A Tornado Watch will be in effect until 4:00pm today for Cherokee County and all the surrounding areas including DeKalb, Etowah, Calhoun and Cleburne

Strong to severe thunderstorms will be likely throughout the day, the threats include brief tornadoes, damaging winds of up to 70 mph and large hail.

DeKalb and Marshall counties are also under a Flash Flood Warning.

All motorists, including here in Cherokee County, should exercise extreme caution IF traveling in these thunderstorms – slow down and watch for water running across or standing in the roadway. 

Also watch for trees and/or limbs across the road especially in lesser traveled areas.

The National Weather Service in Birmingham has also issued a * Urban and Small Stream Flood Advisory for 

Blount County in central Alabam;a  Northeastern St. Clair County in central Alabama;  Northwestern Calhoun County in east central Alabama;  Cherokee County in northeastern Alabama;  Etowah County in northeastern Alabama * Until 215pm CDT. *

At 1106am CDT Doppler radar indicated heavy rain due to thunderstorms. This will cause urban and small stream flooding.

Some locations that will experience flooding include

Gadsden, Rainbow City, Oneonta, Attalla, Piedmont, Hokes Bluff, Springville, Centre, Cedar Bluff, Blountsville, Cleveland, Centre, Municipal Airport, Little River Canyon National Preserve, Forney, Dallas, Glencoe, Warrior, Ashville, Sardis City and Locust Fork.

Additional rainfall of 1 to 2 inches is expected over the area over the next few hours. This additional rain will result in minor flooding.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS

A Flood Advisory means river or stream flows are elevated, or ponding of water in urban or other areas is occurring or is imminent. Turn around don`t drown when encountering flooded roads. Most flood deaths occur in vehicles.