Residents and drivers across 30 Georgia counties need to watch for possible flooding today as waves of heavy rain move through the area. The watch runs from 8 a.m. through 9 p.m. tonight.
What’s happening: A flood watch is in effect across a wide stretch of north, northwest, and west central Georgia. A flood watch means flooding is possible but not certain. The 30 counties under the watch are:
- Cherokee, Clayton, Cobb, Dawson, DeKalb, Douglas, Fannin, Fayette, Forsyth, Gilmer, Gwinnett, Henry, North Fulton, Pickens, Rockdale, South Fulton, Bartow, Carroll, Catoosa, Chattooga, Dade, Floyd, Gordon, Haralson, Murray, Paulding, Polk, Walker, Whitfield, and Coweta.
Why the risk is high: Georgia’s atmosphere is holding an unusually large amount of moisture today. Storms are expected to roll over the same areas again and again, which means rain can pile up faster than the ground can handle it.
Where flooding is most likely: Neighborhoods with poor drainage and urban areas face the greatest flash flood risk. Rivers, creeks, streams, and low-lying spots can also rise quickly when rain keeps coming.
What this means for you: If you live near a creek, stream, or in a neighborhood that floods easily, be ready to act fast if water starts rising.
The path forward: More rounds of rain are expected throughout the day. If conditions get worse, the watch could be upgraded to a flood warning, which means flooding is happening or about to happen. Check updated forecasts at weather.gov.
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.
- B.T. Clark
- B.T. Clark
- B.T. Clark
- B.T. Clark
