Rutherford County Fire Rescue responded to two water rescue calls Sunday night, both involving submerged vehicles.
The first call occurred on Central Valley Road just before 8 p.m. Sunday. A father and his teenage daughter were inside their vehicle. As crews approached, screaming could be heard coming from the car.
The second call, involving a semi-truck, happened around 9:00 p.m. Crews responded to Sulphur Springs Road to reports of a person trapped in the water. When units arrived, they found the 18-wheeler submerged in the water. The driver was on the hood, holding onto the roof. Crews deployed a boat and rescued the uninjured driver from the water.
As of 4:00 a.m. Sunday morning, RCFR and teams had performed a total of five water rescues; not including the two from Sunday afternoon and those Murfreesboro Fire Rescue responded to inside the city limits.
“There were around eight victims retrieved in total,” said Clark. “No weather-related injuries,” he added. “We have also received several calls with water approaching homes. No evacuations of homes by emergency services were performed.”
Clark acknowledged that the hardest impact was the south side of the county near the City of Eagleville, Christiana, and Rockvale, and cautioned about what morning may bring, “As the sun rises, we anticipate some water rescue responses as people start heading to church and moving about.”
The flash flooding was so extensive off-duty water rescue crew members from Rutherford County Fire Rescue were called in early on Saturday afternoon for the anticipation of increased responses to motor vehicle accidents and water rescues.
As of around 6:30 a.m. Sunday, 10 additional calls for service came in, ranging from water rescue to motor vehicle accidents/rollovers.
When crew members received the call to help the father and daughter Sunday night, they rapidly gathered their equipment. The car began sinking further and further underwater to the point the car was no longer visible. Personnel entered the water, made it to over to the vehicle, and broke the back glass to assist the occupants in their escape.
Responders assisted them to dry land to be assessed by Rutherford County Emergency Medical Services.
RCFR Captain John Ingle reminds motorists that it may take days and weeks for water to recede in some areas. “Please continue to exercise caution when you encounter areas with standing water. Sometimes it may appear as though you can get through it, but it’s better AND safer to turn around.”
To Report Significant Flooding Issues
Rutherford County Emergency Management Agency (RCEMA) is seeking information from homeowners who were impacted by flooding over the weekend. If your residence or business received water damage or impact with coverage of HVAC systems, water into and under the foundation, or inside the structure, please inform them by calling 615-898-7764 or emailing ema_admin@rutherfordcountytn.gov.
Updated Road Situations
The County continues to report high water and road closures via the GIS map that can be accessed by visiting: https://rcgis.maps.arcgis.com/apps/opsdashboard/index.html#/09d7baee3522455ea617f2b24dea6dc6.