come out, at least partly, Saturday afternoon.
Bob Nations, director of the Shelby County Office of Preparedness, noted the deluge was the latest of several to hit the area — a trend authorities may have to consider in emergency planning. “... Whatever the cause, we’re having more frequent instances of highvolume rainfall in short periods of time,” he said.
In the midst of flooding and multiple rescue operations, more than 2,400 Memphis Light, Gas and Water Division customers were without power, with a concentration of nearly 1,100 outages in the Midtown and Downtown areas early Thursday. That number dropped below 800 without power by 9 a.m., but rose more than an hour later to nearly 1,800 of MLGW’s 420,000 customers without utility services.
Cordova fared well in the torrential downpour, but Bartlett Police reported on Twitter there were flooding problems at several locations and some school crossing guards were unable to reach their posts. On U.S. 70, a creek poured out of its banks, blocking all four lanes east of Germantown Road.
“It’s pretty massive,” Bartlett Mayor Keith McDonald said of the damage, adding that employees scattered to trouble spots to help with rescuing people from cars and deal with the high waters. Some 8 inches of water seeped into the banquet hall of the municipal center, and Bartlett High School sustained minor roof damage.
At least 6 inches fell in the Lakeland area, prompting officials to barricade streets in eight areas. “It’s been crazy. It’s been bad,” said Lakeland City Manager Chris Thomas.
Until water subsided Thursday morning, Thomas said Lakeland residents were unable to get out of their subdivisions and some were trapped in their vehicles where water came up half way over their tires.
In Whitehaven, Southland Mall closed as a result of roof damage.
In DeSoto County, flooding was widespread, said Emergency Management Deputy Director Chris Olson. Some residents in the Savannah Creek apartments in Southaven were evacuated. “These are not mandatory evacuations, but some apartments have flooded and residents are being brought to the temporary shelter we set up,” said Southaven Fire Department spokesman Capt. Malena Aldermen.
The DeSoto County Board of Supervisors signed a local disaster proclamation in an effort to get help from the state with flood damage.
“Just name a place and it is flooded,” said DeSoto County Sheriff Bill Rasco about the widespread flooding in his county.