After getting drenched by repeated storms on July 30, Knoxville should prepare for another round of heavy downpours and flash flooding. Strong thunderstorms are expected roll through July 31, bringing damaging winds, too.
East Tennessee, including Knoxville, is under a flash flood watch until 5 a.m. Aug. 1 , according to the National Weather Service.
The main threats associated with the July 31 storms are heavy downpours that might cause flooding and straight-line winds 60-70 mph, NWS Morristown meteorologist Derek Eisentrout told Knox News.
Heavy rainstorms already flooded streets and brought down trees in the area earlier this week. Flash floods closed down Dollywood in Pigeon Forge and left some parkgoers without access to a vehicle on July 28.
When to expect heavy rain and flash flooding in Knoxville
Severe storms are likely to move through the Knoxville area overnight between 8 p.m. July 31 and 2 a.m. Aug. 1, Eisentrout said.
Downpours could amount to 1-3 inches of rainfall. Most areas will see 1-2 inches, Eisentrout noted, but isolated areas could get 2.5-3 inches. As of July 31, the flash flood watch is expected to expire at 5 a.m. Thursday.
There is a chance of showers and thunderstorms through Aug. 5 next week, according to the seven-day forecast . But as of July 31, these storms don't seem to threaten to be that severe, Eisentrout said.
Some Knoxville areas and streets flooded, making some major roads impassible, after torrential downpours that dumped 1-1.5 inches. Blount and Loudoun counties received closer to 2 inches of rain.
Other East Tennessee areas have gotten up to 4 inches of rain over the past few days, according to NWS.
What is flash flooding?
Flash flooding usually begins within six hours, but often within three hours, of heavy rain accumulating in an area, according to the National Weather Service. It usually happens very quickly and catches people off guard.
"The intensity of the rainfall, the location and distribution of the rainfall, the land use and topography, vegetation types and growth/density, soil type, and soil water-content all determine just how quickly the flash flooding may occur, and influence where it may occur," writes NWS .
This makes it harder to determine when flooding will occur, Eisentrout explained. Meteorologists pay closer attention to the rate of rainfall as opposed to the amount because of the varying absorption of different soil types and saturation levels within a given area.
“We always say ‘Turn around, don't drown.’ If the road is covered with water, don't try to drive through it,” Eisentrout advises.
Flood watches and warnings in East Tennessee
The National Weather Service issued a flood watch for these areas the morning of July 31.
- Anderson
- Bledsoe
- Blount Smoky Mountains
- Bradley
- Campbell
- Claiborne
- Cocke Smoky Mountains
- East Polk
- Grainger
- Hamblen
- Hamilton
- Hancock
- Hawkins
- Jefferson
- Johnson
- Knox
- Loudon
- Marion
- McMinn
- Meigs
- Morgan
- North Sevier
- Northwest Blount
- Northwest Carter
- Northwest Cocke
- Northwest Greene
- Northwest Monroe
- Rhea
- Roane
- Scott, Tenn.
- Sequatchie
- Sevier Smoky Mountains
- Southeast Carter
- Southeast Greene
- Southeast Monroe
- Sullivan
- Unicoi
- Union
- Washington, Tenn.
- West Polk
Devarrick Turner is a trending news reporter. Email devarrick.turner@knoxnews.com . On X, formerly known as Twitter @dturner1208 .
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This article originally appeared on Knoxville News Sentinel: How much more rain could Knoxville get? Watch out for flooded streets again, plus wind
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