Gatlinburg, Smoky Mountains National Park hit by torrential downpours, flooding Tuesday

Gatlinburg, Tennessee, has joined a lineup of cities hit by turbulent weather this week.

Snow, rain and tornadoes continue to batter the Midwest, Southeast and East Coast as part of a series of storm systems kicking off the new year in turbulent fashion.

Yesterday, Cincinnati broke its 1898 record for daily rainfall with 1.61 inches of precipitation overtaking the Queen City, with a "bomb cyclone" blizzard on its way. Ohio's popular vacation destinations have not been left unscathed – at least three tornadoes were reported Tuesday morning on the Florida Panhandle.

Another vacation spot, Sevier County, Tennessee – home to Gatlinburg and the Great Smoky Mountains National Park – issued flood and high wind warnings on Tuesday, Jan. 9. The Sevier County Emergency Management Agency announced multiple road closures throughout the day due to the torrential downpour and fallen power lines and trees.

The county saw upwards of three inches of rain on Tuesday, according to preliminary data from the National Weather Service. A video circulating on X (formerly known as Twitter) by The Smoky Mountain Family showed the rushing water of the Little Pigeon River through downtown Gatlinburg on Tuesday.

"Inclement flooding is possible across Sevier County and in the downtown Gatlinburg area throughout the remainder of the day," the agency wrote in the county-wide flood warning. "Be prepared to take action to move to higher ground if necessary. Be sure to take extra time and extreme caution if travel is necessary due to road conditions."

On Tuesday morning, the city converted the Gatlinburg Community Center into an emergency shelter for those affected by the severe flooding. By the afternoon, 532 people in the county were without power, according to the Sevier County Electric System’s outage map.

Gatlinburg City Manager Cindy Cameron Ogle said in an update later on Tuesday that no injuries have occurred due to the flooding event. As of 9 a.m. on Wednesday, Jan. 10, all roads that were closed due to flooding and/or downed power lines or trees have been opened, the city wrote.

This article originally appeared on Cincinnati Enquirer: Gatlinburg, Smoky Mountains under severe flood warning Tuesday