The Knoxville-Knox County Emergency Management Agency said saturated ground left behind by the recent storms could make flooding more likely, even with smaller amounts of additional rainfall.

Deputy Director Sarah Delozier said emergency management officials have been working closely with the National Weather Service to monitor changing weather conditions and prepare for any new impacts.

“As something is happening, we have an open dialogue with them, National Weather Service, to ask questions about what the duration of this incident might be as well as what we can expect in the next days and weeks,” Delozier said.

According to Delozier, one of the biggest concerns is that the ground has little capacity to absorb additional rainfall following Sunday’s flash flooding.

“One concern we’ll have going into tonight is that the ground is already saturated so the potential for some flooding or some downed trees, those kinds of things, is a little bit higher because we saw all of that flash flooding,” Delozier said.

During Sunday’s storms, many residents received emergency flash flood alerts on their phones. Some of those warnings were distributed through the Integrated Public Alert and Warning System, or IPAWS, a FEMA-operated system that allows the National Weather Service and emergency officials to send urgent public alerts directly to mobile devices.

Despite widespread flooding concerns, Delozier said local agencies were able to respond to all reported flash flood incidents, and conditions did not require activation of the county’s Emergency Operations Center.

Officials are emphasizing that flooded roadways remain the greatest hazard during flash flood events.

“The most dangerous situation during a flash flood event is being in a vehicle driving through flooded roadways,” Delozier said.

Emergency management officials are urging drivers to avoid water-covered roads and follow the longstanding safety message: “Turn Around, Don’t Drown.”

Residents are also encouraged to monitor weather forecasts, keep emergency alerts enabled on mobile devices and check local emergency management websites for updated information as additional rainfall moves into the region.

Emergency officials say staying informed and avoiding flooded areas can significantly reduce the risk of injuries and water rescues during severe weather events.