CHATTANOOGA (AP) — The Tennessee Valley endured its second-highest rainfall total on record in 2019, second only to the rains endured in 2018, according to a federal utility.

The Tennessee River Basin averaged almost 15.5 inches above normal last year, including the wettest February recorded, the Chattanooga Times Free Press reported, citing the Tennessee Valley Authority.

The river basin saw 66.47 inches of rain last year, compared to 67.02 inches in 2018, according to the utility's River Forecast Center.

Wetter than normal weather is forecast for the next three months, a River Forecast Center official said.

The Tennessee Valley Authority is the largest public utility in the U.S., spanning 10 million people across Tennessee and parts of six other southeastern states.

The utility also uses 49 dams on the Tennessee River and its tributaries to avert flood damage.