While the City of Smithville was cleaning up from last week’s tornado damage, the rest of the county had to deal with flash flooding, causing traffic snarls and even a rescue.

According to the National Weather Service, the tornado that tore through the Allens Ferry Road area of Smithville on Monday, May 6, has been confirmed as an EF1 tornado with wind speeds at over 100 miles per hour.

The storm touched down east of Highway 70 in northwest Smithville, and then moved west along Allen Ferry Road, before crossing Highway 56 just north of Northside Elementary School. Despite the storm being in the late afternoon, Northside Elementary was full of students and parents, there for Literacy Night. The crowds took shelter in the cafeteria of the school as the storm occurred.

The following Wednesday night, severe thunderstorms and heavy downpours moved through Middle Tennessee, leaving creeks to overtop their banks. The Dowelltown and Liberty area were most effected with water covering roads and surrounding homes.

Rescue crews had to be called out to the Temperance Hall area where a mailman became stranded in the rising waters. Authorities say the postal worker managed to get out of the water before crews arrived.

Local residents also became concerned for a few horses in the Dowelltown area, reported to be in belly deep water. The horses seemed to have found higher ground and were uninjured.