County school bus tries to cross the flooded road on Lower Mill Road in Hixson on Wednesday morning. The bus afterward backed out and went another route.
photo by Brent McDonald (See video on NewsChannel 9)
Hamilton County Schools were on a two-hour delay Wednesday morning due to standing water after several days of rain.
School Age Child Care was to open at the regular time.
County school 12-month employees and maintenance employees were tol report on regular schedule.
Chickamauga Lock was temporarily closed by TVA due to high water levels.
A flood warning has been issued for some area creeks, including South Chickamauga Creek in Hamilton County, West Chickamauga Creek near Fort Oglethorpe and Lookout Creek that runs from Trenton, Ga., to Lookout Valley.
TVA dams are spilling high volumes of water with the Tennessee River Valley receiving 3-5 inches of rain over the last few days and up to two more inches are in the forecast.
TVA officials said, "We are spilling excess water at eight of the Tennessee River dams with all nine dams in spill operations by mid week. At Chickamauga Dam near Chattanooga, we're using the hydroelectric generators and spilling to release approximately 630,000 gallons per second.
"While we're moving water down the river system, the large tributary reservoirs like Norris, Douglas and Fontana, are storing water."
The National Weather Service has issued a flood warning for South Chickamauga Creek from late Wednesday until Thursday afternoon.
At 2:15 p.m. Tuesday, the state was 12.2 feet and rising. Flood stage is 18 feet.
It is expected to rise above flood stage by early Thursday morning and fall below shortly after.
At 18 feet, water begins to cross Mack Smith Road. Flooding begins at the golf courses near the confluence of South Chickamauga Creek and West Chickamauga Creek. West Chickamauga Creek also begins to overflow its banks.
The National Weather Service in Peachtree City on Tuesday night issued a flood warning for West Chickamauga Creek from Wednesday evening until Thursday afternoon.
At 2:45 p.m. Tuesday the stage was six feet...and rising. Minor flooding is forecast. Flood stage is 11 feet. Forecast to rise above flood stage by Wednesday evening and continue to rise to near 11.1 feet by early Thursday morning. The creek will fall below flood stage by Thursday morning.
At flood stage, minor flooding begins at woodlands and fields near the creek upstream and downstream from the gauge on Georgia Highway 146 or the Cloud Springs Road bridge. Minor flooding of the creek can also be expected further downstream as it crosses the Tennessee border into the south East Ridge area.
- Video provided by TVA -