Clarke county sees dangerous flooding after intense rainfall

With our area receiving intense flooding overnight, Clarke county saw an average of ten inches throughout. Archusa saw around 8.7 inches, with most of the southwestern part of the county seeing anywhere from 10 to 13 inches.

“Historically, we see more slow-rise type flooding, but this flash flooding was some of the worst that we’ve seen in recent history here in this county,” said the Director of the Clarke County Emergency Management Agency, Eddie Ivy.

With several roads being washed out, the county’s emergency agency rescued around twenty-five people from their homes in various locations within the county during the night.

“Safety is our number one goal for the victims as well as for the rescuers. We want to make sure they have the proper equipment and proper training to do their job effectively,” said Ivy.

Around thirty homes were damaged, along with some businesses, and with the roads being washed away as quickly as they were, it was crucial to do rescues quickly. Ivy encourages anyone with damage, to document it.

“Document that. Maybe make a mark on the wall to show, ‘hey, the water was at this level.’ Just so that you’ve got that, then the adjusters can look at it, and, you know, you can back up your claims.”

“As that water rises with the speeds and the force with it, it can destroy roads,” said Ivy, which is exactly what happened to several of the county’s roads, including County Rd. 2661 off Hwy 45.

Anyone with damage should report it to their local emergency agency.