About 200 customers are without power currently as Hamilton County first responders are already responding to reports of downed power lines this evening, according to a spokesperson for EPB.
A tornado watch is in effect until 9 p.m. for most of the Tennessee Valley and severe thunderstorm watches are in effect as well.
EMS has received reports of possible downed lines on Apison Pike at Tallant Road, on Morning Glory Drive in Harrison and on Birchwood Pike at Gamble Road.
Downed trees are also being reported in some areas.
Most reported outages are in the Hixson-Northgate, Ooltewah-Collegedale, Red Bank-Moccasin, Signal Mountain, Soddy Daisy, and Chattanooga Valley areas, according to EPB spokesperson and Vice President of Marketing J.Ed. Marston.
The storm has had "minimal impact" on the EPB power system at this point and that outages are scattered across the service area, Marston said in a statement.
"Currently, about 200 customers representing much less than 1% of our total are experiencing an outage," Marston said. "The EPB Smart Grid has kept the power on for more than 2,600 customers allowing us to focus restoration efforts on customers without power."
In addition to the storms, the expected wind could be the most damaging, according to our news partner WRCB. The entire region is under a Wind Advisory for sustained winds at 15-30mph and gusts up to 50mph. SE Monroe County is under a High Wind Warning until 1AM EST Sunday for wind at 25-45mph and gusts up to 80mph.
The worst storms are supposed to arrive between 2-6 pm EST.
Amy Maxwell, spokesperson for the Hamilton County Office of Emergency Management, said that dispatchers have the most updated information as they respond to reports of downed lines.
At least nine people have died as a result of storms bearing down Saturday on the eastern half of the United States, authorities say, with dangerous winds and tornadoes in the South and potentially crippling snow and ice in the Midwest still possible through the weekend.
Bradley County and Cleveland emergency management officials have opened safe rooms due to the severe weather.
This is a developing story. Check back with the Time Free Press for updates.