Heavy rain from overnight and early morning thunderstorms has triggered flash flood warnings, a flood advisory, and severe weather alerts across more than a dozen counties in southeast and south-central Georgia.
What’s happening: The National Weather Service has issued three separate flash flood warnings, a flood advisory covering four counties, and two severe weather statements — all active Friday morning. Roads, low-lying areas, and drainage-prone streets in the affected areas are flooding or expected to flood shortly.
Flash flood warnings in effect:
- Ben Hill, Irwin, and Turner counties until 10:00 a.m. Towns affected include Fitzgerald, Ocilla, Mystic, Rebecca, Irwinville, Bowens Mill, Wray, and Amboy, among others.
- Central Coffee County and southwestern Jeff Davis County until 10:00 a.m. Towns affected include Broxton, Pridgen, and West Green.
- Northwestern Bacon County and east central Coffee County until 10:30 a.m. Towns affected include Alma and Nicholls.
Flood advisory: Appling, Bacon, Coffee, and Jeff Davis counties are under a flood advisory until 11:00 a.m. Between 1 and 2.5 inches of rain have already fallen across those areas, with up to 1.5 more inches expected. Towns in the advisory area include Douglas, Baxley, Alma, Broxton, Ambrose, Nicholls, West Green, Snipesville, Pridgen, and Denton. Minor flooding in low-lying and poorly drained spots is ongoing or expected to begin shortly.
Severe weather statements: Two additional alerts cover separate parts of the region.
A storm moving southeast at 25 mph near Cordele is bringing wind gusts up to 40 mph, lightning, and heavy rain to Crisp and Wilcox counties. That statement expires at 9:15 a.m. Towns in the path include Cordele, Rochelle, Arabi, Pitts, East Crisp, Double Run, Wenona, Owensboro, Seville, and Hatley.
A separate storm — about 7 miles southeast of Alma and moving southeast at 30 mph — is capable of producing landspouts, wind gusts of 45 to 55 mph, and pea-size hail. That statement covered Bacon, Appling, Wayne, Pierce, and northern Ware counties and expired at 9:00 a.m. Towns in that path included Alma, Blackshear, Patterson, Screven, Offerman, Jamestown, Bristol, and New Lacy.
By the numbers: Across the warned areas, between 1.5 and 3 inches of rain had already fallen as of early Friday morning. An additional 1 to 2 inches is possible in the flash flood warning zones.
What this means for you: Do not drive through flooded roads. Weather officials say most flood deaths happen in vehicles. If you can hear thunder, go inside immediately.
The path forward: All active warnings and advisories expire by 11:00 a.m. Friday.
I attempted to venture outdoors the other night and was promptly attacked by mosquitoes — adding to my plight. I wonder which Biblical plague I’ll be experiencing next week. Knowing Georgia’s weather, I’m betting on hail.
Buy the Book on Amazon →
B.T. Clark is the Publisher of The Georgia Sun and author of Principles Are Like Pants… You Ought to Have Some. Over two decades in journalism, he has served as Managing Editor of Neighbor Newspapers in metro Atlanta and Digital Director at Times-Journal Inc., earning multiple awards along the way. His work has appeared in newspapers across the state, including The Cherokee Tribune and The Marietta Daily Journal.
- B.T. Clark
- B.T. Clark
- B.T. Clark
- B.T. Clark
- Dangerous rip current warning for Georgia beaches today
- Hot, humid, and rainy: Georgia will imitate a rain forest this week
- Georgia Checkers restaurant fails health inspection with a 61 score
- Canton restaurant bombs health inspection with filthy 52 score
- A Georgia mom lost her uterus after a lab mixup falsely diagnosed her with cancer
