More heavy rain for Chattanooga on Monday, after many area creeks and roadways are already overflowing, has brought a flash flood watch. The flood waters are expected to creep near the Chattanooga Airport and also affects sections of East Ridge.
It is in effect through late Monday night over a wide area, including Hamilton and surrounding counties.
Up to an inch and a half of additional rain is expected Monday as a cold front moves in behind unusually warm late-December weather.
And another front is set to come through on Wednesday that could bring much additional rainfall.
A flood warning is also in effect through New Year's Day.
The flood warning continues for near South Chickamauga Creek affecting Catoosa and Hamilton counties and for the Sequatchie River near Whitwell affecting Bledsoe, Marion and Sequatchie counties.
The flood warning for South Chickamauga Creek is in effect until late Thursday night.
At 4:15 a.m., Monday the stage was 20.3 feet. The flood stage is 18 feet. Minor flooding is occurring and minor flooding is forecast.
The creek will continue rising to near 21.2 feet by Wednesday morning, but is then expected to begin falling. It will fall below flood stage by Thursday before midnight.
At 21 feet, Mack Smith Road and Lovell Field Loop became impassable. Water began to come onto Airport Road, just north of the terminal complex. West Chickamauga Creek increased to near a half mile wide in places, becoming hazardous to adjacent travel in East Ridge.
The flooding will also be along West Chickamauga Creek near Fort Oglethorpe and Lookout Creek affecting areas of Dade County, Ga., and Lookout Valley.
For West Chickamauga Creek, at 430 a.m. Monday the stage was 11.8 feet...and falling. The creek is expected to rise late Monday to near 13 feet by late Tuesday. Minor flooding is occurring.
The flood stage is 11 feet. At 13 feet, minor flooding expands further into the woodlands and fields near the creek upstream and downstream from the gauge on Georgia Highway 146 or Cloud Springs Road bridge. Minor flooding of the creek also expands much further downstream as it crosses the Tennessee border into the south East Ridge area.
The flood warning continues for Lookout Creek from Monday evening until Wednesday afternoon. At 4 a.m. Monday, the stage was 10 feet and falling. No flooding is occurring and minor flooding is forecast.
Flood stage is 12 feet. Forecast is to rise above flood stage Monday evening and continue to rise to near 14.5 feet by Tuesday morning.The creek will fall below flood stage by late Wednesday morning.
At 15 feet, minor flooding continues to expand along Sells Lane in Trenton, Mason Road near Rising Fawn and Creek Road near New England. These roads and other roads with creeks flowing into Lookout Creek will flood causing the roads to be closed. The water will be a few feet deep on portions of these roads. Also minor flooding will continue to expand downstream as the creek crosses the Tennessee border into the Lookout Valley area.
On the flash flood watch, the National Weather Service said:
SINCE THE GROUND IS ALREADY SATURATED AS WELL AS ELEVATED CREEKS AND STREAMS...ADDITIONAL FLASH FLOODING IS POSSIBLE. * ADDITIONAL FLOODING OF LOW LYING...ROADWAY AND STREAM FLOODING...MUD SLIDES WILL BE POSSIBLE. PEOPLE WHO LIVE ALONG CREEKS AND STREAMS SHOULD MONITOR LEVELS AND BE PREPARED TO TAKE ACTION. TRAVELERS SHOULD BE ALERT FOR WATER COVERING THE ROAD. TURN AROUND... DON'T DROWN. PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS... A FLASH FLOOD WATCH MEANS THAT CONDITIONS MAY DEVELOP THAT LEAD TO FLASH FLOODING. FLASH FLOODING IS A VERY DANGEROUS SITUATION. YOU SHOULD KEEP INFORMED...AND BE READY FOR QUICK ACTION IF FLOODING IS OBSERVED OR IF A FLASH FLOOD WARNING IS ISSUED. IF YOU COME TO A CLOSED OR FLOODED ROAD...TURN AROUND! DON'T DROWN!