Clinch Avenue in Clinton will require repairs after heavy rains on Saturday caused the road bed to fail in the northbound lanes just north of the Lewallen Bridge, according to the Clinton Police Department.
The bridge is not affected, but the traffic lanes on Clinch Avenue (State Route 9) near South Charles G. Seivers Boulevard (State Route 61).
The Tennessee Department of Transportation currently has traffic restricted to one lane traveling in each direction, the CPD said Monday.
[Read more…]
A section of State Route 116 is closed Thursday, Feb. 7, 2019, in north Anderson County due to a landslide after heavy rains on Wednesday, Feb. 6. (Photo courtesy Tennessee Department of Transportation)
Note: This story was updated at 12 p.m. Feb. 8.
A section of State Route 116 was closed Thursday morning in north Anderson County after a landslide following heavy rains on Wednesday, according to the Tennessee Department of Transportation. The hillside alongside and beneath the road gave way, and part of the road collapsed.
TDOT spokesperson Mark Nagi said there is no timeline for how long the road might be closed, but it will be a long-term closure.
On Friday, WYSH Radio in Clinton reported that one lane of the road was open. [Read more…]
Note: This story was updated at 1:05 p.m.
Airport Road and Midway Drive in Oliver Springs have closed due to flooding, and weather forecasters have issued a flash flood watch for the area.
Airport Road, which is on the east side of Oliver Springs, frequently floods during heavy, prolonged rains, and drivers sometimes get stuck there when they try to drive through the water, which can be high and moving fast.
A flash flood watch is in effect until 1 p.m. Friday in Oak Ridge, Clinton, and Knoxville, and Anderson, Morgan and Roane counties, among other communities, according to the National Weather Service in Morristown. Heavy rain continues today (Friday, December 28), with flooding possible, forecasters said. [Read more…]
Norris Dam is pictured above on Monday, Feb. 12, 2018. (Photo by Tennessee Valley Authority)
The Tennessee Valley Authority on Wednesday said it is releasing more water out of Norris Dam, increasing high river flows on the Clinch River, which flows past Oak Ridge.
“Because of more heavy rain in the forecast, water releases out of Norris Dam will increase today to 135,000 gallons per second,” TVA said Wednesday.
TVA has been posting updates on social media about the recent rains and their impact on reservoirs, rivers, and dams. [Read more…]
This story was updated at 9:55 a.m.
The Dogwood Junior Championship Regatta scheduled for this weekend has been canceled due to increased water flow on Melton Hill Lake and unsafe rowing conditions, the Oak Ridge Rowing Association said on Twitter.
All coaches received a cancellation notice by email through Regatta Central.
“We regretfully announce this cancellation,” the Rowing Association said. “Thank you for all support and understanding that our main goal is to keep rowers safe.” [Read more…]
Floodwaters rose close to road level at the intersection of Oak Ridge Turnpike and Illinois Avenue after heavy rains fell in Oak Ridge on Saturday afternoon and evening, April 22, 2017. (Photo by John Huotari/Oak Ridge Today)
Oak Ridge emergency workers responded to a car crash that injured two people, two fallen trees, and a possible apartment complex evacuation due to flooding during the severe thunderstorms on Saturday.
Heavy rain from the storms led to widespread flooding in Oak Ridge starting late Saturday afternoon. The water appeared to have receded in places a few hours later, or by early Saturday night.
Emergency workers made preparations Saturday evening to possibly evacuate apartments on Royce Circle, where water covered part of the roadway and rose near the first floor of an apartment complex at the northeast end of the circle. The apartments, which are next to Robertsville Road and just east of Willow Brook Elementary School, are in a low-lying area between two creeks that flow down along Jefferson Avenue and intersect with East Fork Poplar Creek, which was swollen with floodwaters on Saturday.
Authorities had made preparations to see how many people lived on the first floor of the Royce Circle apartment complex in case the residents had to be evacuated, Oak Ridge Fire Department Chief Darryl Kerley said. Of the 10 people there, all but one had another place to go, he said. Authorities were watching the water, Kerley said.
“We think it’s receding,” he said Saturday night. [Read more…]
From Friday through Wednesday morning, the Anderson County Sheriff’s Department responded to several weather-related incidents due to the heavy rain, authorities said.
There have been 24 reported crashes, none of which involved injury, Chief Deputy Mark Lucas said. There have been 12 reports of trees that have fallen across roadways.
As of Wednesday morning, there were three roads in the county that were impassable due to high water: Irwin Mill Road off Sinking Springs Road, Bacon Springs Road in the Marlow community, and Airport Road near Oliver Springs. Offutt Road at Offutt Spur Road in the Medford community is also flooded.
“Motorists are advised to use caution while driving even after the rain ends today,” Lucas said. “The saturated ground may cause more trees to fall, and water may continue to rise in low-lying areas near creeks and streams.”
More information will be added as it becomes available.
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Image courtesy of National Weather Service in Morristown.
Note: This story was updated at 6:55 p.m. with a new tornado warning.
A tornado watch is in effect for the northern half of East Tennessee—including Anderson, Knox, and Roane counties—through 8 p.m., and there is a chance of severe thunderstorms near Oak Ridge through midnight, the National Weather Service said.
Update:Â A tornado warning was issued at 6:26 p.m. for southern Campbell County, Scott County, and northwestern Anderson County. It’s in effect through 7:15 p.m., and it applies to Lake City and Rosedale in Anderson County, as well as LaFollette, Caryville, and Jacksboro in Campbell County, and Huntsville and Oneida in Scott County. (The tornado warning has since been extended to 7:45 p.m.)
Radar showed a severe thunderstorm capable of producing a tornado. The dangerous storm was located over Helenwood, about eight miles south of Oneida, and moving southeast at 35 mph, the NWS said.
People in the affected areas should take cover now, moving to a basement or interior room on the lowest floor of sturdy building. Windows should be avoided. If in a mobile home or outdoors, move to the closest substantial shelter and protect yourself from flying debris. [Read more…]
Image courtesy National Weather Service in Morristown.
Severe thunderstorms, heavy rain, and flooding are possible in the region starting Monday evening and continuing through Tuesday night, according to the National Weather Service in Morristown.
Isolated tornadoes are possible, mainly across the Cumberland Plateau and southern half of the Tennessee Valley, the Weather Service said. A tornado watch remains in effect until 8 p.m. Monday for southwestern Virginia and East Tennessee. The watch includes Anderson, Blount, Campbell, Knox, Loudon, Morgan, Roane, and Scott counties, among others.
The flood watch is in effect from 8 p.m. today until 8 a.m. Tuesday.
The National Weather Service said its main concerns are the isolated tornadoes, widespread damaging winds that could cause power outages due to fallen trees and power lines, and heavy rainfall producing flash flooding. Large hail is also possible.
The forecast near Oak Ridge calls for a 60 percent chance of heavy rain this afternoon, with a 100 percent chance of severe thunderstorms tonight. [Read more…]
