News Talk 94.1/AM 1600 Where The Upper Cumberland Talks
Emergency officials urge residents to be prepared for the rainfall that’s expected to hit the region this week.
Chris Massiongale said residents should be pre-planning routes and checking social media accounts for emergency information.
“We’ll be posting road closures and things of interest that are related to weather,” Massiongale said. “Let people know where you are going before you leave, take clothing and food, and make sure your car is full of fuel. If you were to find yourself in a flood, stay in your vehicle and call 911 immediately. If you see water rising and feel like you can’t get out of your home, call 911 and we get people to you.”
Massiongale also said residents should be making sure that flood insurance policies are up to date.
“With this kind of rain, everything is already saturated and the rivers are at their peaks right now. Even though it’s coming slowly, we are going to have continued flooding for some time because of the runoff,” Massiongale said. “I think we had less than two inches over the weekend and had flooding. We’re looking at five to eight inches over the course of the week.”
Overton County officials met Monday to begin planning for the incoming weather. Massiongale said the county has already decided to close several roads because of flooding concerns.
“Right now, we are dealing with our four way intersections where 294 and Celina Highway come together,” Massiongale said. “Those business there are in danger now and have had some significant flooding.”
The National Weather Service expects anywhere from 3 to 7 inches of rainfall over the course of the week. Flooding will likely occur because of already saturated grounds and waterways at peak levels.
