More severe weather is expected for Williamson County Tuesday night on the heels of Monday’s high winds and heavy rain.
Powerful thunderstorms are set to move into the area around 9 p.m., bringing with them the threat of damaging winds, quarter-sized hail and even the possibility of a few isolated tornadoes. Areas to the south are at the highest risk of isolated tornadoes, but residents of Williamson County “can’t really let our guard down or anything,” Justyn Jackson, a meteorologist with the Nashville Weather Service, said.
Adding to the concern is the fact that the most severe storms, packing winds that could reach 65 mph, are expected between 9 p.m. and midnight, when many residents will be asleep. Jackson recommended people plan a way to get weather information at those times, perhaps by downloading the American Red Cross Tornado app that will send an alert when weather gets bad.
Rainfall tonight is expected to be close to last night’s 1 inch, possibly getting up to a 1.5-inch accumulation. That will still leave the area 5 to 5.5 inches below normal for rainfall, though.
“We’ll still be in the hole,” Jackson said.
Unlike the night before, Tuesday’s storms will not be preceded by gusting straight-line winds. That’s good news for the wildfire situation in East Tennessee, Jackson said. Recent rains there came only after high winds had spread the conflagration to new areas.
The main winds associated with Tuesday night’s weather system will be simultaneously accompanied by heavy rains, which might total 2-3 inches in that even more water-starved part of the state.
In Brentwood, Community Relations Director Deanna Lambert emphasized that, even after this rain, residents should continue to observe the burn ban. She also encouraged citizens not to use live candles in luminaries.
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