The Tennessee Valley Authority was spilling or sluicing through gates at reservoirs including Chickamauga, pictured above, with heavy rain in the forecast from Thursday, Dec. 27, to Friday, Dec. 28, 2018. (Photo courtesy TVA)
The Tennessee Valley Authority confirmed Wednesday that 2018 was the wettest year in the Tennessee Valley in 129 years of record keeping.
There was a basin average of 67.1 inches of rain across the Tennessee Valley in 2018, TVA said.
The previous record was 65.1 inches in 1973.
The TVA rain gauge on Mt. Mitchell in North Carolina received 118.8 inches of rain in 2018.
The Tennessee Valley region normally averages 51 inches of rain a year.
TVA said rainfall in 2018 was boosted by hurricanes Florence and Michael and Winter Storm Diego.
The new year, 2019, is starting wet with up to two inches of rain in the forecast, TVA said.
“We are storing water in the tributaries and utilizing the limited storage space at the main stem reservoirs as we manage flood crests on the Tennessee River,” the public utility said. “We’re forecasting above flood stage at Savannah, Clifton, and Perryville, Tennessee; and Florence, Alabama, over the next week.”
Here is flood stage information:
- Florence, Alabama:Â http://tva.me/H0g450k5dqW
- Savannah, Tennessee: http://tva.me/DchK50k5dqX
- Perryville, Tennessee: http://tva.me/7xfk50k5dsc
- Clifton, Tennessee: http://tva.me/dyI250k5dsb
“Basically we’re holding back water above Chattanooga to allow the crest downstream,” TVA spokesperson Scott Brooks said.
TVA manages the 652-mile Tennessee River and its many tributaries using a series of 49 dams to meet vital public needs in six key areas: navigation, flood damage reduction, power production, water quality, water supply, and recreation. Click here to learn more about Tennessee Valley rainfall.
You can check the latest information and forecasts for each reservoir on the TVA app and website at https://www.tva.com/Environment/Lake-Levels.
The Tennessee River Valley is 41,000 square miles.
More information will be added as it becomes available.
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