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Dramatic rescue caught on camera during flooding
A dramatic rescue was caught on camera during flooding on Wednesday afternoon. Many other vehicles were also caught up in the flooding. With more rain expected over the next few days, there's the possibility it could happen again. Marc Teichner reporting.
ATLANTA - New video recorded from a wife’s perspective captures a dramatic rescue during Wednesday’s flash flooding in Atlanta.
Mary (Chyna) Brathwaite and her husband were driving through flooded streets when they spotted a young woman stranded on top of a submerged vehicle surrounded by rising water.
"Hey, you need some help?" Chyna's husband Georgia can be heard yelling toward the stranded driver in the video.
As water continued rushing across the roadway, Chyna urged her husband to step in and help rescue the distressed woman.
"You want to go help her, babe?" Chyna then asked.
Her husband initially hesitated.
"What the f--- you want me to do? Get out and walk across the street?" he replied.
Chyna kept encouraging him.
"You’re a veteran," she told him before adding, "She probably don’t know how to swim or something. Just walk her over here."
Moments later, he climbed out of the vehicle and headed into the floodwaters toward the stranded driver.
The rescue unfolded as powerful storms dumped heavy rain across Atlanta on Wednesday, flooding roads and leaving vehicles stranded across downtown and Midtown during rush hour.
"I’ll get you some more shoes," Chyna tells her husband during the rescue.
Mary can then be heard saying, "Look at my husband being the hero," as the young woman climbed onto her husband's back.
As the flooding continued, more drivers became trapped nearby.
"Another one just got stuck," Chyna says near the end of the video as she shows other people being assisted from nearby flooded vehicles.
What happened on Wednesday
The backstory:
The worst flooding on Wednesday afternoon happened along the Downtown Connector near the Baker Street overpass, where rising water stranded multiple vehicles and forced authorities to shut down lanes for more than an hour. Traffic cameras from the Georgia Department of Transportation showed water rising in just minutes, eventually trapping drivers in partially submerged cars.
Officials said clogged storm drains packed with debris after weeks of dry weather made the flooding worse because rainwater had nowhere to drain. Radar estimates showed some parts of downtown and Midtown received up to 3 inches of rain in about an hour.
Emergency crews responded to multiple stranded vehicles along the connector, though no injuries were reported. The National Weather Service issued a Flash Flood Warning for Atlanta before conditions improved later Wednesday night.
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What to expect the rest of the week
What we know:
Metro Atlanta could see several more rounds of storms and heavy downpours through the Memorial Day weekend after Wednesday’s flash flooding overwhelmed parts of the city, according to the FOX 5 Atlanta Storm Team.
RELATED: Metro Atlanta holiday weekend weather to bring daily storm rounds
A stalled cold front and tropical moisture moving in from the Gulf of Mexico are expected to keep daily storm chances in the forecast for the next several days. FOX 5 meteorologists warned the pattern could bring sudden heavy rain, lightning and localized flooding, especially during the afternoon and evening hours.
While Thursday’s storms are not expected to be as widespread as the ones that flooded downtown Atlanta on Wednesday, additional downpours could still cause pooling water and flooding in low-lying or poor-drainage areas. Friday is expected to bring a very similar setup, with more scattered storms likely heading into the holiday weekend.
Officials are urging drivers to stay alert because summer-style storms could quickly redevelop across north Georgia at almost any time. Residents with outdoor Memorial Day weekend plans are also encouraged to have backup indoor options ready.