Wind Advisory, Flood Warnings Hit East Tennessee Mountain Counties
Strong winds up to 45 mph and flooding from heavy rains threaten East Tennessee mountain counties through Saturday morning.
MORRISTOWN, TENNESSEE — The National Weather Service issued multiple weather advisories for East Tennessee counties overnight Friday, warning residents of dangerous winds and flooding conditions affecting mountainous regions through early Saturday morning.
A Wind Advisory remains in effect until 7:00 AM EDT Saturday for Blount Smoky Mountains, Cocke Smoky Mountains, Sevier Smoky Mountains, Southeast Greene, and Unicoi Counties. South winds will increase to 15 to 25 mph with gusts reaching around 45 mph over higher elevations and foothills, according to the National Weather Service Morristown office.
The gusty conditions pose risks to unsecured objects and could bring down tree limbs, potentially causing scattered power outages across the affected mountain communities.
Flooding Concerns in Scott County
A separate Flood Advisory was issued for Scott County until 12:15 AM EDT Saturday due to excessive rainfall from thunderstorms. Doppler radar indicated heavy rain at 9:13 PM EDT Friday, with between 1 and 2 inches already fallen across the advisory area.
Additional rainfall amounts up to 1 inch are expected, which will result in minor flooding in low-lying areas and locations with poor drainage. Big South Fork National Park is among the locations expected to experience flooding conditions.
Multi-State Weather System
The weather system extends beyond Tennessee, with the National Weather Service Springfield office issuing flood advisories for portions of southeast Kansas and Missouri. Those advisories affected Cherokee and Crawford Counties in Kansas, along with Barton, Cedar, Dade, Hickory, Jasper, Polk, St. Clair and Vernon Counties in Missouri.
The Missouri and Kansas flood advisory expired at 10:00 PM CDT Friday, but demonstrated the widespread nature of the storm system moving through the region. Affected communities in those states included Lamar, El Dorado Springs, Stockton, Humansville, Jasper, Golden City, Liberal, Alba, Sheldon, Mulberry, Purcell, Mindenmines, Nashville, Montevallo, Carytown, Jerico Springs, Asbury, Neck City, and Lamar Heights.
Residents in the affected Tennessee counties should secure outdoor items and avoid driving through flooded roadways. The National Weather Service advises that even shallow moving water can sweep vehicles away, and most flood-related deaths occur in automobiles.
