Flood — Shelby, Tennessee

2008-04-01 · near Collierville Arpk, Shelby, Tennessee

Direct deaths

$10K

Property damage

Event narrative

A 56 year old tow truck driver was one of two drivers who arrived to help a man who had driven into flood waters off of Holmes Road near the intersection of Reynolds Road after falling asleep at the wheel. The tow truck driver tied an air hose around his waist for safety and climbed onto the car to attach the cable from the tow truck. The car began to float. The water forced the car through the culvert into the raging Nonconnah Creek tributary, with the force of the current snapping the hose that tethered the man to the tow truck. The car sank 75 feet.

Wider weather episode

Excessive rainfall during the month of March into the beginning of April brought rivers and their tributaries to high levels. Some rivers came out their banks and flooded many roadways. A few deaths as a result of the flooding.

View location on OpenStreetMap → (35.0076, -89.7279)

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 98203. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.