Storm fallout
Remains of tropical system moving through Southeast
The Chattanooga area should expect rain through Saturday morning with a chance of stormy weather today as remnants of former Tropical Depression Cindy continue to move through the region.
The Hamilton County Office of Emergency Management and Homeland Security has issued a statement urging residents to use caution in light of the local flooding potential.
“Flooding is likely to occur, especially creeks, streams and small rivers,” agency spokeswoman Amy Maxwell said. “Heavy rains may be so intense that small creeks and streams are unable to accommodate so much water. Storm drains and culverts may turn into raging bodies of water.”
In Birmingham, Ala., a suspected tornado flattened businesses and injured one person Thursday, according to The Associated Press, while the mayor of a coastal Louisiana town urged residents to evacuate ahead of a rising tide — two lingering effects of the weakening storm that was fueling harsh weather across the Southeast.
On Thursday, occasional showers, sometimes heavy, swept through Chattanooga. Hamilton County 911 dispatch records show several vehicle accidents occurred when the first heavy rain swept through in the early afternoon. Only a couple of downed-wires incidents were reported by 8 p.m.
National Weather Service statistics show roughly 12 inches of rain had fallen in some spots along the Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama and Florida coasts since Tuesday.
Meteorologists predict the storm’s remnants will sweep toward West Virginia today, clashing with another storm front, potentially causing severe thunderstorms, damaging winds gusts and flooding, according to Associated Press reports.
The National Weather Service in Morristown, Tenn., said it expects the Cumberland Plateau and Southeast Tennessee to get the heaviest rain totals as the tropical weather front passes through Tennessee, southwest Virginia and southwest North Carolina.
“It looks like some of the heaviest rain will be [tonight] as a cold front runs into this tropical air,” WRCB-TV Chief Meteorologist Paul Barys posted on the station’s website, adding “occasional showers will be the rule” for the day. The rain is expected to wrap up by noon Saturday, he said.
Total rainfall from Thursday to Saturday is expected to be between 1 inch and 3 inches across the area, Barys said. The weather should gradually clear, he said.
Today’s highs are expected to reach the mid-80s, dropping down to the low 70s.
The National Weather Service predicts a low potential for tornadoes.
“There will be a slight risk of severe weather [today],” NWS said on its website. “There will be the possibility of a few weak, brief short-lived tornadoes with gusty winds also being a threat with any stronger storms.”
The Tennessee Valley Authority expects it will be able to control major flooding through the rainy period. Mississippi and West Tennessee took the brunt of the diminished tropical weather front on Thursday.
“We’re looking at another heavy day of rain [today], but at this point, it appears we should be able to handle these rains with our storage reservoirs, if the current forecast holds,” TVA spokesman Travis Hickey said.
Some localized flooding may still occur, TVA officials said.
Meanwhile, the Gulf Coast was still suffering from the effects of Cindy, a former tropical storm in the Gulf of Mexico that crawled ashore early Thursday near the Louisiana-Texas state line, The Associated Press reported. Downgraded to a tropical depression, Cindy weakened as it crossed Louisiana toward Arkansas, but a broad circulation around the system swept moist Gulf air over the South, fueling severe weather and pushing up coastal tides.
In the low-lying Louisiana town of Lafitte, south of New Orleans, Mayor Tim Kerner urged residents in and around the town to seek higher ground because of rising water.
“The tide’s rolling in. It’s getting to a dangerous level,” Kerner said. Streets and yards in the town were covered, and he worried that homes, even those in parts of town protected by levees, might be flooded. “I’m hoping not,” he added. “Certainly it’s not been as bad as we feared. That’s the good news,” Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards told The Associated Press in Baton Rouge. “The bad news is it’s not over yet.”
Business Editor Dave Flessner and The Associated Press contributed to this story.
Contact staff writer Paul Leach at 423-757-6481 or pleach@timesfreepress.com. Follow him on Twitter @pleach_tfp.