50 mph winds Friday night prompt Smokies road closure, but weekend events still a go

The week is ending with a threat of strong to severe storms in Knoxville and East Tennessee, the National Weather Service warns.

"A strong system will affect the Tennessee Valley and southern Appalachians tonight into Saturday … with damaging winds as the main concern," an NWS Morristown statement released Friday morning reads.

"A brief tornado is possible mainly along and near the Cumberland Plateau and southern Tennessee Valley. Locally heavy rainfall will also be possible which may lead to localized flooding," the statement continued.

In anticipation of the high winds, US 441/Newfound Gap Road through the Great Smoky Mountains National Park, between Gatlinburg and Cherokee, North Carolina, was scheduled to close to traffic as of 5 p.m. Friday, according to a tweet from the SmokiesRoadsNPS Twitter account.

More: Forecasters issue rare 'high risk' severe weather alert for Memphis

Weekend events such as Big Ears Festival performances and the Knoxville Marathon are not expected to be affected by inclement weather, Visit Knoxville communications director Kristen Combs told Knox News on Friday.

The only non-rain-or-shine event is the Dogwood Arts’ Chalk Walk on Saturday, but rain should not be an issue by the time artists begin their creations, Combs said.

The storms will be widespread across the middle of the country. Storms will hit in the area exactly a week after tornadoes caused deaths and widespread damage in Mississippi, the National Weather Service warns.

The highest risk for severe weather is western East Tennessee near Kingston and Pikeville, but the strongest winds will be in the far eastern regions of Tennessee and the mountains.

Damaging winds are the primary threat from this system. East Tennessee will be under a wind advisory from 8 p.m. March 31 until 8 p.m. April 1. Winds 20-30 miles per hour are expected in this area with gusts up to 50 mph.

A high wind warning for far east portions of East Tennessee will be effect from 6 p.m. March 31 until 11 p.m. April 1. Winds 25-40 mph are expected with gusts up to 70 mph. The strongest wind gusts are likely to occur the night of March 31, according to the NWS warning.

Damaging winds can blow down trees and powerlines. The NWS Morristown office warns of widespread power outages in the mountain areas and says winds will make traveling difficult.

East Tennessee's threat of severe weather is part of an outbreak of violent storms developing throughout Friday.

Just a week ago, tornadoes swept through northern parts of Mississippi and into Alabama overnight on March 24, killing at least 26 people and damaging more than 1,900 homes in 12 counties.

The risk of similar or even worse outbreaks are high for parts of the South and Midwest again this Friday. More than 65 million people in at least 15 states – from Texas to Alabama in the South all the way up north to Wisconsin and Michigan – are at risk from "explosive" storms on Friday, with with several tornadoes a near certainty, USA Today reported.

On Friday, two rare "high risk" zones for severe weather were issued by the Storm Prediction Center, one centered near Memphis and the other on the border between Iowa and Illinois. It's the first time in more than two years the SPC has issued a high risk, USA Today reported.

As potential severe weather move in, NWS suggests having multiple ways of receiving updated information such as weather alerts on your cell phone, weather radios and checking news sites. Weather.gov/mrx and the NWS Twitter account will also have up-to-date info. Overnight storms like last week's can be especially deadly because people don't see them coming and can't seek shelter, weather experts have warned.

Tornado watch vs. warning

What is the difference between a tornado watch and a tornado warning issued by the National Weather Service?

• A tornado watch means residents of the specified area should be prepared because tornadoes are possible in and near the watch area. People should be ready to act quickly if a warning is issued or if they suspect a tornado is approaching, according to the NWS website. Watches are issued by the Storm Prediction Center for counties where tornadoes might occur, and typically include multiple counties or states.

• A tornado warning means residents should take action immediately and seek shelter, because a tornado has been sighted or indicated by weather radar, threatening imminent danger to life and property. Warnings are issued by the local forecast office and typically encompass a much smaller area, such as a city or county, that might be impacted by a identified tornado, according to the NWS.

• Severe thunderstorm watches and warnings from the NWS are defined similarly: a watch indicates storms are possible in the area, and a warning that severe weather has been been identified in a particular area.

Tips for staying safe during thunderstorms

With the possibility of severe weather Friday, including the enhanced risk of tornadoes, the American Red Cross this week issued a release urging Tennesseans to be prepared to take safety measures in case severe weather hits their area.

The Red Cross' safety tips during thunderstorms include:

• If you can hear thunder, you are close enough to be in danger from lightning. The National Weather Service recommends staying indoors for at least 30 minutes after the last thunderclap.

• If a severe thunderstorm warning is issued, take shelter in a substantial building or in a vehicle with the windows closed. Get out of mobile homes that can blow over in high winds.

• Postpone outdoor activities if thunderstorms are likely to occur. Many people struck by lightning are not in the area where rain is occurring.

• Avoid electrical equipment and telephones. Use battery-powered TVs and radios instead.

• Shutter windows and close outside doors securely. Keep away from windows.

• Do not take a bath or shower or use plumbing during a thunderstorm.

• If you are driving, try to safely exit the roadway and park. Stay in the vehicle and turn on the emergency flashers until the heavy rain ends. Avoid touching metal or other surfaces that conduct electricity in and outside the vehicle.

• If you are outside and cannot reach a safe building, avoid high ground, water, tall and isolated trees and metal objects such as fences or bleachers. Picnic shelters, dugouts and sheds are not safe.

• Never drive through a flooded roadway, since you can't predict how deep the water might be.

• Stay away from downed power lines and report them immediately.

Tornado safety measures

• Ahead of time, identify a safe place in your home where household members and pets will gather during a tornado: opt for a basement, storm cellar or an interior room on the lowest floor with no windows.

• In a high-rise building, pick a hallway in the center of the building. You may not have enough time to go to the lowest floor.

• In a mobile home, choose a safe place in a nearby sturdy building. If your mobile home park has a designated shelter, make it your safe place. No mobile home, however it is configured, is safe in a tornado.

• If you are under a tornado warning, find safe shelter right away.

• Stay away from windows, doors and outside walls.

• Do not get under an overpass or bridge. You’re safer in a low, flat location.

• Watch out for flying debris that can cause injury or death.

• Use your arms to protect your head and neck.

• If asked to evacuate an area due to tornado threat, do so immediately.

Devarrick Turner is a trending news reporter. Email devarrick.turner@knoxnews.com. Twitter @dturner1208. Support strong local journalism by subscribing at knoxnews.com/subscribe.

This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: Knoxville weather: Severe storms will bring in strong winds