First Murray, then Whitfield, hit by worrisome weather

Published 6:54 pm Wednesday, January 7, 2009

ETON — Jason and Brandy Watts left their home on Old Federal Road late Tuesday night distressed, wondering whether ravaging flood waters from nearby Mill Creek would invade their lives.

They pictured the worst — their home, purchased just four months ago, swamped by water. The couple took shelter with Brandy’s parents for an anxious night. When they finally returned Wednesday morning, their home had been spared.

“We both did not sleep at all last night,” Brandy, 24, said after being awoken from a nap by a reporter’s knocking late Wednesday morning. “We were so worried, so afraid if the water would come into our home.”

Torrential storms Monday night, much of Tuesday and Wednesday morning brought more than six inches of rain to parts of Murray and Whitfield counties, turning many strips of dry land into makeshift lakes. There were no injuries reported in the two counties, although the Murray County Rescue Squad rescued two kayakers on Jacks River after rising waters forced them to spend a restless Tuesday night under a rock ledge. Adding to the water problems was high winds that felled power lines throughout Whitfield County, knocking out power to more than 3,100 customers.

The National Weather Service’s flood warning issued Monday night ends at 8:30 a.m. today. Although no rain is expected for several days, the agency warned that rain runoff could cause creeks, rivers and streams to rise slowly throughout the day. There is a 30 percent chance of rain Friday and Saturday, with a 20 percent chance of rain early next week.

Murray County officials debated through Tuesday night whether to evacuate homes threatened by rising water. They did not order any mass evacuations, but did help a family on Third Avenue in Eton out of their home. Several parts of Murray County were flooded Wednesday, including Norton Bridge in the north end of the county, areas of Ga. Highway 225 North above Red Cut Road and Patricia Avenue in Spring Place. Rising waters caused officials to close Catoosa County Public Schools and Gordon County Public Schools because of flooding on several roads.

The scene was quieter in Whitfield County — until Wednesday afternoon.

Jeffrey Putnam, director of Whitfield County Emergency Services, said there was no significant flooding damage in the county. But as Wednesday wore on, soaked soil and whipping winds at about 4 p.m. caused trees to fall on power lines on Airport Road, Broadrick Drive, Indian Trail, LaFayette Highway, Lower Dug Gap Road, Tilton Road, Waring Road and other parts of the county.

Early Wednesday evening, about 2,000 customers of North Georgia Electric Membership Corp. were without power, spokesman Jeff Rancudo said. About 1,150 of those outages were concentrated near West Dug Gap Mountain Road.

“Of course we’re working hard to get them back on as fast as possible,” Rancudo said.

Georgia Power had 1,176 customers in Dalton and about 2,500 in surrounding counties without power, spokeswoman Christy Heser said. Dalton Utilities had no power outages Wednesday afternoon.

Several Whitfield County roads were closed — Chattanooga Road, Lower King’s Bridge Road at the Murray County line and Peggy Lane — part of Wednesday. In Dalton, an oak tree destroyed a vacant home at No. 9 Cedar St.

“We were fortunate,” Putnam said.

Fortunate, much like the two Polk County, Tenn., kayakers that set out at 1:45 p.m. Tuesday for a float down Jacks River. Their names were not immediately released. When they put in, the water was about one and a half feet deep. By 10 p.m., the water had ballooned to almost seven feet deep.

“The water rose a lot faster than they had anticipated,” said Dwayne Bain, Murray County emergency management director.

Crews were not able to find the kayakers Tuesday night. Oran Hogan, a member of the rescue squad, said the search continued until midnight in stormy conditions.

“We searched every area and never could find anything,” Hogan said.

The kayakers exited the river and stayed under a rock ledge, Bain said. Crews found them at about 10 a.m. Wednesday. They were only “cold and wet” and headed home later that morning, Bain said. The kayakers said the water was so swift it seemed like Class 5 rapids (out of 6), telling the rescue crew members, “The Ocoee had nothing on this.”

Back at the Watts’ home in Eton, Jason surveyed the deluge from his front porch as strong winds made the standing water ripple. With a baseball cap pulled over his eyes, he recalled the scene Tuesday night. He could barely see the top of the mailbox, estimating the water reached at least two feet in the yard. The water grew so high he would not drive through it. Items stored in backyard sheds surely were damaged, but he had not yet checked. By Wednesday morning, water slapped at a swing tied to a towering tree in the front yard.

He referenced the December 2008 storms that dumped five inches of rain into Mill Creek. After the soaking recedes, he’s bringing in fill dirt to prevent future flooding.

“This is the worst I’ve ever seen it,” the 28-year-old said. “If you didn’t know there was property here and a bridge over there, you would think this is a lake.”

Their Old Federal Road neighbor, Evelyn Rapp, has seen worse. In her 15 years at her house, she’s seen a stream of water stretching about 80 yards north to a nearby home. Although flood waters crept close to her house this time, Rapp stayed the night.

“I worried, but not as much as my husband,” Rapp said. “I figured if it did (flood the house), it did. There was nothing I could do about it.”