It is 3:30 on Wednesday afternoon in Macon County, and the heavy rains that drenched the area overnight and into this morning have ceased.

There’s a light rain here, dark clouds there.

But Macon County isn’t out of Mother Nature’s woods just yet.

Between now and midnight, as much as another seven inches of rain is forecasted to fall on the county.

Macon County Emergency Management Director Keith Scruggs had a conference call at 2 this afternoon with the National Weather Service and the Tennessee Emergency Management Agency.

Scruggs said between 7 and 7.5 inches of rain had fallen on the county by Wednesday morning, which caused a severe rise in flood waters in most low-lying areas.

Now, Scruggs and county emergency officials are bracing for as much as seven more inches of rain.

“The National Weather Service is predicting another three to seven inches,” Scruggs said, “and mostly the seven inches is predicted in Macon County in the next six to seven hours, probably ending at midnight or maybe 2 a.m. here locally.

“We’re trying to keep everybody in their homes and take care of people in low-lying areas and have a strategic plan that nobody gets into any swift water or gets off into a place where we have to put our rescue plan into effect.”

Scruggs said emergency officials have been in contact with The Palace nursing home in Red Boiling Springs to prepare in the case an evacuation is necessary.

“We’ve been in contact with EMS, the road department and all the departments that are vital to Macon County to make sure that they are aware of the situation and are aware of their surroundings over the next few hours.”

If you live in a low-lying area and have had problems with flooding in the past, Scruggs advises “going ahead and getting to another relative’s or a friend’s house.”

If you’re not in a low-lying area and haven’t had problem with flooding in the past, then just stay put, Scruggs advises.

“If you’ve got everything you need, your best bet is to stay at home. This thing will pass in the next eight to 12 hours, and they’re forecasting for dryer weather in the next few days after this gets through.”

Scruggs said Sheriff Mark Gammons and his department are prepared to help.

“The sheriff’s department is great to work with and get out and check these roads and make sure we don’t have somebody traveling in a dangerous situation where they’ll come around the curve and all the sudden there’s no road there.

“The ambulance service here in Macon County is excellent, and they’ll help us with The Palace if we have to remove the patients from The Palace later this afternoon, they’ll be right on top of that.

“Rescue squads all across the county – West Macon and Willette, Lafayette – all of them have adequate people and we’ve got those people in and notified. We’ve got everybody on standby just in case we’re needed here in Macon County.”