Severe Storm Knocks Down Trees in Tenn.
Pastor Dale Morgan
Severe Storm Knocks Down Trees in Tenn.*
Wednesday October 18, 2006 1:46 AM
By ELIZABETH A. DAVIS
Associated Press Writer
KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (AP) - Torrential rains and hurricane-force winds
ripped through Tennessee Tuesday, downing trees and forcing officials to
close major roads in the Great Smoky Mountains National Park.
The storm, which had a peak wind gust of 106 mph, swept into the
520,000-acre preserve that straddles the Tennessee-North Carolina border
on Monday evening.
In southeast Texas, the storm was blamed for severe flooding that killed
at least five people, while it damaged hundreds of homes and forced
schools to close in northern Louisiana.
Louisiana Gov. Kathleen Blanco on Tuesday declared a state of emergency
for 11 parishes, and ordered state emergency management officials to
send teams to assess damage. FEMA pledged to send teams later this week,
authorities said.
One of the hardest-hit areas was Grayson, a town in north-central
Louisiana's Caldwell Parish, which received 17 inches of rain between
Sunday evening and Tuesday morning, the National Weather Service said.
In parts of northern Louisiana, the totals were the most in a single
storm event since the Tropical Storm Allison in 1989, the agency said.
``The rainfall amounts were exceptional,'' said meteorologist Nick
Fillo. ``Outside of a tropical system, it happens every once in a while.''
In the Great Smoky Mountains National Park in Gatlinburg, two people
were injured, including a 6-year-old boy when a tree fell on his
family's camper, authorities said.
The storm came during one of the park's busiest seasons as thousands of
visitors travel there to see the brilliant fall foliage.
``We are not evacuating, but we are advising campers to vacate at least
through 8 a.m. (Wednesday),'' park spokeswoman Nancy Gray said.
Major roads closed for debris removal included a road that links the
Tennessee and North Carolina sides of the park. Officials hoped to have
the road re-opened Wednesday.
In Texas, floodwaters from the San Jacinto River seeped into
subdivisions in Houston's northern suburbs Tuesday, a day after
torrential storms and tornadoes wreaked havoc. An 18-year-old man who
drowned when his horse got scared and threw him into the water was among
the deaths attributed to the storm.
The National Weather Service issued a flood warning for the West Fork
San Jacinto River until late afternoon Thursday, as residents of stilt
houses hauled belongings out of their sheds and yards while those in
ground level houses moved to motels to avoid the rising water.
``Just because the rain has stopped does not mean the flood dangers have
ceased,'' said Gloria Roemer, spokeswoman for the Harris County Office
of Emergency Services. About 50-250 households could be affected, Roemer
said.
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Associated Press Writer Rasha Madkour in Houston and Becky Bohrer in New
Orleans contributed to this report.