Damage, power outages reported as storms hit Nashville

Show Caption Hide Caption Public Works crew remove a tree that fell across Granny White Pike Monday afternoon that closed the road. Crews pick up a tree that fell across Granny White Pike from the storms that moved across Nashville Monday aftrenoon.

A line of strong storms that moved through Nashville knocked down a few trees and power lines, according to reports from Metro's Emergency Operations Center.

The storm system, extending from near Fort Campbell south to Centerville, traveled east at 60 mph, bringing winds of 40 mph or greater and heavy rain to Nashville and Middle Tennessee during lunch time.

A flash flood watch is in effect until 9 p.m. Monday. Forecasters say up to 2 inches of rain can be expected on already saturated ground. People who live near creeks and streams should monitor levels and be prepared to take action.

Flood and wind advisories are also in effect until 4 p.m. and 6 p.m. respectively for parts of Middle Tennessee, including Davidson County.

Metro's Emergency Operations Center was briefly activated midday Monday, anticipating storms that could bring damaging winds and the potential for tornadoes, a news release said. Officials will also be monitoring rain gauges in area streams and rivers due to flooding concerns.

Avoid Granny White Pike at Tyne Blvd. Trees and possible wires down, blocking entire roadway. Wires possibly pulled into water. — Nashville EOC/OEM (@NashvilleEOC) December 28, 2015

The Tennessee Emergency Management Agency remains at a Level III State of Emergency, declared last Wednesday due to severe weather that spawned tornadoes and storms - killing 6 people in Tennessee.

The Nashville Electric Service reported more than 1,400 without power across its coverage area earlier this afternoon. The largest outage, 1,000 affected in Brentwood, has been resolved. As of 2 p.m., Only 479 NES customers were without power.

Wires down on Wellington Ave at 31st Ave S in Midtown. — Nashville EOC/OEM (@NashvilleEOC) December 28, 2015

Nashville broke another record high Sunday.

The temperature reached 76 degrees, according to the National Weather Service. The previous record for Dec. 27 was 75 degrees in 1982.

Exciting though it may be, it is still not as impressive as Saturday's mark, which destroyed an 140-year-old weather record when the temperature hit 75 degrees at Nashville International Airport around noon. The previous record high for Dec. 26 was 73 degrees, which had been in place since 1875, according to the National Weather Service.

Severe storms are possible Monday as a cold front moves across the area, according to the National Weather Service. It's not forecast to be as bad as Wednesday when tornadoes hit surrounding counties, but there is still reason for concern.

The biggest question mark is timing of the storms. If they arrive in the morning, the threat will be lower — an afternoon arrival could raise that. Main threats will be damaging winds and flooding. Isolated tornadoes are possible.

On Sunday evening, the Nashville Weather Service predicted that Monday's storms would arrive in the Nashville area between 11 a.m. and 2 p.m.

A flash flood watch is also in affect for all of Middle Tennessee from Monday morning through Monday evening. Another 1 to 2 inches of rain can be expected, according to the National Weather Service. With already saturated ground and elevated creeks and streams, flash flooding is likely

Wayne County, a small community in southern Middle Tennessee, was one of the hardest hit Wednesday night when a wave of deadly tornadoes swept through the region. The storm killed six people in Tennessee and tore through houses and businesses along a path that stretched across several counties.

Unseasonably warm weather Wednesday helped spawn twisters from Arkansas to Michigan. At least 18 people died in Alabama, Arkansas, Mississippi and Tennessee.

Another set of deadly storms roared through Texas this weekend. The death toll from tornadoes in the Dallas area rose to 11 Sunday as the state struggled to combat heavy rains and floods.

Reach Jessica Bliss at 615-259-8253 and on Twitter @jlbliss.