Moderate to Heavy Rainfall and Hurricane Helene Threaten Tennessee Valley and Southern Appalachians; Flood Watch in Effect

Key points:

• Several inches of rain expected today and Thursday, prior to Hurricane Helene.
• Helene to bring heavy rain and gusty winds Thursday through Friday.
• Flood Watch issued for multiple counties; flash flooding and hazardous conditions likely.

Moderate to heavy rainfall is expected Thursday across portions of the area. Several inches of rainfall is expected today and Thursday and this comes prior to any rainfall associated with the passage of Hurricane Helene.

From late Thursday through Friday, Helene will move north into the Tennessee Valley and Southern Appalachians. Confidence is increasing on expected impacts. Heavy rain and strong, gusty winds are likely. The highest winds are expected across the higher elevations of East TN, Southwest VA, the Southwest NC Mountains, and the Cumberland Plateau. Flooding will be a concern areawide.

A Flood Watch is in effect for Anderson County, Bledsoe County, Blount County, Loudon County, McMinn County, Meigs County, Monroe County, Rhea County, and Roane County. An area of showers and thunderstorms will develop and move across the region Wednesday and continue through Thursday morning. A brief period of drier conditions is possible Thursday before Hurricane Helene moves into the Southern Appalachians late Thursday through Friday morning. Periods of torrential rains with flash flooding is possible. Turn around, don’t drown when encountering flooded roads. Most flood deaths occur in vehicles.

Hear the latest forecast and severe weather information on 105.7 The Hog, 94.1 The Vibe (1410 AM), Spirit 101.9, 98.9 The Wolf, and 93.3 The Ranch (580 AM).