UPDATED: Flood warning extended until 1 p.m. for Blount, Monroe, Sevier; road closures reported in Townsend, Walland
From Staff and Wire Reports
The National Weather Service in Morristown has issued a
flood warning until 1 p.m. for urban areas and small streams in Blount County, including the cities
of Maryville and Alcoa.
The warning also
includes:
-- Monroe County, including the cities of Sweetwater and
Madisonville;
-- and Sevier County, including the cities of Sevierville and
Gatlinburg.
At 7:03 a.m., flooding has been reported across parts of
Blount, Sevier and Monroe counties, with Blount County law enforcement reporting that several
roadways near Townsend and Walland are closed due to the rising Little River. Sevier and Monroe
counties dispatch reported several roadways are impassable due to high
water.
Monday evening, some Townsend residents were advised to evacuate as
Little River rose out of its banks due to near-constant rainfall throughout the
day.
Blount County Schools will be closed today due to
flooding.
Townsend Fire Chief Don Stallions said no one was ordered to
evacuate, but people in areas along the river and its tributaries were advised it could be difficult
to get them out quickly if they were trapped behind high water.
Stallions
said he knew of a couple of families living along Little River on Dark Island off Carnes Road and
Cedar Creek who had decided to ride out the storm.
The Blount County
Chapter of the American Red Cross opened a shelter at Tuckaleechee United Methodist Church. At least
a couple of people stayed there for at least a time during the evening, Stallions
said.
“The river is up significantly, but it seems to have leveled off.
We’ve got a good handle on it right now,” Stallions said at 10:30 p.m. “Right now there’s not much
rain falling. But it depends on what happens in the (Great Smoky Mountains National) Park. If both
prongs of Little River get flowing high at the same time, that’s when we have a
problem.”
Firefighters warned campgrounds about the potential for flooding
and helped shut down propane tanks near the river.
There was flooding
on Old Walland Highway south of the old Wilson Bridge.
Little River started
to rise significantly about 6:30-7:30 p.m. Monday and leveled off about 9:30 p.m., Stallions
said.
The fire department, along with Townsend Fire Department and Blount
Emergency Management Agency, monitored the situation Monday evening and planned to remain through
this morning.
Downpours of rain made for some uncomfortable conditions
throughout Blount County and the surrounding area Monday, and it may not get any better today,
according to the National Weather Service in Morristown.
The weather
service estimated 1¾ inches of rain had fallen Monday in Maryville and northern Blount County, with
Knoxville receiving 1 inch for the day, according to radar.
Don’t
look for a whole lot of relief from the rain today, according to Weather Service meteorologist Jerry
Hevrdeys. There is a 100 percent chance for more precipitation, and a 90 percent chance for it to
continue into tonight.
However, there may be a break on Wednesday
with some drying out during the day and evening. But Thursday, Hevrdeys said the rain may make a
comeback, thanks to another high-powered system coming in. The rain should be gone by Friday, he
said.
Today’s highs will be in upper 40s, with lows in lower 40s.
Wednesday’s highs are predicted to be in the lower 50s, with lows in the lower to mid-30s.
Thursday’s and Friday’s highs should be in the mid-40s, with lows in the 20s, with some warming up
by Saturday with highs in the lower 50s, with lows in the lower
30s.
“These will be more seasonal temperatures,” Hevrdeys
said.
East Tennessee was under a flood watch at dawn Monday, and
there was a winter weather advisory posted for West Tennessee. No major flooding was reported,
however.
Heavy rain washed away at least one rural road, causing
minor evacuations, and flooding has closed some schools. No deaths or injuries were
reported.
In Middle Tennessee, officials evacuated residents of a mobile
home park in Waverly Sunday as water rose.
