Flash Flood Watch in effect Saturday afternoon through Monday evening

Not only is there some loud and risky cloud-to-ground lighting with these storms, but they’re also dumping torrential amounts of rain on the area.

The National Weather Service is issuing a Flood Watch for part of the LEX 18 viewing area. Counties in light green are under a flood watch until 5:45 p.m. There will be about a 30% chance of rain each day.

It comes after what is expected to be a partly sunny Christmas Day in the St. Louis region today, with temperatures around 50 degrees, the latest installment in an unseasonably warm December. Behind the rain we’ll finally get a good cool-down.

Swain County Emergency Services are on watch for the potential flooding and have called for two low-lying riverside roads to be closed.

Flooding is predicted Thursday as very heavy rain pounds the mountains.

As much of the area has already experienced heavy rain over the past 24 hours, the soil is sodden.

“Given the saturated soil and little vegetation, this rainfall would lead to flash flooding of urban areas, small streams and creeks”, according to the statement.