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Roads flooded, trees down across ChattanoogaStorms thrash the South
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* Flash flood watch in effect as nasty weather moves into Chattanooga region* At least 3 dead as storms, tornadoes rip through Gulf states
Forecast
Here’s the seven-day forecast for the Chattanooga area.
Andrew Muncy walks down wet steps on the campus of the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga on Tuesday, Feb. 23, 2016, in Chattanooga, Tenn.
Water drips from berries on a holly bush on the campus of the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga on Tuesday, Feb. 23, 2016, in Chattanooga, Tenn.A strong storm system that triggered tornadoes and severe weather across the South could bring a little snow to the Chattanooga area.
The National Weather Service issued a flash flood watch for parts of eastern Tennessee, including Chattanooga and Cleveland. The warning, which started at 6 p.m. Tuesday, will continue through this afternoon as heavy rain moves through the area, putting some low-lying areas, roadways and streams at risk of flooding.
Areas in central Georgia and Alabama will be hit hardest, but the risk for flash flooding is notable in Southern Tennessee because of persistent rain over the past few days, said Glenn Carrin, a meteorologist at the National Weather Service in Morristown, Tenn.
“Over the past eight days, we’ve pushed about 2 inches of rain,” he said. “And people should expect more.”
In Chattanooga and the surrounding area, rain should persist through today and temperatures will remain in the upper 50s, but as the system moves northward and temperatures begin to drop, that precipitation could transition into snow in some more mountainous areas late tonight and into Thursday.
Doug Schneider, another meteorologist for the NWS in Morristown said higher elevations could see some freezing and light snow as temperatures dip into the upper 20s.
That chance of snow may last into Thursday morning, but accumulation should be minimal and he predicts the weekend should see a rise in temperatures again up to the high 40s on Saturday and up to 60 on Sunday.
But that might not mean winter is quite done yet, Carrin said. He said March is expected to warm up normally as the season shifts into spring, but some cold weather could still be coming down the pipeline.
“I can only remember the disappointment a couple of years ago when March was 5 degrees colder than February,” he laughed.
The system has caused severe weather along the Gulf Coast and is suspected in at least three deaths.
On Tuesday, a suspected tornado ripped through a Louisiana recreational vehicle park, leaving a mangled mess of smashed trailers and killing at least one person, officials said. In neighboring Mississippi, authorities said one person died when a possible tornado hit a mobile home.
St. James Parish Sheriff Willy Martin, speaking on local television, said there was definitely one fatality and possibly another victim at the RV park in Convent. Martin said authorities are still looking for people believed to be trapped under the debris.
He said he could not give an accurate number of people injured but that he saw at least 25 people with injuries, some who were able to walk out while others were more severe.
“We never had anything like this, we never had this many people injured in one event, and so much destruction in one event,” Martin told WVUE news.
In Mississippi, officials are still sorting through reports of damage to some buildings, but Vann Byrd of the Lamar County Emergency Management Agency said one person died in a mobile home west of Purvis. Byrd didn’t release the person’s name.
Forecasters spotted debris on the ground Tuesday afternoon that is a typical hallmark of a tornado, said David Cox, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Pearl, Miss. Storm damage also was reported at a second location in the county that appeared to be caused by the severe storm system.
More than 6 million people in parts of five states – Louisiana, Mississippi, Alabama, Florida and Georgia – were in an area of moderate risk for a few strong tornadoes and other severe weather, the Storm Prediction Center in Norman, Okla., estimated.
In Alabama and Georgia, forecasters issued flash flood watches ahead of the storm system, which is expected to drop 1 to 2 inches of rain, with higher amounts possible in some areas. The warnings, which covered large parts of both states, are in effect through this afternoon.
The Associated Press contributed to this story.
Contact staff writer Emmett Gienapp at egienapp@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6731.
WEDNESDAY CLOSINGS AND DELAYS
Polk County Schools will be delayed two hours