A powerful line of storms hit Tennessee Wednesday night, bringing heavy rains, damaging winds and a slew of tornado warnings, left at least three dead in its wake.
The threat of severe weather hasn’t ended, though. The risk of flash flooding continues into Thursday morning as part of “a multi-day catastrophic and potentially historic heavy rainfall event,” the National Weather Service says.
Middle Tennessee and the Nashville area are under a tornado watch until 8 a.m. as storms continue to move across the Mid-South. The weather service predicts more rain to come and has issued a flood warning for the area until Sunday, April 6.
Keep up with weather updates and alerts: Download our app for the latest and get alerts delivered to your phone.
Excessive rainfall will remain in the region as the a low pressure/frontal system becomes nearly stationary across the region Thursday leading to the risk significant heavy rainfall totals, forecasters say.
The front will remain stalled into the weekend, bringing historic rainfall totals to the area, with some locations seeing a potential for more than 10 inches of rain through the weekend.
Here’s a look at the latest radar conditions, power outages and warnings issued as storms move through the area.
Nashville, Middle Tennessee weather radar
Tornado, flood warnings in Tennessee: Map the latest
Tornado and storm damage tracker for Tennessee
Tennessee power outage map
What is flash flooding?
Flash flooding usually begins within six hours, but often within three hours, of heavy rain or mass amounts of water accumulating in an area, according to the National Weather Service.
This type of flooding usually happens very quickly and catches people off guard. It can be caused by a number of things, but is often due to extremely heavy rainfall from thunderstorms.
“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 the National Weather Service.
Flood watch vs. flood warning: What is the difference?
A flood watch and a flood warning are two different things. Here’s the difference.
A flood watch indicates that the conditions are favorable to flooding in an area that is under a watch. These flood watches are usually issued hours and even days ahead of the weather event that could cause the flooding.
A flood warning means that the flooding that could be harmful and poses a serious threat to property and people is expected. This too can be issued hours and days ahead of time based on forecast predictions.
Anytime flooding is a risk people should use caution. Water levels can change rapidly during periods of heavy rainfall.
What the difference between a tornado watch and tornado warning?
When a tornado watch is in place tornadoes are possible in and near the watch area, according to the National Weather Service.
The National Weather Service suggests people who are in the warning area review and discuss their emergency plans, check supplies and have a safe room incase the weather takes a turn for the worse.
When a tornado warning is issued it means a tornado has been sighted or indicated by weather radar. There is imminent danger to life and property.
Here are some suggestions from the National Weather Service if a tornado warning is issued for your area:
-
Move to an interior room on the lowest floor of a sturdy building
-
If in a mobile home, a vehicle, or outdoors, move to the closest substantial shelter and protect yourself from flying debris
Warnings typically are for a much smaller area that may be impacted by a tornado identified by a forecaster on radar, a trained spotter or law enforcement who is watching the storm, according to National Weather Service.
Tornado warnings are issued by your local forecast office.
This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Tennessee tornado, flood warning: Track power outages, damage reports