Heavy Rains Caused Schools To Close Early

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NASHVILLE, Tenn. - Lawrence County was one of the first in the mid-state area to be pelted by the downpour. The heavy rains caused flooding and forced schools to close early.

As the rain poured down questions poured into the Lawrence County Board of Education.

Director of schools Bill Heath made the announcement to dismiss students because the rain made road safety an issue.

"We have a lot of low water bridges and situations in the county, and with the rain like we've gotten today, we've decided to dismiss school at noon," said Heath.
PHOTOS: Middle Tennessee Flooding

Some of the county's worst flooding was in Summertown. At one point Shirley Thompson was held prisoner by the impromptu pond in her front yard.

"We get plenty of water. The ditches fill up and the yard fills up," said Thompson. "How am I going to get out of the driveway? How am I going to get to the store?"

Even the high school in Summertown flooded. There was more than three inches of standing water outside and some even leaking in to classrooms.

The rain let up around noon Thursday and that gave buses enough time to take children home safely- a couple of hours early.

While administrators cared most about having a safe day, students certainly did not mind that it was a short one, too.
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The heavy rain also caused problems for drivers in Lawrence County, forcing many to pull off the roads until the weather cleared.