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The ground in the Lakeway Area is saturated from recent snows and rain that began Wednesday night.

According to Hamblen County Road Superintendent Jeff Wisecarver, the Long Creek Bridge off Spencer Hale Road in South Hamblen County was flooded, but was the only bridge that experienced flooding Thursday morning. Wisecarver told The Tribune that was the only call that his department received.

“We put high water signs around it and after we did, the waters receded,” Wisecarver said.

Local resident Sam Paul Jones, who took photos of the flooding on Thursday and posted on social media, said he has lived in the area his entire life.

“I have lived here beside the bridge,” Jones said. “I have seen cars trying to cross the old bridge that would wash off.”

Jefferson County’s highway department had at least three calls reporting stopped-up drainage ditches and tiles. The same went for Cocke County, who had a few stopped-up storm tiles.

Morristown Public Works Director Paul Brown said that his department did not receive reports of any flooding. When contacted, the Claiborne, Cocke, Grainger and Hawkins county road departments had not received any flooding reports.

According to the National Weather Service office in Morristown, periods of rain were expected to occur mainly between Wednesday night and Thursday afternoon across the region.

Rainfall amounts were expected to range from 0.5” to 1.5”, with the potential for higher amounts mainly in the Tennessee Valley.

Some minor flooding may occur in the higher rain scenario, according to the NWS, with no significant flooding expected.

Temperatures were expected to get to around 57 degrees Thursday. Rain will continue through Thursday morning. Locally heavy rainfall is possible along and near Interstate 40. Rain gradually moved out of the Lakeway Area on Thursday with drier and milder conditions into the weekend.

Temperatures are scheduled to get into the mid-60s Friday.