CELINA-Storms rolled through Clay County over the long holiday weekend dumping nearly seven inches of rain and producing widespread damage.

Fire and rescue organizations across the county responded to numerous scenes to help clear roadways and assist residents, Tri-County Electric employees were busy trying to restore power, and marinas and lakeside campgrounds felt the effects of a five-day total of 6.75 inches of rain recorded here inside the city limits by a local Community Collaborative Rain, Hail and Snow Network (CoCoRaHS) station.

Over two inches of rain fell twice, and the amount was nearly seen on a third day during the span—which began last Thursday, when 2.42 inches were recorded, and ended on Monday with 2.13 inches.

According to the CoCoRaHS station, which is set to record from 8 a.m. to 8 a.m. the next day, 1.74 inches also fell on Friday and .46 inches on Saturday, with no precipitation hitting the gauge Sunday.

The rainfall total made Dale Hollow Lake levels rise right at two full feet in elevation between last Thursday and HORIZON press time Monday night, as it jumped from just under 653 feet above sea level (FASL) to right at 655 FASL, despite the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ best efforts—which included around-the-clock generation.

The storms had already hampered Memorial Day weekend tourist traffic, and the rising water also caused problems, as launching access and campgrounds were affected by water jumping four feet above the normal summer pool of 651 FASL.

The storms also kept others busy on land.

Flood waters affected low-lying areas across the county, including here in the city, where flooding began as early as Thursday in Clark’s Subdivision and other areas.

Additionally, Tri-County personnel worked throughout the night all weekend, as they faced broken power poles and outages, while volunteers with local fire departments, the Clay County Volunteer Rescue Squad, and Hermitage Springs Fire and Rescue answered call after call.

All of the agencies, along with the Clay County Sheriff’s Department, Clay County Emergency Management, and others, kept the public updated via social media and other avenues during the extended period of storms.