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1 dead, 2 rescued after cars swept off road after flooding in Cleburne County
One person is dead, and crews rescued another person after flooding swept a car away in Cleburne County, Alabama. According to the FOX 5 Storm Team, the county just over the Georgia-Alabama state line received 13 inches of rain between 11:45 a.m. Saturday and 11:45 a.m. Sunday. Cleburne County is under a flood warning until 2 p.m. Central Daylight Time on Sunday.
ATLANTA - Flash flooding struck in eastern Alabama on Sunday, killing one person, leaving another severely injured, and closing several roads, according to the National Weather Service in Birmingham.
What we know:
According to the FOX 5 Storm Team, Cleburne County, which is just over the Georgia-Alabama state line, received 13 inches of rain between 11:45 a.m. Saturday and 11:45 a.m. Sunday.
Flash flooding washed away a vehicle in the 3000 block of County Road 41 around 6:20 a.m. Sunday, according to the Turkey Heaven Volunteer Fire Department. The department said two people were in the vehicle when it tried to cross a bridge over a creek.
The water from the creek had risen about 20 feet from its normal state, according to officials, and it pushed the vehicle through a guardrail and down an embankment.
One person was found alive in a tree with major injuries, while the other person was found during a search by first responders. Officials said he was pronounced dead at the scene.
Several departments helped with the search and rescue efforts in this case.
A FOX 5 crew who went to the area saw the truck after water receded and said it appeared to be more than 50 feet away from the bridge.
Dig deeper:
Another car was washed off the road around 4:45 a.m. Sunday on County Road 10 near County Road 635. Officials with the fire department said only one person was in that car, and they were rescued.
"These incidents serve as a sobering reminder of just how powerful floodwaters can be. The safety of our community is our top priority, and while we’re grateful that we were able to safely rescue the individuals involved, we urge everyone to take flood warnings seriously. Never attempt to cross flooded roadways, as even small amounts of water can quickly turn dangerous," said Fire Chief Patrick Nolen. "Our thoughts and prayers are with the family who tragically lost a loved one, and we will continue to work diligently to protect and serve our community in times of crisis. Thank you to each and every one who came out to assist as well as those who reached out willing to assist, that's what makes Cleburne County the best."
What they're saying:
Lee Estes' property comes right up to where Knokes Creek flows under County Road 41.
He says after he heard the storm raging, he came outside around 5 a.m. to check on his driveway and property near Knokes Creek.
"When I got out of the truck, that's when I heard one of the gentlemen screaming. I finally located him, stuck up in the tree, and was able to get him down… he was 15 to 20 feet up in the tree at that point," Estes said.
That person had been inside a white truck that was washed off County Road 41 several hundred feet down Knokes Creek. He told Estes another person had been in the truck with him.
Estes then called 911, and the Turkey Heaven Volunteer Fire Department came out to help search for the missing victim.
"It probably took another hour for the water to go down enough that they located the second person," Estes said.
That victim drowned in the floodwaters and was pronounced dead by Cleburne County Coroner Adam Downs.
He explained how the truck ended up getting swept away by the floodwaters.
"From what the driver of the vehicle told me — he was the survivor — as they rounded the curve there [on County Road 41], he saw the floodwaters over the road. He tried to make it through. He didn't think it was but a foot deep. So, as he got into the floodwaters, the current just pushed him up against the guardrail. And once the guardrail gave way, they started drifting downstream with the current of the water," he said.
Downs estimates the water had to rise at least 20 feet to wash over the road.
The coroner says he grew up here and has never seen flooding this severe.
"I've lived in this community for 44 years. I've been coroner in Cleburne County for seven years. And I've never known of floodwaters in this community like it was this morning. I’m not aware of any accidental drownings due to flooding in my lifetime here," he said.
What we don't know:
No other information on the death has been released. FOX 5 is working on gathering more information.
Dig deeper:
Cleburne County is under a flood warning until 2 p.m. Central Daylight Time Sunday.
As of 11:45 a.m., at least 11 major roads were closed. You can see the list below.
The Source: Information in the article above came from the National Weather Service and FOX 5 Storm Team. It was updated to add more information from the volunteer fire department.