MEMPHIS, Tenn. — Hurricane Helene poses a potentially “catastrophic” threat to Florida , but areas around here may feel its impact in nasty rainfall Friday.
Helene now a ‘very dangerous’ Category 4 hurricane
Rain associated with remnants of the storm will move into the Mid-South area overnight Thursday into Friday morning, and stick around through the rest of Friday.
Parts of the area could see 1 to 2 inches of rain, WREG’s Todd Demers says. Further east toward Nashville, rainfall totals could be higher. Wind gusts could reach 15-20 mph.
Todd doesn’t expect a severe weather outbreak, but it will be rainy Friday, with strong gusty winds and the chance for some localized flash flooding. High temperatures will only reach the upper 60s.
Check the latest forecasts from WREG Weather
A Flood Watch will go into effect at 7 p.m. Thursday for nearly all counties in the WREG coverage area.
The rain will start to move out Saturday, and the weather looks better by Sunday.
The city of Memphis drain maintenance crews are gearing up for expected rainfall , a city official said. They hope to inspect and clear as many of the 50,000 storm drains and other key areas as possible to prevent street flooding. Residents are encouraged to clear nearby storm drains and clean gutters to reduce residential flooding risk.