Additional Images
);)
);)
);)
);)
Flooded Roads
Force Closing Of
County Schools;
More Rain Forecast
BY O.J. EARLY
STAFF WRITER
A near-steady rain since Sunday evening has produced flooding in sections of Greene County, swelling many of the area's creeks, streams and rivers and closing county schools today.
Appoximately a dozen roads were impaired this morning, with most of the flooding concentrated in the northern and western areas of the county, said Road Superintendent David Weems.
"We expect Lick Creek to continue to rise," Weems said at about 7:30 a.m. today, after meeting with staff members of his department who had assessed many of the flooded roads.
"We urge motorists that, if water is over the road, don't go through it."
As of 7:30 a.m. today, Supt. Weems said the following roads were flooded: Pottertown Road, Payne Road, Weems Chapel Road, Marvin Road, Links Mill Road, Barkley Road, Crumbley Road, Spears Dykes Road and Grassy Creek Road.
Weems said that crews would continue to work today to place "High Wate" signs near roads that are impassable.
MEETING SCHEDULED
Impassable roads and dangerous conditions prompted the closing of Greene County Schools today, Greene County Director of Schools Dr. Vicki Kirk said.
A weather update meeting was scheduled to be held at 1 p.m. today at the Greene County Office of Emergency Management, Director Bill Brown said.
Participating in the meeting will be representatives of the National Weather Service (NWS), along with Greeneville and Greene County department heads, Brown said.
"We will find out exactly what to expect," Brown said of weather conditions.
Greene County remains under a flood watch until Wednesday morning, and could see an additional two inches of rain today.
METEOROLOGIST COMMENTS
David Gaffin, meteorologist with the NWS in Morristown, said this morning that Greene County should expect rain for the rest of today and into Thursday.
"This light-to-moderate rain is going to continue all day into tonight," Gaffin said at 7 a.m. today.
"In Greene County you could see another couple inches before this stuff gets out of here," Gaffin said.
Rain remains in the forecast through Thursday, according to the NWS.
RAINFALL TOTALS
Officially, there has been a total 3.45 inches of rain from Sunday until 7 a.m. today at the University of Tennessee AgResearch and Education Center on East Allens Bridge Road.
From 7 a.m. Sunday to 7 a.m. Monday, .88 inches fell at the UT Center. Then, 2.57 inches was recorded from 7 a.m. Monday to 7 a.m. today at the UT Center, the county's official weather station.
For the month of January, 4.38 inches of rain has been recorded thus far at the UT Center.
That precipitation total already surpasses the normal average amount for the entire month of January, which is 3.53 inches.
