Parents, Child Killed as Tree Falls on Car During Tennessee Flooding

Tone & Political Bias: Center

Why: The report presents factual weather-related events and rescue efforts without political framing or partisan language.

Fatal Accident in East Ridge

A mother, father, and child died early Wednesday when a tree fell on their car in East Ridge, a suburb of Chattanooga, Tennessee. Officials say the ground was saturated from heavy rainfall, causing the large tree to collapse just after midnight. The victims have not been publicly identified.

Amy Maxwell, spokesperson for the Hamilton County Office of Emergency Management, confirmed the fatalities and said emergency teams responded immediately to the scene.

Missing Person Search

Authorities are also searching for a man who entered a flooded road in Chattanooga on Tuesday night and has not been seen since. Search operations continued into Wednesday, with rescue teams navigating difficult conditions caused by widespread flooding.

Widespread Flooding and Damage

The full extent of storm damage is still being assessed. Hamilton County officials planned site visits on Wednesday morning to survey the affected areas.

The flooding began on Tuesday, trapping residents in homes and vehicles.
Hamilton County Mayor Weston Wamp declared a local state of emergency Tuesday night.
Officials urged residents to exercise extreme caution as more rain was expected.

National Weather Service Warnings

The National Weather Service (NWS) issued a flood watch for much of middle Tennessee through Wednesday night. Forecasters warned of:

Scattered flash flooding
Tropical-like heavy rainfall
Training storms over saturated areas

These conditions increase the risk of sudden flooding, even in areas that had previously drained.

Rescue Operations

Chattanooga Fire Department crews reported multiple rescues:

Residents trapped in their homes were brought to safety.
Drivers stranded in flooded vehicles were evacuated.
Swiftwater rescue teams removed people from three homes surrounded by rising water in East Ridge.

Floodwaters temporarily closed sections of Interstate 24 before receding.

Officials Warn of Unprecedented Impact

Hamilton County Sheriff Austin Garrett said this flooding was more widespread than anything he had seen before.“This is extremely widespread,” Garrett told The Chattanooga Times Free Press. “It made it difficult for us to even get here ourselves to try to help other people.”

Flooding in the area is typically concentrated in specific zones, but this storm affected multiple neighborhoods and disrupted travel across the region.

Ongoing Risk

Officials warned that the flooding threat was not over, with additional rainfall expected to prolong dangerous conditions. Residents were advised to avoid flooded roads, monitor emergency alerts, and be prepared for rapid changes in water levels.