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Storms cause flooding, school and road closures in East Tennessee

The rain that's expected to last for days is already causing issues across East Tennessee.

KNOXVILLE, Tennessee — A series of storm systems moving across our region this week has been causing problems across East Tennessee.

 All Hawkins County emergency agencies and a Hancock County rescue squad were responding to an active mudslide on Highway 70 North early Thursday morning that involved two vehicles and sent at least one person to the hospital. Highway 70 was also blocked due to downed trees and power lines on the other side of Clinch Mountain. Authorities described it as a "very dangerous situation."

RELATED: Active mudslide shuts down Highway 70 North, Highway 70 in Hawkins County also shut down, at least one taken to the hospital

Scott County's rescue squad responded to O & W Road Wednesday afternoon to pull people out of trailers and homes after floodwaters trapped folks in. 

Credit: SCOTT COUNTY RESCUE SQUAD
Credit: SCOTT COUNTY RESCUE SQUAD

In Anderson County, Airport Road, Irwin Mill Road, Hinds Creek Road are all closed due to flooding, dispatchers told 10News.

A tree down on a telephone pole on North Highway 25 around the Tussy Cut area in Campbell County was blocking that road. Crews were working to remove it as of 6:15 a.m., county dispatchers said. Fallen trees had blocked North Highway 25 near Morley, but that has now been cleared and the route is open to traffic, Tennessee Department of Transportation spokesman Mark Nagi said. Crews are going to remove a large rock that was exposed as a result, although it is not in the roadway itself. 

Cocke County dispatchers said they have several trees down across the area with crews working to remove debris as of 6:15 a.m.

Campbell, Claiborne, Grainger, Hancock, Hawkins, McMinn, Monroe, Morgan, and Union County schools will be closed Thursday.

Anderson, Bell, Hamblen, McCreary, Onieda, Scott, and Whitley County schools are closed through Friday.

Several other schools and districts are closed due to illness and the list of closures is changing often. 

Click here to view a full list of the latest closings. 

Cumberland County Schools were closed Wednesday because of flooding and weather conditions, according to the Crossville/Cumberland County Emergency Management Agency.

SCHOOL IMPACTS: More school delays, closings because of heavy rain, flooding

Fentress County schools announced Wednesday afternoon that it would release students early due to standing water on roadways and the potential of flooding. Early dismissal was set for 1:30 p.m. local time. 

Trees also came down in Grainger County on Tuesday night, but had been cleared as of 6:15 Wednesday morning, dispatchers said.

For Greene County, there are about 50 trees down with some localized flooding, but no road closures, according to dispatchers.

Trees also fell in Hancock County, the sheriff's department said. Hancock County Schools are delayed two hours Wednesday because of the weather.

Hawkins County Schools are closed Wednesday "due to heavy overnight rain and widespread flooding," according to a Facebook post.

Dispatchers told 10News there is flooding in the north part of the Rushy Springs area of Jefferson County in Talbot.

In Knox County, a tree down at Sevierville Pike and Bedloe had taken down some power lines and there was a traffic light out at Clinton and Old Callahan, dispatchers said. There had been flooding at Old Broadway and Dutch Valley, but dispatchers were unsure if it was still causing problems as of 6:15 a.m.

RELATED: City flood mitigation helps prevent road issues

Some flights heading to or leaving Knoxville from Washington, D.C. or Chicago were canceled Wednesday, because much of the Eastern seaboard is expected to get nailed with snow, sleet and freezing rain.

FLIGHT CANCELLATIONS: Storm causes over 1,000 flight cancellations across U.S.

For the rest of the week, more storm systems will continue to move through the area, and each will add to our already impressive rain totals from recent weather events. 

RELATED: East TN's dreary forecast could play a role in Seasonal Affective Disorder

The ground is saturated, meaning that it can't hold anymore water. 

Basically, whatever rain falls from the sky will almost exclusively become runoff instead of soaking into the ground, which could result in flooding.

In addition to the saturated soil, rivers, creeks and streams are running high from the rain events that we've already had this month... And that raises the potential for flooding.

RELATED: The rain has arrived and it could lead to flooding

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