Chattanooga, TN – On the night of Aug. 12, heavy rainfall and flash flooding forced the closure of multiple roadways in Chattanooga, including a major section of Interstate 24.
According to the Chattanooga Police Department, I-24 was shut down between I-75 and U.S. 27 around 8:46 p.m., with portions of both eastbound and westbound lanes affected.
At one point, traffic was reduced to a single lane in each direction to allow crews to clear stranded vehicles. The Tennessee Department of Transportation reported that the interstate would remain closed until cleanup was complete.
Other roads were also impacted, including East Brainerd Road at Gunbarrel Road, Brainerd Road between East Brainerd Road and Germantown Road, and several county roads.
Authorities urged drivers to seek alternate routes and issued a reminder to “Turn Around, Don’t Drown” when encountering flooded roadways.
By 10:30 p.m., all eastbound lanes of I-24 had reopened, and by 12:30 a.m. on Aug. 13, the interstate was fully clear in both directions. Many city streets and county roads, however, remained affected by flooding into the early morning hours.