Hurricane Harvey's Remnants Push Into Tennessee: Flooding, Tornadoes Possible

NASHVILLE, TN — Middle Tennessee is bracing for the impact of the remnants of Hurricane Harvey, which dumped more than 50 inches of rain along the Texas Gulf Coast this week, leaving widespread devastation in its wake in the nation's fourth-largest city.

The slow-moving storm, now officially Tropical Storm Harvey, made a rare second landfall in southern Louisiana early Wednesday, impacting the northwestern coast of the Gulf of Mexico for the sixth straight day. For the people of southeast Texas and southern Louisiana, where at least 30 people have died, there's a sliver of good news as the storm is expected to continue pushing inland and tracking to the northeast, setting the region up to begin what is likely years of recovery.

READ MORE: Harvey Continues Wrath While Houston Rescues And Recovers

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But the massive storm, which is expected to lose some wind speed and be reclassified as a tropical depression late Wednesday, isn't done with the South yet, as forecasters from the National Hurricane Center and National Weather Service predict it will dump heavy rain on a swath of the South from Alexandria and Monroe, La., to northwest Mississippi before its eye pushes in Tennessee early Friday morning, crossing the Tennessee River mid-morning Friday and tracking just to the northwest of Nashville early Friday afternoon and then becoming a post-tropical depression as it enters Kentucky sometime Friday evening.

Rains from the storm reached Middle Tennessee Wednesday. A second, heavier wave of rain will reach areas west of Interstate 65 early Thursday and then spread east through the day Thursday and into Friday before the storm moves on Saturday.

The heaviest rains are expected around Clarksville, which is forecast for more than seven inches. The northwest half of Davidson County for five to six inches, with the balance of Metro in the four to five inch range, along with eastern Williamson County. Western Williamson County and northern Rutherford can expect three to four inches.

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The heavy rain does have the meteorologists raising flooding concerns, with a flash flood watch issued for the the northwestern half of the Midstate for Thursday and Friday.

"The first wave of rainfall [Wednesday] will moisten soils considerably, but it is the second wave of heavier rains Thursday and Friday that will stand the greatest chance of producing flood problems for the Mid-State," the NWS wrote. "Creeks and rivers may rise and get to action/flood stage Friday through Sunday, depending on timing of heaviest rainfall and if Harvey slows slightly to drop additional rainfall. In addition, as soils become increasingly saturated over the next several days, local flash flooding could develop, especially in poorly drained low lying areas."

With the storm moving quicker than expected, forecasters are watching the winds, which could hit 25 mph with gusts up to 40 mph. Tornadoes are also possible Thursday, the NWS said in Wednesday afternoon's forecast discussion.

Stay with Patch for updates on the storm.

Image via National Weather Service