Nashville area weather: Rain, flood threat continue after 2 killed in Tennessee storms

Middle Tennessee was subject to hours of cascading tornado warnings in the early morning hours of Thursday as storms ripped across the South and Midwest, and the severe weather threat in the Nashville area is expected to continue through the weekend.

Gov. Bill Lee issued a state of emergency Wednesday ahead of the storms, and the Tennessee Department of Health reported two weather-related deaths in McNairy and Obion counties in West Tennessee.

Looking ahead, rain in the region through Sunday will create a significant flooding threat. Nashville could see more than 6 inches of rain, according to the National Weather Service in Nashville, while Montgomery, Stewart and Houston counties could get more than 10 inches.

Nashville weather updates: Two storm deaths reported in McNairy, Obion counties

Nashville area school closings: These schools are closed Thursday due to severe weather threat

A flash flood warning was in place in Davidson, Cheatham, Macon, Robertson, Rutherford, Sumner and Wilson counties until 10:30 a.m. Thursday. The region is also under a flood watch until Sunday morning, with the possibility of rising water levels in rivers and streams.

The threat of severe storms over northwest Middle Tennessee will continue as well, through Saturday. According to the NWS, high winds are the main concern, but hail and tornadoes are possible. On Thursday, storms are expected in the morning and evening. Friday is expected to bring a bit of a break.

South faces ‘generational flood’ event

At least 19 tornadoes struck the South and Midwest overnight Wednesday, and that was just “the beginning of a multi-day catastrophic and potentially historic heavy rainfall event,” the weather service said.

Arkansas, Missouri, Tennessee and Mississippi faced the threat of a “generational flood event” with some locations, including West Tennessee, forecast to see as much as 15 inches of rain by the weekend.

Tennessee’s state of emergency includes the request for federal assistance in the form of debris removal, emergency protective measures and direct federal assistance.

Weather forecast: Will Tennessee be hit with once in 1,000-year rain?