Korey Hunt, left, and Miranda Barnes shop for fireworks at the Tennessee Alabama Fireworks Nickajack store in Jasper, Tenn., on Thursday. Patrons kept the store busy despite the rainy weather that much of the Chattanooga region experienced yesterday.LOOKING AHEADMother Nature is not going to let up any time soon. WRCB-TV3 forecasters said area residents should expect showers popping up through today, with a slight chance of thunderstorms. Rainfall chances decrease Saturday morning, but pick back up Saturday afternoon into Sunday.FIREWORKSRain forced organizers to postpone several area Fourth of July fireworks shows. Weather permitting, here are the events planned Saturday:• Signal Mountain• Lakesite• Athens• Dunlap Main Street• Jasper• South Pittsburg• Lake Winnie to Saturday and Sunday at 10 p.m.FLASH FLOOD WARNINGSResidents who live in flood-prone areas are cautioned to look for rising waters resulting from this week’s rain and the continued rain forecast for the rest of the week. Catoosa County officials said water on U.S. Highway 41 already was causing problems.
Even without a bang, the Fourth of July went on Thursday despite ugly weather and unusually low temperatures.
At Hixson’s Chester Frost Park, campers said the rain might be a nuisance, but it was not going to stop a good time.
“What’s the fun of camping when it’s all nice and sunny?” said East Ridge resident Josh Merrit, who has been camping at Chester Frost alongside his wife, Monica, for the past month.
The Merritts have never camped during the Fourth of July, and despite having little access to weather forecasts from their lakeside tent, they decided last week to stick it out and spend this year’s Independence Day at the park. For the newlywed couple, camping is a welcome retreat from the grind.