Tipton County hasn’t seen significant rainfall all month, but a reprieve arrived in the form of thunderstorms mid-afternoon.
And, as the saying goes, the rains came down and the floods came up.
According to MemphisWeather.net, South Tipton County saw 5.5 inches of rain in about an hour. The average rainfall for the entire month of July is 4.5 inches.
Many residents posted videos and photos of the flooding to social media. Brighton High School basketball coach Stan Gatlin shared videos of flooding on Kearns Circle and Walker Park.
Other areas of the county, like Covington, did not see near the same amount of rain.
If the flooding wasn’t bad enough, there were at least two big emergencies in Atoka at the same time.
Fire chief Henry Posey said his department started battling a house fire, with the help of firefighters from Munford and Brighton, as the rain began. Then Highway 51 began flooding north of Watson and there was a three-car accident.
“It got a little hairy there for awhile,” Posey said. “I’ve never seen the water come up that high over 51 like that.”
Several houses in Blaydes Estates flooded, such as those on Kearns Circle that flood frequently.
No injuries were reported as a result of the flooding, fire or accident.
Posey can’t remember an afternoon like this in his department’s six-year history.
“That storm seemed to come out of nowhere,” he said. “On the radar it was small, then it just grew and grew.”
Author: Echo Day
Echo Day is an award-winning journalist, photographer and designer. She is currently The Leader's managing editor.
