East Tennessee sees hail, downed trees amid severe weather

KNOXVILLE, Tenn. (WVLT) - Severe thunderstorms moved through East Tennessee Friday, bringing hail and heavy winds to counties across the region. A Severe Thunderstorm Warning was issued for many East Tennessee counties, including Knox, Blount and Sevier.

Power Outages

As of 5:00 p.m., the Knoxville Utilities Board reported that approximately 10,163 residents were without power. All but 590 people had power as of Saturday morning.

Traffic

The Roane County Sheriff’s Office said it was taking reports of vehicle hydroplaning on I-40 during the storms.

The Tennessee Department of Transportation also noted congestion in many areas around East Tennesse, including Downtown Knoxville, Farragut, Cedar Bluff, Sevierville and Lenior City.

The Blount County Sheriff’s Office reported that there were numerous trees and power lines down across the county. The Blount County Highway Department and utility companies were working to clear roads for drivers as of 5:30 p.m.

“Please use caution if traveling,” BCSO shared.

Damage and Hail

Several areas saw damage, including West Knoxville, which saw downed trees. The below photo is from Chestnut View Drive.

Seymour and West Knoxville also saw hail. WVLT News viewer Doug Powers sent in a video of the storm at his Seymour home.

Photos of different-sized hail were sent to WVLT News by viewers across East Tennessee, including Knoxville, Loudon, and Kingston.

The threat of severe weather will continue until about 6:00 p.m., which will end the WVLT First Alert Weather Day. Meteorologist Ben Cathey said the widespread threat of standing water on the roads and traffic accidents could continue through the night.

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