Greene County and surrounding areas in east Tennessee, southwest Virginia, and southwest North Carolina are under a slight risk of severe weather Tuesday night, according to a Hazardous Weather Outlook issued by the National Weather Service.
Strong to severe thunderstorms are expected to develop late Tuesday afternoon and intensify into the overnight hours ahead of a cold front. The most significant weather is forecast between 10 p.m. and 1 a.m., with damaging wind gusts up to 70 mph as the primary threat. There is also a small risk of tornadoes and hail larger than 1 inch in diameter, according to the National Weather Service.
Heather Sipe, director of the Greene County Emergency Management Agency, said while there is a chance of an isolated pop-up storm Tuesday afternoon, the main risk for severe weather will be later tonight into the early morning hours of Wednesday.
The Weather Service defines a slight risk (level 2 out of 5) as involving isolated but potentially intense storms. Just west of Greene County, areas such as Hamblen, Hawkins, Jefferson, Cocke, and Sevier Counties fall under an enhanced risk (level 3), where severe storms are more likely to form and become widespread.
As of 2:00 PM, the main track of the storm system would have it passing just north of Greene County. However, even a slight shift in the storm’s direction could bring more significant impacts to the area.
A tornado watch is in effect for all counties north of Greene County, stretching into eastern Kentucky and parts of southwest Virginia. Storms building earlier Tuesday on the Cumberland Plateau were expected to remain mostly north of Interstate 40. That path would take the southern part of the system right up along Interstate 81.
Localized flash flooding is also possible in heavier downpours, though rainfall is expected to remain within a marginal risk (level 1 out of 5) for excessive precipitation.
Sipes urged residents to remain weather-aware and take precautions, especially as many are still recovering from the severe weather that struck the region Saturday morning.
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