Storm warnings expire in East Tennessee, power restored to most KUB customers

Storms moving through East Tennessee felled trees, downed power lines and caused problems for motorists late Monday afternoon.

A storm that swept east through the region hit Knoxville shortly before 6 p.m. Its wind gusts were expected to top 60 mph, making them capable of damaging roofs, siding and trees, according to the National Weather Service in Morristown.

A severe thunderstorm warning issued for Knox, Jefferson and Sevier counties was canceled early after the storm weakened. A severe thunderstorm watch was slated to remain in effect until 9 p.m. for most of East Tennessee.

At the height of the outages, more than 4,500 Knoxville Utilities Board customers were without power. That number had dwindled to 881 by 7:50 p.m.

Traffic lights weren't working on Kingston Pike at Morrell Road and on Middlebrook Pike at Robinson Road, the Knoxville Police Department said in a Facebook post.

"There are also several vehicles stalled in standing water on Parkwest Boulevard at Cedar Bluff," the post reads. "Please remember to treat an intersection as a four way stop if the lights are out. Also, never drive through standing water."

In Kingston, a downed tree blocked westbound lanes of Interstate 40 West at mile marker 353. Crews cleared the tree in about 30 minutes, according to the Tennessee Department of Transportation.

"We are taking several calls of trees down and several accidents," the Roane County Sheriff's Office said in a Facebook post. "Please use caution if you MUST travel. If you see emergency lights flashing please move over if at all possible!"

The storm also forced road closures in Anderson County, where authorities reported felled trees, power lines and utility poles.