Hail, heavy rain, gusty wind and possible tornadoes are expected today as a strong storm system moves into the Tennessee Valley, according to local meteorologists.
“Even if somebody is lucky enough not to get any of those things — the high winds, hail, tornadoes, all that — flooding is going to be a concern,” said NewsChannel 9 meteorologist Allison Chinchar.
Weekend rainfall in the Chattanooga area is expected to be between 2.5 and 3 inches, said Tod Hyslop, a meteorologist for the National Weather Service in Morristown, Tenn.
Torrential downpours pounded the state Saturday, with up to 10 inches of rain by the afternoon in some areas. Several streets in the Memphis area were declared impassable and hundreds were evacuated because of high water in Shelby County.
By the evening, a portion of Interstate 24 south of Nashville was under water from the onslaught of precipitation. One person drowned in those floodwaters, said Charles Shannon, a spokesman for the Nashville Fire Department. At least four other deaths in Tennessee have been blamed on the storm.
In Nashville, emergency responders had rescued 50 people from flooding.
“It’s so widespread, it’s a very serious concern,” said Tennessee Emergency Management spokesman Jeremy Heidt.
Crews were called out for swift-water rescues from Nashville to Memphis, Mr. Heidt said.
Hamilton and Bradley counties and the rest of Southeast Tennessee were under a tornado watch Saturday evening.
Street flooding was reported in Pikeville, Tenn., and a funnel cloud was spotted just after 7 p.m. CDT in Bledsoe County, Mr. Hyslop said.
The storm started to flatten out as the night wore on, he said, with the threat of more severe weather looming in today’s forecast.
“The system is not real fast moving, but there will be at least three little waves of low pressure to enhance the rain over the 24-hour period,” Mr. Hyslop said.
As the rain comes crashing down, threats of flash flooding will continue, Ms. Chinchar said. She advised people to keep an eye on their basements and yards, especially if living in low-lying areas that are prone to flooding.
With the abundance of rainfall expected, however, areas typically unaccustomed to flooding damage could be in for a surprise.
“You could see some places that don’t usually flood, that happen to be flooding,” Ms. Chinchar said. “We are expected to get several inches of rain over the next couple of days.”
The Associated Press contributed to this story.