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WGUS74 KMRX 041921

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TNC029-059-179-042130-



FLASH FLOOD STATEMENT

NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MORRISTOWN TN

319 PM EDT SAT AUG 4 2001



...A FLOOD WARNING CONTINUES FOR WASHINGTON...COCKE AND GREENE

COUNTIES UNTIL 530 PM EDT...



EARLY SATURDAY AFTERNOON EMERGENCY OFFICIALS CONTINUED TO REPORT

FLOODING IN SEVERAL AREAS.



IN WASHINGTON COUNTY...



LIMESTONE CREEK WAS FLOODING WITH AT LEAST ONE VEHICLE WASHED INTO

THE CREEK.  THE CASSI ROAD AREA WAS ALSO UNDER WATER WITH

EVACUATIONS IN PROGRESS.  SOUTHWEST OF JONESBOROUGH...BILL MAUK ROAD

WASHED OUT. A MOBILE HOME PARK WAS EVACUATED ON TILLFORD SCHOOL

ROAD.  THE AREAS AROUND LIMESTONE AND FALL BRANCH...ALONG HIGHWAY

11E...ARE ESPECIALLY HARD HIT. SOME BRIDGES MAY BE OUT OR

DAMAGED...AND OTHER ROADS DAMAGED. DO NOT TRAVEL IN THESE AREAS. YOU

MAY BE PUTTING YOUR LIFE AT RISK.



IN GREENE COUNTY...



MANY ROADS ARE DAMAGED AND BRIDGES EITHER DAMAGED OR GONE...

ESPECIALLY IN THE EASTERN PART OF THE COUNTY. A BRIDGE ON OLD

JONESBOROUGH ROAD IS CLOSED. IN RHEATOWN...SEVERAL HOMES WERE

DAMAGED AND THE RESIDENTS EVACUATED.  ALSO...MIDDLE CREEK ROAD...

SOUTH OF HIGHWAY 107 HAS HAD EVACUATIONS TAKE PLACE.  EVACUATIONS

ALSO OCCURRED ON GREYSTONE ROAD AND ON HIGHWAY 70 OUT OF NORTH

CAROLINA.



IN COCKE COUNTY...



DEL RIO HAD AS MUCH AS TWO AND A HALF FEET OF WATER IN TOWN AT ONE

POINT. THE WATER HAS RECEDED FOR NOW...BUT SOME BUILDINGS WERE

DAMAGED AND A FEW BRIDGES AND SMALLER ROADS IN THE AREA COMPROMISED.

DEBRIS WAS JAMMED AGAINST A BRIDGE ACROSS HIGHWAY 107 ON BIG CREEK

NEAR DEL RIO.



IN ADDITION...



THE NOLICHUCKY RIVER IS OUT OF ITS BANKS IN GREENE COUNTY. THIS IS A

MAJOR FLOOD. SOME EVACUATIONS HAVE HAD TO BE DONE BY HELICOPTER AND

BOAT.  THIS FLOOD WAVE WILL EVENTUALLY MAKE ITS WAY DOWNSTREAM TO

OTHER PARTS OF GREENE COUNTY AND TO COCKE COUNTY. THIS WILL TAKE

SEVERAL HOURS TO A FEW DAYS TO COMPLETE. THESE AREAS WILL ALSO

EXPERIENCE FLOODING...THOUGH LIKELY ON A LESSER SCALE.



THE FRENCH BROAD RIVER IS EXPECTED TO CREST AT AROUND NINE FEET AT

THE HIGHWAY 321 BRIDGE NEAR NEWPORT...AT ABOUT 8 PM SATURDAY NIGHT.

THIS IS ONE FOOT BELOW FLOOD STAGE AND WILL NOT CAUSE FLOODING AT

THIS POINT...THOUGH LOW LYING AREAS ALONG THE FRENCH BROAD WILL

LIKELY EXPERIENCE MINOR FLOODING.



THE PIGEON RIVER IN DOWNTOWN NEWPORT IS NOT EXPECTED TO FLOOD AT

THIS LOCATION.  HOWEVER...HISTORICALLY...THE PIGEON RIVER IS VERY

TEMPERAMENTAL AND COULD CAUSE MINOR FLOODING OF PRIVATE PROPERTY EVEN

AT LEVELS BELOW THE OFFICIAL FLOOD STAGE.



LAST...



STAY OUT OF AREAS IN FLOOD UNLESS YOU HAVE AN EMERGENCY. PLEASE OBEY

LOCAL LAW AND EMERGENCY AUTHORITIES. THEY ARE TRYING TO SAVE LIVES

AND PROPERTY AND YOUR COOPERATION IS THE ONLY WAY THEY CAN DO THIS.

THIS IS A DANGEROUS...REPEAT...DANGEROUS FLOOD SITUATION.  YOU ARE

RISKING YOUR LIFE IF YOU DRIVE INTO FLOODED ROADS OR FIELDS OR TRY

TO CROSS BRIDGES THAT HAVE WATER OVER THEM. MOST FLOOD DEATHS OCCUR

IN VEHICLES.



IF YOU HAVE RELIABLE INFORMATION...PLEASE GIVE IT TO YOUR LOCAL LAW

ENFORCEMENT PERSONNEL OR CALL THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE AT (423)

586-2296.

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