The National Weather Service has issued four flood warnings across metro Atlanta and north Georgia. Big Creek, the Yellow River, and North Fork Peachtree Creek are all at or above flood stage Friday morning.
What’s Happening: The warnings cover Forsyth, Fulton, DeKalb, and Rockdale counties. Big Creek alone has two separate warnings, one near Alpharetta and one near Cumming.
What We Know:
- Big Creek near Alpharetta was at 7.0 feet at 6:30 a.m. Flood stage is 7.0 feet. The river is expected to crest at 7.7 feet Friday evening and fall below flood stage by Saturday evening.
- Big Creek at Georgia Highway 9 near Cumming was at 6.1 feet at 5:45 a.m. Flood stage is 6.0 feet. No forecast is available for that location.
- The Yellow River at Pleasant Hill Road near Lithonia was at 13.4 feet at 5:45 a.m. Flood stage is 13.0 feet. It is expected to crest at 15.1 feet Friday afternoon and fall below flood stage just after midnight.
- North Fork Peachtree Creek at Buford Highway in Atlanta was at 13.2 feet at 1:15 a.m. Flood stage is 13.0 feet. It was expected to crest at 13.7 feet early Friday morning.
How This Affects Real People: Sections of the Big Creek Greenway are closed, with one to two feet of water on parts of the trail. About one foot of water is covering areas under Georgia 400 and McFarland Road near Cumming. Backyards on Harmony Hills Drive and Court in DeKalb County and on Victory Drive, Dunwoody Place, and Converse Drive in Atlanta are flooded or expected to flood. Portions of the YMCA Campground off Preston Ridge Road will also flood.
The Path Forward: The Big Creek warning near Alpharetta runs through Saturday evening. The Yellow River warning runs through Friday afternoon. The North Fork Peachtree Creek warning expired at 11:00 a.m. Friday. The Big Creek warning near Cumming remains in effect until further notice.
By the Numbers:
- 4 active flood warnings
- 4 counties affected: Forsyth, Fulton, DeKalb, and Rockdale
- Big Creek near Alpharetta last reached 7.7 feet on February 14, 2020
- The Yellow River last reached 15.1 feet on September 18, 2004
- North Fork Peachtree Creek last reached 13.8 feet on March 6, 2024
The National Weather Service warns that most flood deaths occur in vehicles and urges drivers not to enter flooded roads.
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