Dangerous flooding in Nashville as storms batter the area

State of play: Heavy rain made several roads throughout the region impassable on Thursday. Floodwaters temporarily closed major arteries, including Briley Parkway, Nolensville Pike and Murfreesboro Pike.

• Water rose in the neighborhoods off Woodmont Boulevard near Lipscomb University, where flooding reached cars parked in driveways and crept toward homes.

Threat level: Emergency officials urged drivers to exercise extreme caution. More rain moving into the area could quickly exacerbate dangerous conditions.

The big picture: The treacherous wave of weather moved into Tennessee late Wednesday, triggering a series of warnings that kept residents up overnight. So many back-to-back warnings were issued that they temporarily drained the batteries in some city tornado sirens.

• Another surge of rain and damaging wind is expected on Thursday afternoon and evening.

State of play: Nashville has avoided a major tornado so far, but parts of West Tennessee were hit hard. State officials confirmed deaths in McNairy and Obion counties on Thursday.

What we're watching: More rain and storms are in the forecast through Sunday. The Nashville area could see an additional 2 to 5 inches of rain, according to the National Weather Service.