KNOXVILLE, Tenn. — Multiple East Tennessee counties were placed under weather alerts and warnings Monday afternoon, as storms brought strong winds, lightning and rain to the area.
It also placed the entire region under a Tornado Watch until around 7 p.m. The most significant impact is gusty winds. There is a possibility of wind gusts up to 70 mph in some areas. There's also a chance for quarter-sized hail and flash flooding.
The Tennessee Department of Transportation said several trees were also down on I-40 East in Roane County, near Mile Marker 349, in the Midtown and Kingston area. They said that portion of the highway was closed. The closure was cleared by 4:45 p.m.
Trees were reported down in the Sweetwater area as well. The Loudon County Sheriff's Office also said there were traffic hazards on several roads across teh county.
The Great Smoky Mountains National Parks also announced that US Highway 411/Newfound Gap Rd. from Gatlinburg, TN, to Cherokee, NC, was temporarily closed due to high winds.
The City of Alcoa also said it is experiencing a widespread power outage. They later said a substation breaker was out and would be back online soon. They said they brought a substation back online at around 4:10 p.m.
As of around 2:38 p.m., electricity had been knocked out for thousands of people in western counties of East Tennessee. A list of the counties impacted is available below.
Cumberland County
Around 3,456 customers were without power as of around 11 p.m. Eastern Time, according to the Volunteer Energy Cooperative.
Meigs County
Around 1,437 customers were without power as of around 11 p.m. Eastern Time, according to the Volunteer Energy Cooperative.
Rhea County
Around 2,837 customers were without power as of around 11 p.m. Eastern Time, according to the Volunteer Energy Cooperative.
Roane County
The Volunteer Energy Cooperative reported around 1,094 customers without power as of around 11 p.m. in Roane County.
Campbell County
The Clinton Utilities Board reported around 52 customers without power as of 11 p.m. Eastern Time.
Knox County
The Knoxville Utilities Board reported 14,936 customers without power as of around 11 p.m.
The Knoxville Fire Department said it is responding to reports of power lines down across the city. They also crews were responding to a gas leak due to a tree down in the area of Fountain View Road and Sanders Drive. They asked people to avoid the area.
TDOT said the two right lanes of I-40 West near Western Avenue were also blocked by a fallen tree in the road.
The Knoxville Police Department also said crews were responding to broken traffic signals at some major intersections, listed below.
- Kingston Pike and Seven Oaks Drive
- Kingston Pike and Winston Road
- Blount Avenue and Kay Street
The Lovell Crossing apartments also saw significant damage. Lakeshore Park also said they were closed due to the storm damage. CenterPoint Business Park, near the Lovell Crossing community, was also damaged. The Covenant Medical Group's offices are located there.
A statement from Covenant Health is available below.
“We are thankful that no one sustained serious injuries at Covenant Heath’s campus at Centerpoint in west Knoxville, one of the health system’s non-clinical locations. The storms that moved through the area mid-afternoon damaged building roofs and windows, and fallen trees damaged several vehicles at the campus. No patient care is provided at this location and Covenant Health’s systems remain fully operational.”
The City of Knoxville also reported receiving more than 70 reports of downed trees across the city. They asked people to be careful if they needed to leave their homes.
KUB also said the damage from the storms was "widespread and extensive." They said they expect it to take several days to fully restore power, and said specific estimations for when power could be turned back on would be available Tuesday morning.
They also said customers may be experiencing technical issues online and on their mobile app.
The Tennessee Emergency Management Agency also said they were monitoring impacts from the storm and was coordinating with the Knoxville-Knox County Emergency Management Agency. The KCEMA has teams out surveying the damage.
Morgan County
The Clinton Utilities Board reported 52 customers without power at around 7:30 p.m.
Blount County
The Fort Loudon Electric Cooperative reported a total of around 1,568 customers without power as of around 11 p.m. The Alcoa Electric Department also reported around 69 customers without power.
A city spokesperson later said a substation breaker was out and would be back online soon. They said they brought a substation back online at around 4:10 p.m.
Anderson County
The Oak Ridge Police Department said crews were working to restore power in the East Drive area, The Preserve area and several others. They also said downed trees were reported at several locations. A list of impacted areas is available below.
- East Drive - Outage expected until around 4:15 p.m.
- The Preserve - Outage caused by a downed tree damaging a power pole, power is expected to be out for several hours.
- Montana Avenue and West Outer Drive - Outage expected by 4 p.m.
Loudon County
The Fort Loudon Electric Cooperative reported around 1,568 customers in total without power as of around 11 p.m.
The Loudon County Sheriff's Office also reported damage impacting roads in the area. Those roads included parts I-75, State Route 444, State Route 321, Popular Springs Road, Prospect Church Road, Dry Valley Road, Foshee Road, Roberts Road and Old Highway 95.
Crews are also working to clear trees, power lines and hazards from blocked roads. Anyone who comes across a hazard should report it by calling 865-458-9081.
Monroe County
The Fort Loudon Electric Cooperative reported around 1,568 customers in total without power as of around 11 p.m.
Jefferson County
The Appalachian Electric Cooperative reported a total of around 8,251 customers were without power as of around 11 p.m.
At around 10 p.m. the Jefferson County Sheriff's Office said more than 10,000 people did not have power. They said deputies responded to 128 calls about trees or power lines blocking the roads, and four homes had been damaged due to trees and debris.
They also said the courthouse had several trees on the property down, which caused the courthouse and clerk's office to lose power. Crews were expected to start replacing power lines Tuesday morning.
JCSO said there were 13 roads in the county with downed trees or power lines down. They urged all residents to give themselves extra time in the morning if they need to drive on the county's roads.
Greene County
The Greeneville Light and Power System reported around 43 customers without power as of around 7:30 p.m. in Greene County.
Sevier County
The Sevier County Electric System reported 3,148 customers without power as of around 11 p.m.
Crews removed downed trees and debris on several park roads including Newfound Gap Road, Roaring Fork Motor Nature Trail, and Lakeview Drive, according to the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.
The story will be updated when more information about power outages and damage is available.
