Reports of the kind of flooding that sent Rutherford County and Cookeville residents seeking higher ground Thursday have died down. But now state officials are worried about flash flooding, the kind of quickly rising water that’s dangerous.

Tennessee Emergency Management Agency spokesman Jeremy Heidt:

“It’s really more a matter of drainage versus volume, particularly with flash flooding because you get a large volume of water trying to go through a very narrow passage, through either a creek or mountain or something like that, and it just can’t handle that volume of runoff at one time.”

A flood watch is in effect for most of the midstate today because more heavy rain is expected. And two county schools are closing early because of the forecast. Bedford County schools will close at 2 p.m.; Smith will close its schools at 1 p.m.