News Talk 94.1/AM 1600 Where The Upper Cumberland Talks
Putnam EMA Director Tyler Smith says possible flooded roads are his biggest concern with remnants of Hurricane Ida.
The heaviest of rain is expected to fall overnight, into Tuesday morning. Smith said that the best protocol for drivers in the next 24 hours is to “turn around, don’t drown.”
“We get so many people that take a chance,” Smith said. “If you can’t see the road, if there’s water across it, don’t cross it at all. It only takes two feet of water to pick up a vehicle and carry it downstream. Then we have to activate our swift water teams to rescue folks that try and do that.”
Smith said that with these types of storm systems, spin-up tornadoes are possible. He said they’re typically small and short-lived, but are something to be aware of.
“Then we also will have gusty winds and the rain we’re getting,” Smith said. “You could also have some downed trees and some power outages so just keep that in mind.”
Smith said that the best thing to do in weather like this is to be prepared. He said to makes sure you have extra batteries, non-perishable foods, and emergency back-ups kits in both vehicles and homes.
Smith said that it’s always better to be prepared in case of long-term power outages. He said the next few days of weather are predicted to see some six inches of rain with the small spin-up tornadoes.
