Blount, Knox, Loudon, Roane and Sevier counties under flash flood watch after storm
Thought it was too soon for another round of thunderstorms while parts of Knoxville still are cleaning up fallen trees and waiting for the power to come back on after getting hit with an EF2 tornado this week?
Tell that to Mother Nature.
The National Weather Service issued a flash flood warning for Blount, Knox County, Loudon, Roane and Sevier counties.
Police reported flooding across the area after an overnight storm dumped 2-3 inches of rain. The flash flood warning is in effect until 9:45 a.m.
Knox County Schools delayed its start time by two hours to allow more time to travel.
As weather experts always say about flooded roads: turn around, don't drown.
The chances for such bad weather drop off after today, but the forecast through Aug. 15 does list a chance of showers and thunderstorms - often 30-40% - each day.
Know Your Knox: Do the Great Smoky Mountains really protect Knoxville from tornadoes?
What happened when the tornado hit Knoxville?
A destructive storm on Aug. 7 brought strong winds and heavy rain to Knox County, and what was later confirmed to be a "brief" F2 tornado to the western part of the county.
The tornado was centered at Lovell Crossings Apartments, which sustained major damage. The tornado cut a path 3.8 miles long and 200 yards wide with winds hitting 130 miles per hour, according to the National Weather Service.
The tornado started in the Hardin Valley area and moved east-northeast, reaching "peak intensity and width as it passed Paideia Academy, Lovell Cove subdivision and the Lovell Crossing apartment complex," the NWS statement said. The tornado passed east of Pellissippi Parkway and along Bob Gray Road. It appears to have dissipated near Bob Gray Road and Middlebrook Pike.
The National Weather Service office in Morristown issued a tornado watch for more than 50 counties before storms moved into the region that day.
This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Knoxville weather: Flash flood watch for Blount, Knox, Loudon, Roane, Sevier
