There is a Flood Watch in effect for all of western Kentucky from midnight tonight through 6 a.m. Sunday morning, with the potential for significant flooding issues and some severe weather in the forecast.
Rainfall amounts of two to four inches are possible, with higher amounts locally, possibly up to six inches. That could easily lead to flooding issues, as the ground is already saturated from recent rainfall. Forecaster Justin Gibbs with the National Weather Service in Paducah says everyone in that Flood Watch, which includes the majority of the state but especially western Kentucky, should be ready for flooding problems.
Gibbs says the rain will start in the morning hours Saturday and then persist throughout the day, with the heaviest rain likely in the afternoon—which is when we also have a slight risk for severe weather, including damaging winds and maybe a tornado.
He says while rain totals can still change, they are concerned about the possibility of roads being washed away in flood water, and damage to homes and businesses, so remember—turn around, don’t drown.
Then, winter rears its ugly head once that storm front moves through, plunging temperatures back down into bitter cold. Those will bring with them a heightened risk for snow next week, though details still need to be ironed out for that event.
Make sure you stay weather aware this weekend, and stay tuned to the WHOP Family of Stations for more on this developing weather system.
Tennessee Valley Authority Spokesperson Adam May tells WHOP News that the TVA is currently spilling all nine main river dams, including at Kentucky Lake, to pass water through the system and maintain storage for additional rainfall and runoff.
The Kentucky Reservoir has a flood storage capacity of just over 4 million acre-feet, more than two and a half times the capacity of the next-largest reservoir in the TVA system. Kentucky helps reduce flood damage on six million acres of the lower Ohio and Mississippi rivers and reduces the frequency of flooding on another 4 million acres.