The National Weather Service issued a flash flood warning for Marion County on Saturday afternoon, as some portions of the county received 3 to 6 inches of rain.
The floodwaters left several people stranded. A car hydroplaned off of southbound I-57 at mile marker 113, three miles south of Salem, into water in the median. The occupants got out on their own. Another car ran off the side of Lazy Acres Road near Hotze Road into a heavily flooded roadside ditch at 1:34 Saturday afternoon. The driver was also able to get out on their own. The Salem Fire Protection District was called to assist at each location.
Then, at 8:30 Sunday morning, a delivery driver from Georgia drove into the deep water on Brickhill Road, which resulted when one gate of Raccoon Lake had to be opened 5 feet to drain excess water from the Lake. The Centralia Fire Protection District was called to assist.
The Centralia Water Plant recorded 3.44 inches of rain for the 24-hour period ending at seven Sunday morning. The Salem Water Plant had just 1.29 inches.
The thunderstorms also knocked out power to many of those on the Tri-County Electric System in Marion County.
The Centralia Fire Protection District was called to a lightning strike to a house on Mercer Lane east of Raccoon Lake. Lightning struck a transformer to the home’s service, but was stopped by a surge protector at the meter. Firemen were called due to a smell of smoke in the home.
Centralia Fire Protection District at home on Mercer Lane where lightning struck a transformer. Photo by Tim Ferguson.
