Total rainfall reaches up to ten centimeters in some areas

A flood warning for Middle Tennessee has been canceled as the threat of continued heavy rain and flooding from Tropical Storm Helene passes Friday, the National Weather Service said.

Scattered showers are expected to continue throughout the weekend.

Helene in Tennessee:Track flood warnings, power outages and severe weather damage reports

School closings:These Middle Tennessee schools canceled classes on Friday due to the impact of Helene

The governor signs the order to exonerate Helene

Gov. Bill Lee signed an executive order Friday providing assistance to those who suffered property damage or were evacuated from their homes due to severe weather and flooding from Hurricane Helene.

The governor’s order also calls for a major disaster declaration from the Federal Emergency Management Agency to provide additional assistance and resources to affected Tennessee counties.

Total rainfall reaches up to ten centimeters in some areas

The weather service reports 4.40 inches of rain has fallen at Nashville International Airport as of 5 p.m

The highest rainfall reported by the weather service is 4.72 inches in southeast Manchester.

Craig Shoup

Rain in East Tennessee causes partial closure of Interstate 40 East

On Friday afternoon, Cocke County officials asked all of downtown Newport to evacuate immediately because the Waterville Dam had “suffered a catastrophic failure.” As the Knoxville News Sentinel previously reported, the Pigeon and French Broad rivers are rising sharply due to rainfall from Helene.

Rain has forced the closure of Interstate 40 East in Cocke County at Exit 432 as floodwaters from the Pigeon River threaten to flow onto the interstate, Tennessee Department of Transportation spokesman Mark Nagi said.

“All county and city emergency resources are currently fully engaged in water rescue and evacuation efforts,” Cocke County Mayor Rob Mathis wrote in a social media post. “We are still a few hours away from the expected high water mark.”

“If water rises near you, please do not wait for the water to reach you. Make escape plans BEFORE you need help,” he added.

Several water rescues took place. The Newport Community Center at 433 Prospect Ave. is open to people who do not have safe accommodation.

Allison Kiehl and Tyler Whetstone

Rain will continue throughout the weekend and winds may reach speeds of up to 60 km/h

Heavy rain will continue on Friday evening and over the weekend. The heaviest precipitation will fall Friday evening, with showers becoming more isolated Friday evening and into Saturday, the weather service said.

Wind gusts are expected to reach speeds between 20 and 40 miles per hour Friday evening and may knock down trees and power lines, potentially causing power outages. The strongest winds will be east of Interstate 65.

The weather service said the risk of thunderstorms and tornadoes remains low.

Diana Leyva

How much rain did Nashville receive? Rainfall from Helene breaks record

As of 9 a.m. Friday, Nashville International Airport near Helene measured nearly four inches of rain.

The 3.45 inches of precipitation exceeds the previous daily rainfall record set on Sept. 27, which was 1.81 inches in 1887, the weather service reported on social media.

Diana Leyva

Officials closed major roads in Nashville and reported accidents and one serious injury

Wet roads led to chaotic crashes Friday morning and forced officials to close lanes on all of Nashville’s major roads. According to the Tennessee Department of Transportation traffic map, most of the accidents were single-vehicle accidents.

Accidents were reported as early as 5:30 a.m. as Helene swept through Middle Tennessee. Officials reported a single-vehicle crash on Interstate 24, three wrecks on Interstate 40, two wrecks on Briley Parkway and one on Interstate 65.

As of 9:30 a.m., there were two more crashes on Briley Parkway, including one with a life-threatening injury on McGavock Pike. Emergency crews also closed portions of I-24 and Interstate 440 due to flooding.

Kirsten Fiscus

Flight cancellations and delays at Nashville International Airport

As of 8:30 a.m. Friday, there were 18 flight cancellations and 36 delays nationwide, with more cancellations and delays expected throughout the day.

As of 8:30 a.m., four departing flights and seven arriving flights have been canceled in Nashville. These flights are offered by Southwest Airlines, Spirit Airlines and American Airlines. There are 18 delays on American Airlines, Delta Airlines, Southwest Airlines, Spirit Airlines and Frontier Airlines.

Jordan Green

The WeGo Star passenger train crashes into a tree on tracks near Hermitage Station

According to WeGo Public Transit, a WeGo Star passenger train traveling back to Nashville crashed into a tree that was believed to have fallen on the tracks near the Hermitage station in Davidson County on Friday morning.

No injuries were reported as passengers were picked up by bus to complete their journey.

The remainder of the morning WeGo Star service has been canceled, said Eric Melcher, WeGo public information officer. Train services are expected to run as usual this afternoon.

The Tennessee will provide more information as details become available.

Andy Humbles

The National Weather Service is issuing flood warnings for Middle Tennessee counties

The weather service has issued a flood warning for several Middle Tennessee counties due to expected excessive rainfall.

The governor signs the order to exonerate Helene

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