State Route 116 in Anderson County, also known as Briceville Highway, is closed at Hawkins Road due to “slide issues,” the Tennessee Department of Transportation said Sunday. Also Sunday, Anderson County Schools and Roane County Schools both announced they will be closed Monday.
TDOT said traffic on Briceville Highway is being diverted to county roads.
“Use caution in this area,” TDOT said.
Hawkins Road is southwest of Rocky Top (the former Lake City) and northeast of Briceville.
Briceville Highway had earlier been reported to be closed in Briceville due to sinking pavement on Sunday afternoon.
Anderson County Schools said it will be closed Monday because of dangerous conditions with flooded roads and trees being down.
Roane County Schools said it will be closed due to “concerning road conditions throughout the county.”
Morgan County Schools also said it would be closed Monday due to flooding and dangerous road conditions in the county.
Knox County Schools said the district will open one hour late due to flooding and hazardous road conditions in parts of the county. Buses will also run one hour late, but all central office personnel and school-based administrators will report on time.
The National Weather Service in Morristown said a record for daily rainfall was set at Knoxville Mcghee Tyson Airport on Sunday. The NWS said 1.89 inches had fallen as of 5 p.m. Sunday, breaking the old record of 1.63 inches in 1977.
“Use caution if you must be out traveling,” the National Weather Service said. “If you see a flooded road, turn around, don’t drown.”
The heavy rain started in East Tennessee on Saturday and continued on Sunday. The flooding in Oak Ridge on Saturday was the worst anyone had seen for years.
Earlier Sunday, State Route 71 in Anderson County was closed for several hours at Norris Dam State Park because trees were blocking the road, according to TDOT.
See our Saturday weather story and photos here.
See our Sunday weather story and photos here.
More information will be added as it becomes available.
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