Cobb County emergency crews rescued 17 people from floodwaters last weekend, matching the total number of swift water rescues they performed during the entirety of last year.
Cobb County swift water rescues
Cobb County Fire’s technical rescue team members from Station 7 and Station 12 pulled 17 people to safety during a severe wave of flash flooding last weekend. The dramatic spike matches the entire rescue volume handled by the elite team over the previous year.
Several cars became stuck in high water when drivers attempted to pass through flooded areas or were caught off guard by rapidly rising pools. Crews responded to continuous emergency calls at a bad curve on Power Ferry Road and across Columns Drive, where the storm flooded both vehicles and local houses.
Emergency response training
Officials have not yet confirmed the total cost of property damage caused by the high waters across the county. It also remains unclear exactly how many individual vehicles were completely destroyed during the flash flooding.
Firefighter rescue techniques
Members of Cobb County Fire’s Technical Rescue Team spent the past few days practicing various techniques to rescue people from fast-moving water, including throwing flotation devices, and swimming directly into fast-moving currents.
“Reaching for them, with sticks, or whatever they can find, or throwing throwbacks to them, throwing flotation devices to them. Then, the most dangerous part in Swiftwater tech, is actually entering the water themselves to go swim somebody down and pull them back to shore to safety,” said Cobb County Fire District Chief Jeremiah Lewis.
Lt. Michael Barnett is on the Technical Rescue Team. He noted that the stormy weather brought relentless challenges. “From, you know, cars floating at the bad curve on Powers Ferry. Quite a few over the columns drive as well. Not only cars, but people’s houses flooding,” Barnett said.
Flooding safety guidance
Crews are currently bracing for another wet weekend and preparing for potential responses as more rain moves into the region. Firefighters are also preparing for increased lake and river safety details ahead of the busy summer months.
“We can’t encourage people enough to stay out of floodwaters, don’t drive through high water. Turn around, don’t drown,” Lewis said.
