Today's severe weather in Tipton County has led to widespread flooding, causing road closures and multiple crashes, including a tractor-trailer that became stuck. According to Action News 5, the Tipton County Sheriff's Office reported that they worked to recover a flooded tractor-trailer on Mt. Carmel Road, waiting on officials from the Tennessee Department of Transportation (TDOT) to close the roadway due to the severe conditions.
As the early morning flash flood warning set to expire at 6:15 a.m., Tipton County Sheriff Shannon Beasley advised the residents through a social media post about the ongoing flooding and warned drivers to expect additional road closures and to take extra precautions during their commute, treating all roadways as if they are flooded, which the sheriff communicated in a manner meant to stress caution, and the need for everyone to consider their safety during these treacherous travels, this statement obtained by Local Memphis.
The flooding has not only affected Tipton County but also Memphis and other parts of the Mid-South, with WREG reporting significant flooding on Interstate 240, particularly under the Jefferson overpass. This created traffic delays and some motorists attempting to navigate through the high waters, or in some cases, struggling to free their stalled vehicles, as highlighted by WREG. Alternative routes for affected areas were suggested as Highway Safety attempted to manage the situation.
Further road closures have been executed by TDOT which include Charleston Gift Road, between Highway 54 and Highway 14, and the dead-end Sherrill Cemetery Road; Sheriff Beasley indicated that Tipton County Public Works crews were working diligently to barricade affected roadways and clear fallen trees the statement was provided by a WREG report. The Sheriff further noted that parts of Highway 59 West, Highway 59 East, and Highway 54 were also experiencing flooding and iterated the ongoing efforts to manage other weather-related motor vehicle accidents in the area.
