Potential flooding rain could delay truckers in South

Torrential rain will continue to drench the South this week, potentially slowing down freight flows through one of the nation’s busiest markets.

Some parts of the region have already been hit with 5 inches or more of rain over the past few days, with 3 to 6 inches of additional rain possible over the next two days. Isolated amounts of up to 8 inches are possible.

An upper-atmospheric low-pressure system along the Arkansas-Mississippi border will move very slowly northward Wednesday into Thursday, producing periods of heavy rain in the following areas: western Florida, much of Alabama, central and northern Georgia, far western North Carolina, as well as portions of central and eastern Tennessee.

Because the ground is saturated in many of these places due to recent rain, more wet weather could cause excess runoff and flash flooding. Based on radar, flash flooding may have already occurred in a few locations Wednesday morning.

The National Weather Service has posted flash flood watches for these areas, including Pensacola and Tallahassee, Florida; Birmingham, Montgomery and Huntsville, Alabama; Chattanooga, Tennessee; as well as Atlanta and Macon, Georgia.

Major lanes of concern

• Interstate 10 from Mobile, Alabama, to Tallahassee.
• Interstate 20 from Tuscaloosa, Alabama, to Atlanta.
• Interstate 65 from Mobile to just south of Nashville, Tennessee.
• Interstate 75 from Macon to Chattanooga.
• Interstate 85 from Montgomery to Atlanta.

There’s also a marginal risk for severe storms Wednesday in portions of the South. Spots of wind damage and large hail could develop, as well as a few isolated tornadoes.

Click here for more FreightWaves articles by Nick Austin.

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