Crews rescue people from vehicles, houses during morning floods
Published 2:02 pm Wednesday, September 9, 2020
(Courtesy Smithfield Volunteer Fire Department)
(Courtesy Smithfield Volunteer Fire Department)
(Courtesy Smithfield Volunteer Fire Department)
(Courtesy Smithfield Volunteer Fire Department)
(Courtesy Smithfield Volunteer Fire Department)
(Courtesy Smithfield Volunteer Fire Department)
(Courtesy Smithfield Volunteer Fire Department)
(Courtesy Smithfield Volunteer Fire Department)
(Courtesy Smithfield Volunteer Fire Department)
(Courtesy Smithfield Volunteer Fire Department)
(Courtesy Smithfield Volunteer Fire Department)
First responders rescued several people from vehicles trapped in rising water and evacuated people and pets from their homes during flooding on Wednesday morning.
The first emergency call was received shortly before 7 a.m., according to Capt. Will Drewery of the Smithfield Volunteer Fire Department. A vehicle was trapped in rising water on Great Springs Road due to a flash flood created by a storm passing through the area, he wrote on the department’s Facebook page.
First responders quickly determined that vehicle was unoccupied, but soon were notified of another vehicle trapped nearby. A zodiac boat was launched, and one person was rescued by the Smithfield Volunteer Fire Department, the Facebook post stated.
Water rescue assets began going from house to house to determine if any citizens required evacuation. A total of 10 people and one dog were evacuated by boat from houses on Great Springs Road. Main Street Baptist Church provided temporary shelter until the Red Cross could arrive on scene.
Another call for a vehicle in high water was received on Scott’s Factory Road. Units from the original call quickly responded there and found a pickup truck partially submerged with rapidly rising water. Crews from Smithfield VFD, Suffolk Fire & Rescue and Newport News Fire & Rescue used technical rescue techniques and zodiac boats to reach the truck.
“Special thanks to the City of Suffolk Fire and Rescue and Newport News Fire and Rescue for providing mutual aid water rescue assets, Carrollton Volunteer Fire Department for backfilling our station, Main Street Baptist Church for providing temporary sheltering for the rescued individuals, and the Western Tidewater Medical Reserve Corps for staffing the shelter,” Smithfield VFD posted on its Facebook page.
