KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — East Tennessee was frozen for a week after a winter storm brought snow and ice, creating dangerous driving conditions and leading to dozens of deaths across the state. On Wednesday, a round of rain brought more weather watches.
As the snow melted, water was saturated into the ground. Because the ground was already saturated by the time rain moved it, there was a higher chance of flooding.
"As of right now, there's about an inch of snow-water equivalent that's on the ground in East Tennessee, in particular," said Scott Brooks, who works with the Tennessee Valley Authority.
The rain prompted concerns in areas like Rocky Springs Road in Monroe County. The road is located in a hilly area that's prone to flooding.
"Avoid driving on flooded roadways," said Megan Cooper, who works with AAA. "When you're in your vehicle and you see water on the roadway, it's very difficult to determine how deep that water is and what it's covering up on the roadway."
AAA said people who need to drive during the rain should give other drivers more space on the road and avoid using cruise control. If it's raining and the wipers are moving, car headlights should be on too.
It also warned flooded roads can cause people to hydroplane, effectively causing drivers to lose control of their cars. Hydroplaning is effectively caused when tires make contact with puddles of water instead of asphalt. If a car begins to hydroplane, drivers should make sure not to panic and let off the accelerator, while holding onto the steering wheel.
Cooper said by slowing down, cars will naturally be able to make contact with the asphalt again.
The TVA also said crews are preparing for flooding in the region, lowering the lakes and reservoirs to make space for additional water. It plans to continue spilling water out of the reservoir through Thursday, and will then re-evaluate based on the weather.
"Trying to move water out of the way so that we can store water in the tributary lakes," said Brooks. "This extra storage is going to come in very handy this week, especially over the next couple of days. And then, our ability to be able to move water as much as possible through the Tennessee River system, which is why we do what we do with the water levels."