Tennessee: Storm winds, rain knock out power

Strong winds and heavy rain from a powerful winter storm brought down limbs and knocked out power to 4,000 households around the region Tuesday night, according to Lacie Newton, communications coordinator with EPB.

Record rainfall fell around the region, with 4 or more inches in Sewanee and Monteagle, Tenn., and more than 3 inches in North Georgia, WTVC-NewsChannel 9 meteorologist David Glenn said.

The Chattanooga Metropolitan Airport, one of a handful of official weather reporting centers in Tennessee, set a daily state record with 2.34 inches of rain recorded, Mr. Glenn said, reducing the area’s rain deficit to about 11 inches for the year.

“We can only hope that this trend may stick around,” he said. “If this trend continues for the winter this could be ... a good start to 2009.”

Across the Southeast, moist air from the Gulf of Mexico dumped torrential rain on Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama. Classes were canceled at an elementary school in Walker County, Ala., after a tornado ripped off part of the roof, according to the Associated Press.

Winds gusting at around 41 miles per hour in Chattanooga damaged a 14-foot door at a Hamilton County Water and Wastewater Treatment Authority maintenance garage, Executive Director Cleveland Grimes said. The storm also put the Moccasin Bend treatment facility to the test, he said.

“We didn’t reach the maximum capacity, but we were really, really close,” Mr. Grimes said.

More foul weather is on its way, Mr. Glenn said. Another round of heavy rain is expected through today, and with temperatures falling this afternoon the area could see snow by tonight, he said.

Light accumulation is likely at the higher elevations of Tennessee, but central and eastern Mississippi will see the largest snowfall, he said.

Up to 4 inches could fall in some areas, the AP reported.