NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) — After making landfall as a Category 4 hurricane Thursday, Helene has continued rolling through the South, bringing strong winds and heavy rains to Tennessee.
Residents began seeing the impacts late Thursday night, and the rain and gusty winds are not expected to let up until Saturday morning. Between 10 p.m. and 6 a.m., emergency crews in the Nashville area received 66 calls for service, mostly regarding flooding and trees being knocked down by the high winds.
Heavy rain, strong wind gusts from Helene expected in Middle TN
Nashville Electric Service crews have responded to at least one report of a tree coming down into wires, and the National Weather Service said more tree damage is expected with the strong winds produced by Helene. Gusts could reach up to 50 mph, with some of the strongest winds likely in the eastern parts of the state.
Many residents and businesses were left in the dark Friday morning as gusts resulted in several power outages. As of 9 a.m. the Tennessee Emergency Management Agency (TEMA) said more than 62,000 Tennesseans were without power , and more outages are expected throughout the day.