Flash flood warnings were in effect across Tennessee on Wednesday, Aug. 13, after deadly floodwaters trapped cars near Chattanooga.
During the storms that began on Tuesday, Aug.12, a mother, father and child in Chattanooga, Tennessee, were killed when a tree fell on the car they were in during the rain and flooding, reported the Chattanooga Times Free Press and NBC News
The deaths come as historic floods swept through the eastern part of the state,
Videos from Tuesday, Aug. 12, posted online show cars wading through a deluge on an interstate near Chattanooga. The waters were so deep that some cars were almost completely submerged, and only their roofs were visible through the brown, murky waters.
The floodwaters shut down Interstate 24 until around 10 p.m. ET, Rae Anne Bradley, the regional communications officer for the Tennessee Department of Transportation in Chattanooga and the Cumberland Plateau, stated in a post on X. When water had receded, the interstate lanes traveling east were reopened.
Then, early Aug. 13, westward lanes reopened after crews cleared disabled vehicles remaining on the interstate.
In Nashville, rain also delayed the reopening of I-40 near the Nashville International Airport, which originally closed for milling and paving work, according to Erin Zeigler, the regional communications officer for Middle Tennessee.
This story will be updated as more information becomes available.
Julia is a trending reporter for USA TODAY. Connect with her on LinkedIn, X, Instagram and TikTok: @juliamariegz, or email her at jgomez@gannett.com

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