TDOT standing by with crews and equipment for rain and wind event in Middle Tennessee

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (WKRN) — TDOT is standing by with crews and equipment as Middle Tennessee is expected to see strong winds and heavy rain in the area Tuesday night.

From a snow event to record-breaking 80-degree weather to the potential for strong winds and rain, Middle Tennessee has seen it all the past few weeks.

“This season is very busy for the Department of Transportation, from winter weather to pothole season,” Erin Zeigler, Region 3 communications Officer for TDOT said.

During the winter weather event, TDOT crews responded to approximately 180 accidents in the Region 3 area. Since then, it’s been all hands-on deck restoring potholes on our roadways.

“We have used upwards of 800 tons of asphalt mix to patch potholes and pave,” Zeigler said.

Now, TDOT crews are shifting their focus on the potential for more severe weather. “So, with this event we are expecting heavy rain and really strong wind so that means we will see a lot of down trees,” Zeigler said.

Zeigler said equipment, like chainsaws, is ready to go. However, wind isn’t the only concern. “Flash flooding can happen anywhere, we know that, but any low line areas, we make sure to have any kind of equipment that we use for construction and get out of those areas just as a precaution.”

According to Zeigler, crews are once again on standby just weeks after we saw snow and ice in Middle Tennessee. “Some people might think that we have crews for snow, crews for potholes, crews for rain events, but these are maintenance crews that work for all these events.”

TDOT encourages you to use their SmartWay map so you can see road closures in the area.