Deluge causes flash flooding in parts of the South, mudslide

HUNTSVILLE, Ala. – Parts of the Deep South are experiencing flash flooding and other problems from heavy rains.

Floodwaters covered roads on Wednesday in parts of eastern Mississippi and northern Alabama. In northwest Georgia, a mudslide was reported Wednesday beside a gas station in Dade County.

Flood watches and warnings were in place for the northern parts of Alabama, Mississippi, and Georgia. Creeks are swollen in Tennessee, and about 2 inches (5 centimetres) of rain fell Tuesday and Wednesday at Nashville International Airport.

The weather service predicts as much as 8 inches (20 centimetres) of rain through Saturday, and freezing rain and sleet are possible in western areas of South Carolina. The Tennessee River may not crest for days.

Forecasters say Gulf moisture is mixing with systems moving eastward across the Mississippi and Ohio valleys.