Tennessee Valley Region flooding possible through weekend

Residents throughout the Tennessee Valley Region should stay alert for floods through Tuesday night.

The National Weather Service said a slow-moving storm system moving east is dumping inches of rain across the Southeast. Rain, sometimes heavy, is expected to continue into Monday morning and a chance of thunderstorms continues into Tuesday.

Area dispatchers said Saturday night that local officials were on the alert for flooding and the weather service said water was across roads in some areas.

The weather service office in Morristown, Tenn., issued flood warnings for the South Chickamauga Creek, affecting Catoosa County, Ga., and Hamilton County. Bledsoe, Marion and Sequatchie counties could also be affected, with a flood warning issued for the Sequatchie River.

Flooding in Lookout Creek near New England, Ga., could also affect Hamilton County. And flooding in West Chickamauga Creek near Fort Oglethorpe could affect Catoosa and Hamilton counties.

As of 8:15 p.m. Saturday, the South Chickamauga stage was at 14.7 feet. Flood stage is 18 feet. With rain continuing to pour in, forecasters predict the water could rise to 21.9 feet by Monday morning.

In Georgia, forecasters predict that the rain will continue to pour in as well.

Ryan Willis, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service's Peachtree City, Ga., office, said the northwestern part of the state received between 1-1/2 to 2-1/2 inches of rain on Saturday. Today, the region should receive about the same amount.

As a result, those in the area should expect minor-to-moderate flooding.

The rainfall will then push East, but more rain will then enter the area tonight.

"This is only exacerbating the chances of flooding," Willis said.

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