RAW video of rainwater in Turkey Creek flowing into Lake Loudoun in Farragut
Rain over the weekend caused parts of East Tennessee to flood, leading to mudslides, school closures and in one county, a declared state of emergency.
Parts of Knox County received about 3.5 inches of rain between Friday afternoon and Sunday afternoon, according to the National Weather Service in Morristown. Some other counties — including Anderson, Claiborne, Hawkins and Roane — received more.
Potholes
Social media users in Knoxville reported large potholes on Interstate 40 East at Cherry Street and on I-640 East near North Broadway. Many cars suffered flat tires, according to posts on Facebook and Twitter.
Potholes form when water seeps into the asphalt, freezes, thaws and expands. Recent weather conditions have been "the perfect recipe for potholes," said Tennessee Department of Transportation spokesman Mark Nagi.
Asphalt plants are closed during winter months, so crews have to rely on temporary fixes until spring. TDOT resorts to "cold mix," which provides a quicker but less effective fix than hot asphalt.
"Quite often, the same pothole that we're going over one day, we'll have to go and repair a couple of days later," Nagi said, adding that TDOT crews patch potholes "every single day" across the state.
Potholes on state roads can be reported by emailing TDOT.comments@tn.gov or by calling 865-594-2408.
From TDOT's website:
"If drivers hit a pothole and experience damage to their vehicle, they may submit a damage claim. Claims are investigated on a case-by-case basis through the Division of Claims Administration, an agency not associated with TDOT. Investigators review the circumstances, the type and location of the pothole, determine if TDOT had been previously notified of the issue, and if crews had been given a reasonable amount of time to repair the pothole."
Anderson County
In Anderson County, authorities on Sunday responded to three E-911 calls reporting that people had become trapped after driving their vehicles into high waters, according to Anderson County Sheriff's Office Chief Deputy Mark Lucas.
No injuries were reported in those calls, which were on Mountain Road, Airport Road near Oliver Springs and Pumpkin Hollow Road in East Anderson County, Lucas said in an email.
Downed trees and limbs were reported, as were two mudslides — one on Briceville Highway and the other on Granite Road. Anderson County authorities and TDOT are working to remove the debris from the roads.
Roads will likely remain flooded for several days, Lucas said.
"Please remember to never drive through high water," he said. "Turn Around... Don't Drown."
Claiborne County
Flooding from heavy rains led Claiborne County Mayor Jack Daniels to declare a state of emergency on Saturday night.
As of 7 a.m. Sunday, the county had received 4.4 inches of rain and expected to receive another 1.2 inches before Monday, according to a Facebook post from the county's Office of Emergency Management.
Claiborne County Schools will be closed Monday due to flooding.
School closures; other issues
Several roads in Loudon County flooded, according to the Loudon County Sheriff's Office.
They include the 400 block of Foster Road in Lenoir City, Calloway Road in Loudon, and Meadow Road at Big Hill Road in Greenback.
Here is a list of schools that have announced closures or delays for Monday:
Blount County: CLOSED DUE TO ILLNESS THROUGH MONDAY
Claiborne County: CLOSED
Gateway Christian School: CLOSED
Grainger County Schools: CLOSED DUE TO ILLNESS THROUGH TUESDAY
Greene County: CLOSED
Hancock County: CLOSED
Hawkins County: CLOSED
Roane County: DELAYED 2 HOURS
Tri-State Christian Academy: CLOSED
Union County: DELAYED 2 HOURS