Putnam County EMS concerned about potential flooding over the next 24 hours as a second round of rain and thunderstorms projected to move across the region.
Putnam EMS Deputy Director Tyler Smith said the region is in the boundary where heavy pockets of rain can occur. Smith said the main concern is about storms that will come through Friday night and Saturday morning, bringing over one to two inches of rain.
“We could have some potential for some areas that normally flood in low-lying areas and some street flooding depending on where the heavier bands of rain set up,” Smith said. “So that’s just something we are gonna keep watch out throughout this afternoon and into the evening hours and just monitor that.”
Smith said that around creeks and streams are typical areas to see the most flooding in similar weather events. Smith advises people to stay up to date on the latest weather changes.
“Be prepared to move to higher ground if there is flooding occurring in your area,” Smith said. “And nighttime is worse because people take chances on trying to drive through flooded roads. If you can’t see the road, do not go through that area. Turn around, as they say, don’t drown. Sometimes those roads can wash out, and you don’t see that, especially at night. If you try to cross a flooded road, your car could get swept downstream.”
Smith said typical streets that flood in Cookeville are 10th Street near Highway 111, Spring Street, and Willow Avenue. Smith said streets typically flood due to water runoff from other streets or clogged storm drains. Smith said the department is prepared for the thunderstorms and the flooding they might cause.
“We monitor just the main areas that are normally flooded during the heavy rain, and we have the Swift Water Team for the rescue squad that are, you know, in the event that we do have some flash flooding, we’ll activate themand they come in on standby just in case we have an incident where somebody gets stranded, or needs help.”
Smith said the severe flooding threat has been cancelled for early Friday as the heavy portion of storms has moved south of the county.