COVINGTON, Ga. — A man's home was damaged and many family memories were destroyed due to flooding that created a sinkhole in Newton County, Saturday afternoon.
Mathew Bishop was napping in his Fincher Road home in Covington when his family awoke him, saying the nearby creek started flooding.
"I noticed the road start slowly collapsing, collapsing," Bishop said, resident. "So I had to get off it and move my mother's car."
Just a few yards away, a massive sinkhole caused Fincher Road off State Road 212 to be closed off. Nearby power lines also fell, leaving Bishop's home without power.
Newton County Government Officials said a failed pipe caused the sinkhole, and it was scheduled to have work done Monday. The flooding is what Bishop said caused the most damage.
Bishop said at one point that his family was stranded while waiting for authorities and rescue crews to come and help them.
"My mom, my mama, who is in her seventies," he said. "And my sister and my 14-year-old daughter were on the porch hollering, crying."
The family stayed in a hotel Saturday night, and Bishop said he spent Sunday morning trying to salvage what he could from the home. The water damaged his daughter's pictures, a series of tools, and his sister's car.
"I have no clothes, no socks, no shoes," he said.
Fincher Road, near Bishop's home, is closed off through the weekend to prevent people from going near the damage.
TEXT YOUR WEATHER PHOTOS TO US: 404-885-7600
JOIN THE 11ALIVE STORMTRACKERS FACEBOOK GROUP: Nearly 10,000 metro Atlanta and north Georgia weather enthusiasts share their weather photos every day. Click here to join the group!
Severe WX YouTube embed options:
Prepare for severe weather, get emergency kit ready - https://youtu.be/OLWNn2QLeAM
Severe weather awareness | How to be prepared - https://youtu.be/26fV4t43Se0