FLASH FLOOD WATCH issued for Friday Afternoon into Saturday for Cumberland and surrounding area

FLASH FLOOD WATCH IN EFFECT FROM FRIDAY AFTERNOON THROUGH
SATURDAY MORNING:



Flooded Road File Photo
The National Weather Service in Nashville has issued a

* Flash Flood Watch for a portion of Middle Tennessee, including
  the following areas, Bedford, Cannon, Cheatham, Clay, Coffee,
  Cumberland, Davidson, De Kalb, Dickson, Fentress, Giles,
  Grundy, Hickman, Houston, Humphreys, Jackson, Lawrence, Lewis,
  Macon, Marshall, Maury, Montgomery, Overton, Perry, Pickett,
  Putnam, Robertson, Rutherford, Smith, Stewart, Sumner,
  Trousdale, Van Buren, Warren, Wayne, White, Williamson, and
  Wilson.

* From Friday afternoon through Saturday morning.

* Heavy rainfall will develop by Friday afternoon and will last
  through the night and into Saturday morning before tapering off.
  Total rainfall amounts of 2 to 4 inches are expected.

* Rapid rises along creeks and streams are possible. Ditches and
  drainage areas could overflow. Normally flood-prone areas are
  highly susceptible. Since the heaviest rain will occur Friday
  night, you are advised to exercise caution while driving.

A Flash Flood Watch means that conditions may develop that lead
to flash flooding. Flash flooding is a very dangerous situation.

51 East and Middle Tennessee Counties placed under regional burn ban by Gov. Haslam

NASHVILLE – Tennessee Gov. Bill Haslam issued a proclamation declaring a regional ban on burning in 51 counties in response to the ongoing drought and destructive wildfires throughout Middle and East Tennessee.

Effective immediately, residents in counties covered by the regional ban are not permitted to conduct any open-air burning. The ban includes campfires, and burning of brush, vegetation, household waste or construction debris. The ban will remain in effect until December 15. The counties under the ban are listed below.

Currently the Tennessee Department of Agriculture (TDA) Division of Forestry is fighting 67 wildfires across nearly 16,000 acres in the Cumberland and East Tennessee districts.

A violation of a burn ban is punishable as a Class A misdemeanor which carries a fine of $2,500 and/or up to 11 months, 29 days in jail.

Robertson and Sumner counties continue to be under a burn ban issued by TDA Commissioner Jai Templeton. A governor’s ban includes municipalities, whereas a commissioner’s ban is superseded by municipal ordinances.

Residents in counties not included under any of the current bans must obtain a safe debris burning permit to burn brush, vegetation, household waste or construction waste. The TDA Division of Forestry, however, does not expect to issue any permits until the state receives substantial precipitation. A violation of burning without a permit is punishable as a Class C misdemeanor which carries a fine of $50 and/or up to 30 days in jail.

Daily updates on the wildfire situation, active burn bans and tips to protect your home and property can be found at www.burnsafetn.org.

Counties under a regional burn ban:

Anderson

Bledsoe

Blount

Bradley

Campbell

Cannon

Carter

Claiborne

Clay

Cocke

Coffee

Cumberland

Dekalb

Fentress

Franklin

Grainger

Greene

Grundy

Hamblen

Hamilton

Hancock

Hawkins

Jackson

Jefferson

Johnson

Knox

Loudon

Macon

Marion

McMinn

Meigs

Monroe

Morgan

Overton

Pickett

Polk

Putnam

Rhea

Roane

Scott

Sequatchie

Sevier

Smith

Sullivan

Trousdale

Unicoi

Union

Van Buren

Warren

Washington

White