Chattanooga, Tennessee, faced a once-in-a-century rainfall event on August 12 that left three people dead, one missing, and major freight corridors underwater. The unprecedented storm delivered 6.42 inches of rain in a matter of hours, the second-wettest day ever recorded in the city’s history since records began in 1879.
While the human toll was severe, the flooding also underscored the growing risk extreme weather poses to freight and supply chain operations. Interstate 24, a critical trucking artery through the Southeast, was submerged along with several alternate routes, temporarily halting movement of goods in and out of the region.
A Freight Corridor Underwater
The storm inundated multiple major routes in Hamilton County, including I-24, Brainerd Road, Ringgold Road, Bonny Oaks Drive, and SR 153. Spring Creek overflowed, cutting off access to key freight lanes. Semi-trucks were caught on flooded interstates, with footage from the Chattanooga Fire Department showing some attempting to navigate through deep water, a dangerous maneuver that risks equipment, cargo, and driver safety.
I-24 in Chattanooga is flooded with multiple cars submerged underwater. pic.twitter.com/jS6H2weuVq
— box (@lnanalgesia) August 13, 2025
The Tennessee Department of Transportation (TDOT) classified the event as having a 0.2% probability of occurring in any given year. “We were mobilized and ready to respond with statewide resources,” said TDOT Commissioner Will Reid, noting that crews worked around the clock with emergency responders to restore traffic flow.
A Complex Detour Challenge
TDOT’s Incident Management Plan provides alternate routing when an interstate is closed. However, according to TDOT Region 2 Director Danny Oliver, the intensity of the rain meant “many of our alternate routes were also flooded, so we had to go to plans B and C.” This compounded delays for freight operators and underscored the challenges of maintaining network resiliency when weather events affect multiple corridors simultaneously…