CLARKSVILLE, Tenn. (WTVF) — It's been two long and agonizing days since Roger and Sharon Pearson had to evacuate their home in Clarksville.
"I was actually going to stay, but my wife was smarter than me, and she said, 'No, we’re leaving,'" said Roger.
The Pearsons were able to evacuate Saturday. Some of their neighbors waited until Sunday. By that point, it was too late. The water rose so quickly in the Woodstock neighborhood, located on Trenton Road near the Tennessee-Kentucky line, the Clarksville Fire Department had to lift individuals off their front porches and into inflatable rafts.
'Thank God for that'
It could take days before these submerged roads fully dry out. The Pearsons decided they just couldn't wait that long.
"Now it’s just a matter of getting inside there and seeing what kind of damage is done," said Roger.
"Is it flooded in the house? Is our house a mess?" asked Roger's wife, Sharon.
With oars in hand and radios in their pockets, Roger and Sharon's kids set out on kayaks to paddle out to their home. The goal was two-fold — relay any information they could about the state of the house and retrieve some life-sustaining medication for Sharon.
"First thing is my blood pressure medicine," she said.
Even after waiting two days, those few minutes to get word about their house felt like the longest.
"So nothing in the kitchen or living room?" asked Sharon into her radio.
"Nothing, everything in the house is dry," exclaimed Paul, Sharon's son-in-law, from the other end of her radio.
"Good, thank you. Now I’m emotional," said Sharon.
It was certainly good news for the main level of their house. Less so, for their garage. "Our refrigerator, apparently in the garage, flipped over and is floating around," explained Sharon.
Even still, having the kayaks return with some essential knowledge and items seemed to lift the Pearsons' spirits.
"Well, praise God for that," said Sharon.
They'll certainly need higher spirits for the long recovery to come.
"We’ve never been through this experience, I don’t know anyone who has been," said Roger.
Not again
Sadly, it could take a long time for the Woodstock neighborhood to dry out. This area also saw high water during the May 2010 flood and a few episodes after that. We spoke to Phil Munden, a homeowner who was living in the neighborhood during the 2010 Flood.
"The problem is, there’s no place for it to go. This is a collection point," explained Munden. "I’m thinking it’ll probably be around for a couple of weeks, and that’s bad."
The residential area isn't close to either the Cumberland or Red Rivers, that flow through Clarksville. Neighbors believe a nearby sinkhole, connected to an underground cave system, may be to blame for all the high water in the area. They say the city has attempted to fix the flooding issue several times, but apparently, to no avail.
Do you have more information about this story? You can email me at chris.davis@newschannel5.com.
Breaking barriers and moving to the beat! One local dance company is making it possible for young people in wheelchairs to move and groove like everyone else. Good for your mental health, good for your physical health and good for your dose of positive news today. I hope you check out what they're doing!
-Rebecca Schleicher
