After lunch Tuesday, Clayton Allen was busy using a long squeegee to push water out of the warehouse while 7-year-old Annabelle splashed in the ankle-deep water right behind him.
It’s not an uncommon thing to see.
Clayton and his wife, Sherry, have owned The Supply House on Quinton Drive in Munford for a year-and-a-half, but they have owned others on the street for more than a decade.
They remember the May Day floods in 2010 and 2011, which left the buildings under water after Big Creek overspilled its banks, and are thankful flash flooding Tuesday morning only led to six inches of water in one building and 18 in the other.
“Once it got out of that ditch right there,” Sherry said, pointing to the drainage area between their parking lot and Hwy. 51 South, “it was up to the doors in about 20 minutes.”
Much of the MidSouth was under flash flood warnings throughout Tuesday as remnants of Tropical Depression Barry continued to bear down on the area. One to three inches of rainfall is expected through 7 p.m. Tuesday with some localized areas seeing up to four inches.
Across the highway, Little Angels Learning Center owner Phyllis Snapp said she was watching the water on Quinton Drive as she got into to work and began making plans.
“I noticed the ditch was really full and they already had water over there.”
The evacuation plans they had involved taking the children to the former Down Home Cafe building at the west corner of Hwy. 51 South and Watson, however the building has been bulldozed.
So Snapp, and Little Angels’ director Callie, called the Atoka fire and police departments for help. The building wasn’t taking on water, but they feared it might.
“And they just took everything on from there,” Snapp said. “They were so great to us. We are so grateful for them.”
Gateway Baptist and First Baptist Atoka both offered them space, she said, and Atoka police worked it out so they could use the gym at First Baptist. First responders monitored the raging waters of Big Creek during the torrential rains, then let them know when it was time to leave.
“They had already called for buses and had the church lined up. They worked together and it was just amazing. They even had people help load the buses for us.”
Nearby, a little boy napped on three folding chairs while a dozen other children played with balls in the gym. When they left Little Angels, they brought 60 children with them.
“We have an evacuation plan and we know what we’re supposed to do in this situation. We never thought we’d use it, but … here we are.”
The building didn’t end up taking on water, but Snapp and her husband said erosion on the banks of Big Creek has meant losing 10 feet of their playground in the last year.
“We’ve had to move our fence three times over the years.”
She said when it rains she always keeps an eye on Quinton Drive.
“That’s when I get scared. When they start taking on water, that’s when we start flooding.”
Sherry remembers the other floods before they were in a designated floodplain and are thankful Senator Marsha Blackburn worked to make that happen.
“Originally, the first flood on this street it was not designated a flood zone and she saved our life. I mean, she went to bat for us and got us FEMA insurance. It’s still bad when it happens, but you know you’re covered.”
She said knowing they’re covered takes a lot of the stress away.
“It’s a mess, it’s always a mess.”
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