Flooding possible as remnants of Harvey enter Middle TN

The storm, now known as Tropical Depression Harvey, is bringing several rounds of rain and the potential for flash flooding and severe weather along with it.

Rain already started falling Wednesday night, and additional waves of heavy rainfall are expect to hit throughout the day on Thursday and into early Friday morning.

Middle Tennessee should expect 2 to 4 inches of widespread rainfall for the remainder of the week, with up to 6 to 8 inches. This is enough to cause flash flooding. The target zone for heavy ran is expected to fall northwest of Nashville, but it will be a close call.

Isolated tornadoes are also possible, especially southeast of Nashville, as the tropical depression moves through Middle Tennessee.

The timing for the greatest threat of flash flooding and severe weather will begin Thursday afternoon and end by sunrise Friday.

A Flash Flood Watch has already been issued for most of West Tennessee, including Benton, Decatur and Henry counties in the News 4 viewing area.

Nashville's Office of Emergency Management says it does not plan to activate its emergency system at this point. Officials will be briefing all major Metro departments, including Metro Schools and the mayor, about what to expect.

Metro Nashville Police Chief Steve Anderson issued a memo on Wednesday to employees warning them about potential flooding areas. Anderson asked all police department employees to keep an eye on several areas that are prone to flooding so that precautionary measures can be taken if needed.

Six Metro Water Services crews have been out cleaning out storm and flood drains to make way for the rain. At least 71 sites have been identified that usually have flooding issues.

The State Emergency Operations Center in Nashville has been activated and will be staffed by employees from several state departments. The officials will be monitoring the impact of the severe weather and will be ready to assist local jurisdictions with requests for help.

TEMA's 24-hour Watch Point will also be checking data from river gauges.

State officials have released these tips to the public to help them stay safe:

Monitor local news outlets for updates on weather forecasts

Do not drive or walk through high water - turn around, don't drown

Do not attempt to move any downed power lines - contact local power companies or call 911 instead

Stay weather aware - pay attention if there are warnings in your area

After all of this, the weather is expected to improve for Labor Day weekend. Just a few lingering showers are expected early Saturday before drying out. High temperatures will rebound to the mid-80s.

Stay with News 4 and our 4WARN Weather app for the latest updates on the forecast.