UPDATE: Chattanooga Fire Department (CFD) officials say the search for a man who was swept away by floodwaters in East Brainerd on Tuesday has ended after his body was found.
A CFD spokesperson says Chattanooga police are now conducting a death investigation after the man’s body was found.
Police say the body is a Black male who was found after a Bradley County Sheriff’s Office K-9 alerted crews in the area of the search.
The search started on Tuesday after the man went missing in floodwaters in the area of East Brainerd Road.
The body, which has not been identified, has been sent to the Hamilton County Medical Examiner to determine a cause of death.
This is the fourth death in less than 24 hours that is linked to the August 12 flooding in the Tennessee Valley.
Stay with Local 3 News for updates to this developing story.
PREVIOUS STORY: The man who went missing Tuesday “ran into floodwaters,” the Chattanooga Fire Department (CFD) says.
Rescue crews are still searching for the man Wednesday afternoon.
They explain that on Tuesday night, the 7600 block of East Brainerd Road was blocked off with yellow tape because of flooding.
Firefighters were trying to stop people from going around the barricades for their safety, CFD said.
However, one man “took off running and mistakenly ran right into a flooded creek,” the fire department said. The man did not reappear from the floodwaters and first responders started the search.
Rescue crews have had limited search capabilities due to rising floodwaters and debris in the creek and along its edges.
There are several crews searching for the man, including the Chattanooga Police Department’s drone.
PREVIOUS: The Chattanooga Fire Department’s (CFD) Special Operations Division resumed search efforts for a missing man on Wednesday morning after severe flooding Tuesday evening.
The fire department said they called off search efforts late Tuesday night while waiting for the flood waters to recede.
More than six inches of rain fell in a short time, causing the quick rise of creeks and streams, according to the Tennessee Valley Authority (TVA).
TVA’s River Forecast Center is monitoring the flash flooding.
The TVA reservoir system and the Chickamauga Dam had normal water flows and elevations on Wednesday. TVA said they were not being impacted by Chattanooga’s flash floods.
PREVIOUS STORY: Two adults and a child died when a large tree fell on their car as they were traveling along South Moore Road, according to East Ridge police.
Authorities said they were pronounced dead at the scene. The police department was working to identify the victims on Wednesday morning.
Police said this then caused a power outage in East Ridge.
The tree also crashed onto power lines, resulting in a power outage from South Moore Road to the 1100 block of Ringgold Road.
Police said the traffic signal at the intersection of Ringgold Road and South Moore Road was not working Wednesday morning due to the power outage.
PREVIOUS STORY: There have been three confirmed fatalities from Tuesday’s storms, according to the Hamilton County Office of Emergency Management (HCOEM).
According to officials, a family died after saturated ground resulted in a tree falling on a car early Wednesday morning.
Two adults and a child died, according to the HCOEM.
This happened in the 1100 block of South Moore Road in East Ridge.
In addition, first responders are searching for a missing man who “went through flood waters on East Brainerd Road on foot” Tuesday night. HCOEM said he has not been seen since.
Hamilton County Mayor Weston Wamp will meet with HCOEM officials and East Ridge first responders on Wednesday morning to survey flood damage.
They will also discuss next steps as more rainfall is forecasted.
Along Ringgold Road, HCOEM shared photos of flood damage to the Cascades Motel in East Ridge.
The National Weather Service (NWS) issued a flood watch throughout Wednesday for our area.
People should practice caution when driving. The NWS says, “Turn around, don’t drown when encountering flooded roads. Most flood deaths occur in vehicles.”
PREVIOUS STORY: After Tuesday’s flooding in parts of Chattanooga and the surrounding areas, the area braces for another round of rain Wednesday; it’s a Storm Alert Weather Day.
Areas that had significant flooding yesterday could face additional flooding today, with the greater chances in the afternoon and evening.
Be sure to have the Local 3 Weather app on your phone or tablet, and enable notifications to stay weather-aware.
Evening rains flooded parts of the Tennessee Valley Tuesday night.
PREVIOUS STORY: Chattanooga Fire crews responded to flooding emergencies across the city Tuesday night, rescuing stranded drivers and helping residents trapped in their homes.
Swiftwater teams worked on McCutcheon and Hickory Valley, where people were stuck in vehicles. No injuries were reported.
Interstate 24 was shut down in both directions between Belvoir and Spring Creek due to high water. The Brainerd Recreation Center (1010 N Moore Road) is open as a shelter for those impacted.
Officials are urging the public to stay off the roads and avoid driving through flooded areas to prevent further emergencies.
