Flash flooding causes havoc in Arlington
MEMPHIS, TN (WMC) - Flooding caused havoc in Arlington on Friday afternoon. Significant flooding and damage occurred at Wright Medical in Arlington.
All individuals who were inside the building have been accounted for.
"It was unbelievable. It was just, it seemed unreal," employee Karen Jennings said.
Jennings couldn't believe it when she saw cars almost under water, cars floating in the parking lot at Wright Medical.
"A lot of them swayed this way, and I just thank God I normally park on this side, but I'm so thankful I parked on the other side this time," Jennings said.
Although now the parking lot appears like the flooding never happened, the water was here long enough to damage a lot of cars. Some people took photos of the damage and a lot of those cars had to be towed.
A roof collapsed at Microport.
Multiple buildings are flooded in the downtown area, including the Shelby County Sheriff's Office substation, as well as a neighborhood near Summer Wind Lane.
The city requested assistance from Shelby County and Memphis fire departments.
Dottie the dog got wet, but survived the flood parts of her owner's home did not. Nearly a dozen houses on Summer Wind Lane in Arlington succumbed to the late spring rain storm.
"I had four inches of water in my home," homeowner Dwayne Bird said.
Bird had never seen water rise so rapidly. His backyard full of water, with standing water even inside his home.
"There was nothing we could do but just walk through it and get mops out, and push it out of the back door," Bird said.
The water inundated homes and, in several cases, cars too.
"And I told my mom, she was like 'stop freaking out', and then she goes and sees the water and she's like 'okay, yeah, freak out', But not too loudly," neighbor William Hinkle said.
Even neighborhood kids pitched in and helped.
Shelby County Office of Preparedness Director Dale Lane said this flash flood event wasn't in a designated flood plain. So, homeowners would not necessarily have flood insurance.
"We wanted to make sure we're here to be able to give them the help they needed," Lane said.
It's help these folks never thought they'd need.
"At least everybody was OK..hopefully," Hinkle said.
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