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Water rises; schools to close early

Thursday, September 17, 2009
T-G Staff Report

A normally calm stream nears the bottom of a bridge on Liberty Pike north of Bell Buckle late this morning.
(T-G Photo by David Melson)
[Click to enlarge] [Order this photo]

Water was rising across northern Bedford County at midday today as moderate to heavy rain continued to fall.

Schools were scheduled to close at 2 p.m. today. School Superintendent Ed Gray said he anticipated that some bus drivers would need to backtrack rather than cross standing water, and so the system wanted to allow time for that.

Waves were lapping at the edges of Liberty Pike (State Highway 269) about a mile north of Bell Buckle near the Parker Sain Road intersection. Parker Sain Road itself was impassable just off 269.

WKRN-TV is reporting that flooding in Christiana is heavy enough that emergency shelters have been opened in Rutherford County.

However, Bedford County Highway Superintendent Stanley Smotherman said about 10:45 that his department has had only limited reports of flooding here. Smotherman mentioned the Liberty Pike situation and there have been reports of a flooded driveway on Happy Valley Road.

Water was over a bridge on County Line Road and across Bridge Street in Bell Buckle, according to the Bedford County Sheriff's Department.

A deputy was also checking waters over Matt Drive in Covered Bridge Estates subdivision near Bell Buckle.

Bugscuffle Road near Wartrace is flooded, but that is a low-lying road which floods easily and frequently.

Smotherman said the Unionville and Rover areas have had more problems with heavy rain than the Bell Buckle and Deason areas.

Comments

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Community Middle School's parking lot has turned into a pond. A few teacher's cars got water in them.

-- Posted by vqfan on Thu, Sep 17, 2009, at 11:25 AM

Since this was last written at 10:45AM, for the past almost 2 hours the rain has been non stop and very heavy at times here in Shelbyville. The backyard is flooded out along with a number of low lying areas.

-- Posted by sayitaintso on Thu, Sep 17, 2009, at 12:27 PM

I saw that too, vqfan. Closed just a tad late I'd say. I've already picked mine up and gotten home. Good luck to all students getting home!

-- Posted by countrymom on Thu, Sep 17, 2009, at 1:39 PM

Drove down Happy Valley @ 1100am and we had to turn around...hopefully it receeded enough for the buses to get thru. I agree...schools should have been closed HOURS ago. We drove into Bell Buckle and it was a just sprinkling. But as soon as you passed Parker Sain road, it was a constant downpour. Lots of flooding in Covered Bridge Estates.

-- Posted by neighborhood mom on Thu, Sep 17, 2009, at 1:49 PM

Just checked our rain gauge...7 1/4 inches today!

-- Posted by neighborhood mom on Thu, Sep 17, 2009, at 2:40 PM

It should have been called off way earlier

-- Posted by Onemore on Thu, Sep 17, 2009, at 4:10 PM

Apparently my horses are standing in water & my dogs have moved to the tops of their houses. On my way home to move everybody now. I'm off Frank Martin Rd toward Unionville.

-- Posted by tdfann on Thu, Sep 17, 2009, at 4:48 PM

My daughter informed me that the staff at Community High school reported that the only reason why they didn't let out earlier was because the cafeteria staff had already started cooking lunch.

-- Posted by KoiNutz on Thu, Sep 17, 2009, at 5:37 PM

It's either feast or famine with rain lately! Only two years back we were worried about the lack of rain.

I hope everyone and their critters made it through OK.

-- Posted by JohnC on Thu, Sep 17, 2009, at 6:44 PM

Will they send our babies to school in boats tomorrow?

-- Posted by vqfan on Thu, Sep 17, 2009, at 7:48 PM

The question is not will they send your babies to school in boats tomorrow.......

But will YOU make the decision to keep your babies @ home if it is bad.

We all worry about our children, but...we can not blame the county officials with every little thing. As parents we must make the decisions for our own children.

It would seem to me that there is always going to be someone who complains about the way the schools make decisions. I have no children in school anymore. But if I did and I was that worried about them.......I would make the final decision for my child and pick he or she up myself.

I am sure that many will say that they can't leave a job or whatever to go pick up their child. But 20 odd years ago, when my dad became ill, I had a supervisor where I worked at the time, tell me to grow up and realize I needed a job. I was 32 at the time. He told me to pick between my father or my job. Within 30 minutes I was at my father's bedside.

So please don't put the decision solely on the officials. After all.....THEY ARE YOUR BABIES!!

-- Posted by Mama52 on Thu, Sep 17, 2009, at 8:15 PM

I'm just thankful no one got hurt.....Yay!!!

-- Posted by riebenchild on Thu, Sep 17, 2009, at 11:32 PM