Georgians face another day of dangerous heat and thunderstorms as the weather pattern that began yesterday shows no signs of letting up.
🌡️ Why It Matters: Heat index values reaching 105 degrees can cause heat exhaustion and stroke, especially for outdoor workers, elderly residents, and children. The added threat of flooding from heavy rainfall could make commutes dangerous and damage homes.
What is the Heat Index?: The heat index refers to what the temperature feels like when the air temperature is combined with relative humidity. The thermometer in your car may report 90 degree temperatures, but the humidity means that to your body, it will feel like it is over 100 degrees. The heat index is sometimes called the “apparent temperature.”
🌩️ What’s Happening: The National Weather Service expects scattered to widespread thunderstorms this afternoon, primarily along the I-85 corridor, bringing heavy rainfall that could flood roadways.
⚠️ Between the Lines: While the storms aren’t expected to be severe in terms of wind damage, the combination of very heavy rain falling on already saturated ground increases flood risk significantly.
🔮 Looking Ahead: This dangerous weather pattern will persist through Sunday, with daily thunderstorm chances and heat index values between 100-105 degrees across north and central Georgia.
💧 Stay Safe: Experts recommend limiting outdoor activities during peak heat hours (typically 2-6pm), staying hydrated, and never driving through flooded roadways – just six inches of moving water can sweep away a vehicle.
How to Read and Understand the News
Truth doesn’t bend because we dislike it.
Facts don’t vanish when they make us uncomfortable.
Events happen whether we accept them or not.
Good reporting challenges us. The press isn’t choosing sides — it’s relaying what official, verified sources say. Blaming reporters for bad news is like blaming a thermometer for a fever.
Americans have a history of misunderstanding simple things. In the 1980s, A&W rolled out a 1/3-pound burger to compete with McDonald’s Quarter Pounder. It failed because too many people thought 1/3 was smaller than 1/4. If we can botch basic math, we can certainly misread the news.
Before dismissing a story, ask yourself:
- What evidence backs this?
- Am I reacting to facts or feelings?
- What would change my mind?
- Am I just shooting the messenger?
And one more: Am I assuming bias just because I don’t like the story?
Smart news consumers seek truth, not comfort.
B.T. Clark
B.T. Clark is an award-winning journalist and the Publisher of The Georgia Sun. He has 25 years of experience in journalism and served as Managing Editor of Neighbor Newspapers in metro Atlanta for 15 years and Digital Director at Times-Journal Inc. for 8 years. His work has appeared in several newspapers throughout the state including Neighbor Newspapers, The Cherokee Tribune and The Marietta Daily Journal. He is a Georgia native and a fifth-generation Georgian.
