Helene lashes Tennessee Valley

Heavy rain and winds Friday morning during Hurricane Helene in Chattanooga.

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. (WDEF)- Helene also has lashed the Tennessee Valley over the past 24 hours.

The storm came to the Tennessee Valley with heavy rain and strong winds Thursday night into Friday.

Although the most severe impacts were felt to our south and east as the storm’s center missed our viewing area, we still saw some impacts here around Chattanooga.

Perhaps one of the more dramatic scenes of the day here in Chattanooga was right here on East 20th Street. Amy Maxwell says that Chattanooga Firefighters had to rescue someone from floodwaters at this location, and on East 11th Street during the height of the storm.

That led to Amy Maxwell with Hamilton County EMS giving this stern warning to drivers who may encounter flooded roadways.

Maxwell said, “It is so important that we can’t emphasize enough the importance of not driving through flooded streets. You don’t know if the street has been washed away. You don’t know if there is a lot of debris in the roads, and you take that chance of risking your life, your family members, and first responders as well, which can be prevented.”

As the rain subsided, the attention turned to the heavy winds that have occurred throughout Friday.

Maxwell offered these tips to drivers.

Maxwell said, “If you don’t have to go anywhere today, please stay at home. I think that too a lot of people don’t realize when you’re driving down the roads how the winds can be a hindrance to your driving abilities…If you do have to report to work, or wherever you have to be, just make sure you give yourself more time to get from one destination to the next, so you’re not having to speed and hurry along, and have a burst of high wind come along.”

Most of the roads that had been closed were reopened by midday.