CHATTANOOGA, Tenn.– A car and trash can were caught in a whirlpool that formed along Interstate 24 in Chattanooga, Tennessee, on Tuesday night.
Video showed a car with its hazards flashing, doing a slow spin on the flooded roadway during the severe weather that slammed the area on Tuesday night and Wednesday morning.
Debris swirled along with the car and trash can in the whirlpool. Police sirens could be heard wailing somewhere nearby in the background of the video.
Vehicle and trash can swirl in whirlpool on I-24 in Chattanooga.
(Stephany Thomas via Storyful / FOX Weather)
On the opposite lane of the interstate, the video showed semi-trucks and other vehicles crawling through the high floodwaters on the road.
Meanwhile, on the whirlpool side, another car sits submerged among other debris on the road.
THUNDERSTORMS, FLASH FLOODING TRIGGER WATER RESCUES IN EASTERN TENNESSEE
Cars on opposite side of I-24 attempt to drive through high floodwaters.
(Stephany Thomas via Storyful / FOX Weather)
More than 6 inches of rain fell in Chattanooga on Tuesday, according to the National Weather Service. It was the city’s second-wettest day on record, as thunderstorms dropped heavy rain ahead of a cold front that moved through the region.
The Chattanooga Fire Department conducted numerous rescues, including pulling stranded drivers from vehicles and assisting residents trapped inside homes as water levels rose rapidly.
By midnight Wednesday, all lanes of I-24 had been reopened to traffic, the Tennessee Department of Transportation said.
Car and trash can spin in whirlpool on I-24.
(Stephany Thomas via Storyful / FOX Weather)
Three people were reported to have died, and one man remained missing as of Wednesday evening.
More periods of heavy thunderstorms were expected Wednesday, according to the NWS office in Morristown. A Flood Watch remained in effect through Wednesday for parts of western North Carolina and eastern Tennessee.
