Georgia Baptists were dispatching trucks loaded with bottled water on Sunday after heavy rain caused flash flooding in the state’s northwestern region, and Georgia Baptist Disaster Relief crews stood ready to deploy if requested by local authorities.
Gov. Brian Kemp declared a state of emergency Sunday afternoon in Chattooga and Floyd Counties, a necessary first step to funneling state resources to help communities recover.
Slow moving thunderstorms dropped up up to 12 inches of rain in some areas, triggering flash flooding that damaged residential and public property.
The National Weather Service warned Sunday that the storms were creating “an extremely dangerous and life-threatening situation” and advised residents not to travel unless they were leaving areas prone to flooding or under evacuation orders.
Forecasters declared a “flash flood emergency” for Summerville and Lyerly and outlying communities for much of the day Sunday.
Summerville’s utility service issued a boil-water advisory for residents because floodwater had gotten into the water system at a loal filtration plant.
“Water should be boiled for at least one minute after reaching a rolling boil,” the advisory said. “Citizens should continue to boil their water until they are notified by their drinking water utility that the water system has been restored to full operation, and that the microbiological quality of the water in the distribution system is safe for human consumption.”
Georgia Baptist Mission Board staffer Ricky Thrasher said several churches were dispatching trucks filled with bottled water to the region on Sunday.
Georgia Baptist Disaster Relief Director Dwain Carter said early Sunday that he had already offered the services of his volunteers, many of whom had only recently returned from helping with cleanup after widespread flooding in Kentucky.
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