By: Tammy Curtis, Managing Editor

Mother Nature awakened Spring River area residents on March 3 with claps of thunder and lightning as she dumped around four inches of rain on the area over-night, swelling rivers, creeks and causing low water crossings to flood. In the early morning hours, residents living in several areas in the Spring River’s flood zone in Hardy were advised to voluntarily evacuate their homes. Hardy Police Chief Scott Rose awakened several to advise them of the rapidly rising river At around 7:30a.m. the Spring River at Hardy surpassed the 10 foot flood stage and was at 13.19 foot. Moderate flood stage is at 14 feet. The River crested at about 14.5feet that afternoon. Multiple roads and bridges were closed, including the Humphrey’s Ford Bridge near Hardy in which construction is currently underway to replace. Motorists were again forced to take alternate routes. Bridges were flooded across the counties, but when water re-ceded back roads were left washed out and in many cases, nearly impassable.