Shelby County is in the path of now Tropical Storm Laura with heavy rains expected to begin close to 6:00 p.m. on Thursday and continue on and off until the following day. Almost the entire Mid-South is under a flash flood watch.
The City of Memphis says maintenance crews are preparing for the rainfall by inspecting and clearing storm drains. They’re encouraging residents to not leave any loose trash or debris in the streets which could clog them.
Residents whose trash pick-up day is Friday should not put their containers out until Friday morning.
Kole Fehling, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Memphis, says two to four inches of rain are possible in Shelby County, along with gusty winds.
“It’s going to persist on and off all the way through tomorrow afternoon and maybe even into the evening hours,” he says. “So, we’re not out of the woods from any of these impacts until at least tomorrow evening when we start to see things calm down.”