Forecasters watch risk of flooding as up to 3 more inches of rain move into Middle Tennessee

Nashville is expected to get another 2 to 3 inches of rain by Thursday night, and that’s raising fears of flooding.

The city will get more rainfall than places farther south, and the area is already saturated from Tuesday’s thunderstorms that dropped 2 to 4 inches of rain.

People should expect flooding if they live along small streams, creeks and low-lying areas like the Duck River near Centerville, the Buffalo River by Lobelville, and the Cumberland in Clarksville.

National Weather Service meteorologist Samuel Herron says he doesn’t expect water levels to be as high as the 2010 flood, but he reminds drivers to turn around if the street is covered in water.

“Water of just a foot can push most automobiles off the road. So that’s very important. That’s where we see a lot of our water rescues happening.”

Herron also suggests keeping an ear open for reports about flooding. He says flash flooding, by definition, can be  a quick turn in the weather that doesn’t allow much time for reaction.

The weather has already prompted Rutherford County schools to put bus drivers on high alert when transporting students. And Metro Nashville closed COVID-19 testing sites on Wednesday because of the weather.

As of Thursday morning, the Weather Service warned of ice accumulation in the northwest portion of the region, near Clarksville, and issued a flood watch for the entire region until 6 a.m. on Friday

The weather service now forecasts dry days on Friday and some light snow possible on Saturday night.

This story was last updated on Thursday at 6:45 a.m.