Aug. 13 (UPI) — Heavy rains caused flash flooding in Chattanooga and surrounding areas Tuesday that has inundated roads, triggered an emergency declaration and sent rescue workers scrambling as they try to rescue stranded residents.

Nearly 6 1/2 inches of rain fell at the Chattanooga Airport, according to the National Weather Service, making it the second-wettest day on record for the southeastern Tennessee city of about 192,000.

The rain shut down a stretch of Interstate 24 that runs through the city, flooding it over 3 feet of water, according to a post on X by the state Department of Transportation.

Hamilton County Sheriff Austin Garrett said during a press conference that he had never seen such widespread flooding that had such a severe impact on travel, according to the Chattanooga Times Free Press.

“I’ve seen flooding throughout my career all over the county,” he said. “It’s typically concentrated in one area. This is extremely widespread. It made it difficult for us to even get here ourselves to try to help other people.”

The sheriff’s office posted photos to X showing cars completely swamped with brown flood water. Another post urged divers to stay put if they were in a safe location and to not attempt to drive over flooded roadways.

A video posted by the Hamilton County Office of Emergency Management and Homeland Security shows rescue teams wearing headlamps pushing a raft up to a building to rescue in a building.

Hamilton County Mayor Weston Wamp announced a state of emergency in response to the floods. He said in the announcement that his office has been in touch with state authorities and will continue to assess the damage overnight and into the morning.