BUSY EASTER WEEKEND FOR FIRST RESPONDERDS

BY BRUCE BRANUM

The Greenville Standard

 

From the onset of storms sweeping through Butler County late last Thursday evening to a fire and wrecks through Sunday morning, emergency personnel and law enforcement agencies were kept extremely busy leading up to and through Easter weekend.

Two lines of storms, which came through the county, caused wide spread road blockages due to fallen trees and flooding. They were part of a larger system affecting several states across the southeast with tornado damage and at least five deaths

According to EMA, four roads were temporarily closed in the county due to heavy rains causing flooding. They were Ashley Road, Bowden Bridge Road, Boswell Road, and North Garland Road.

County and city crews, volunteer fire departments and law enforcement were inundated with calls to respond throughout Thursday night and into the day Friday.

Saturday calmed a bit before another round of emergency calls on Sunday morning called first responders back into action.

A serious one vehicle wreck on Alabama Highway 10, just east of Greenville, sent three people to the hospital. Two were sent to UAB, one by Life Flight, and one by ambulance.

Shortly thereafter, the Greenville Fire Department was dispatched to a mobile home fire directly across from Regional Medical Center (L. V. Stabler Hospital). No one was injured in the fire, but the mobile home suffered severe damage.

The next call for first responders came a few hours later and involved a one vehicle wreck on Interstate 65 close to the 136 mile marker. A SUV had flipped upside down and landed on the guard rail.