Residents of East Tennessee are no strangers to weather. But the rainstorm last week, which started early Sunday morning, caught some off guard. The radio scanner was alive with constant communications from nearly every department in Sevier, Blount and Knox counties.

Some areas of Sevier County were evacuated while several roads, like Chapman, were closed for a period. The heavy rains caused flooding in Seymour, Sevierville, Knoxville and across the area. Numerous roads were closed and many others were threatened by rising water throughout the day. Sevierville Police Department had between 25 – 30 officers and support staff on duty throughout the day Sunday.

Sevierville Public Works Department personnel were kept busy erecting barricades on closed roads. Police were assisted by the Sevierville Fire Department and Sevier County Rescue Squad, with several evacuations due to the flooding. As of late Sunday afternoon, the following roads had been closed or partially closed due to flooding:
* Eastgate Road * Old Knoxville Highway * Snapp Road * Burden Hill Road * New Era Road * Apple Valley Road * Catlettsburg Road * Park Road and * Old Newport Highway

Several other roads had been closed and subsequently reopened when floodwaters had receded, including Ernest McMahan Road, Pullen Road, Cherry Street, Grace Avenue and Ridge Road. Emergency personnel assisted several drivers who had driven into flooded roadways and had to abandon their vehicles.

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