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SHERRY HOLT & TOM BERRY/
Ledger & Times
Murray and Calloway County had its share of storm and flood damage to show Saturday following a strong round of storms that moved through the area Friday night and early Saturday morning which produced three tornado warnings. Above, a man near Almo is shown standing outside by his mailbox Saturday shortly after 1p.m. Part of Ky. 464 was underwater from all the rain Friday and Saturday. At left, high winds toppled this tree near Murray State University’s Regional Special Events Center Friday. The tree fell alongside the roadway and did not block traffic; however it did damage a small section of fence in the area. |
Stormy weekend takes toll on county
By TOM BERRY & KRISTIN TAYLOR
Staff Writers
A Hazel man died at Vanderbilt University Medical Center in Nashville over the weekend apparently from injuries suffered when he drove his vehicle into a flooded section of Jones-Sparkman Road early Saturday morning.
Ronnie Gardener, 59, attempted to drive his van across a flooded section of Jones-Sparkman Road, west of Murray, when he lost control of his vehicle.
Chief Rodney Burkeen of the Calloway County DES Rescue Squad said workers pulled Gardener from his van. Burkeen said Gardener seemed fine at the time.
“It was about six feet deep and he drove off in it,” Burkeen said. “The water he was in when we found him was about knee deep to waist deep so he wasn't in any deep water when we first got there and we were the first ones on the scene. He was talking and seemed fine. I don't know what happened.”
However Gardener later died of as yet unknown injuries at Vanderbilt where it is believed that an autopsy either was or will be performed, according to County Coroner Mike Garland.
Imes-Miller Funeral Home is in charge of burial arrangements. (See obits page)
The Calloway County Sheriff's Department and Calloway County Fire-Rescue assisted at the scene, according to Burkeen.
Gardener was a retired assistant chief of the Murray Fire Department. Chief Roger Skinner said this morning that Gardener served the department for 22 years from 1968 until 1990.
Murray and Calloway County, as well as most of western Kentucky, were inundated with severe thunderstorms and heavy rains Friday and Saturday with at least three tornado warnings sounded in Murray. Heavy rains and hail were reported over much of the county while some areas apparently weren't as harshly affected.
Burkeen said DES Rescue teams were out all night Friday assisting those threatened by flood waters and that the department's amphibious vehicle has been sent to Mayfield Friday night to assist emergency workers there.
“We sent it over there to help evacuate people,” he said. “Of course we did the same thing here in Murray because several people were washed off of roadways. I think we got started about 5:30 Friday (afternoon) and didn't stop until about 8 o'clock Saturday morning. Then went back out about dinner and stayed out the rest of the afternoon.”
Calloway County Fire-Rescue Chief Greg Cherry said his department responded to 15-20 weather-related calls Friday evening and overnight into Saturday morning. Mostly the complaints were of downed power lines or trees blocking roads.
Cherry also sent five people, including himself, and one boat to help Mayfield officials evacuate College Street there.
“I was wading in water waist deep to get into people's houses,” he said.
But back in Calloway County, damage was minimal in comparison. “I didn't see any real severe damage,” he said. “There was a lot of water.”
Also on Friday afternoon, CCFR responded to two structure fires, although Cherry said whether they were weather-related has yet to be determined. One was an abandoned house in the Providence area that was completely destroyed. Also, a Hazel house was heavily damaged.
Road Department Supervisor Jodie Brooks said this morning that several roadways and at least two bridges remain closed today and crews are canvassing the county to determine whether there are others that must be reported. Jones-Sparkman, Thurmond and Darnell roads are closed. Doors Trail and Woodcock Road are closed because of flooded bridges.
“That's what we know of as of right now and some of them are going to be closed for a while,” Brooks said.
Other roadways had been closed temporarily, but are now open to traffic, such as Stateline Road west of Hazel which remained under about two feet of water Saturday afternoon.
For complete story, see today's Ledger & Times
Story created Sep 25, 2006 - 11:32:03 EDT.
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