POWER OUTAGES AND FLOODS REPORTED IN EAST TN
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WATE) — Heavy rain and thunderstorms have brought flooding and power outages to parts of Anderson, Blount and Knox counties.
The WATE 6 Storm Team was tracking storms overnight; with storms and heavy rain reaching around 30 mph. Water rescue missions were reportedly executed in Anderson County overnight. Some roads were blocked in Anderson County due to fallen trees and powerlines.
The National Weather Service Morristown said Wednesday night that numerous roads between Knoxville and Oak Ridge were completely flooded and impassable.
“If possible DO NOT DRIVE around this area at all tonight. It’s almost impossible to see flooding at night until it’s too late. And even when the rain ends, roads can remain flooded for hours!,” tweeted NWS.
A flash flood warning has been issued for Anderson and Knox counties by the National Weather Service Morristown.
The City of Oak Ridge Electric Department is working to restore power in Melton Lake Drive, Palisades Parkway, and part of Emory Valley Road.
The electric crews are navigating heavy rainfalls while working to identify the cause of the outage, according to the City of Oak Ridge. The city added that there are multiple trees blocking roadways as a result of the storm.
“Please be careful, stay home if possible and if you see a flooded area, turn around – don’t drown,” the City of Oak Ridge’s Facebook post said.
To report an outage in Oak Ridge, call (865) 425-1803.
In addition, the Knoxville Utilities Board reported that 8,050 customers are currently without power as of Thursday morning. The majority of the outages are near the Powell area where there have been reports of several lighting strikes and flooding.
The Clinton Utilities Board is also reporting that 5,048 of their customers are without power. To report an outage in Clinton, call (856) 457-9232.
The City of Alcoa reported around 1,500 customers with Alcoa Electric were without power as of Thursday morning.
