Flood watch issued for heavy rain tonight and Wednesday

By Mike Morris

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

After a brief respite from the heavy downpours that sent creeks out of their banks on Monday, forecasters are warning of another round of heavy rain, beginning Tuesday night and continuing through the day on Wednesday.

The National Weather Service has issued a flash flood watch for the northern half of Georgia, beginning late Tuesday night and running through Wednesday evening.

Forecasters said rainfall amounts of 2 to 4 inches are likely, generally north of a line from LaGrange to Macon to Louisville.

On Monday, rainfall totals of 2 to nearly 4 inches were common across metro Atlanta. The city's official rain gauge at Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport recorded 2.5 inches, a record for the date.

The only metro Atlanta waterways still rising early Tuesday were Sweetwater Creek near Austell and the Yellow River near Conyers.

Sweetwater Creek's level at 4:45 a.m. was a few inches above the flood stage of 10 feet. The creek was expected to crest Tuesday afternoon at about 12 feet. The Yellow River was about 2 feet above the 10-foot flood stage at 5 a.m. and was predicted to crest at 14.9 feet Tuesday afternoon.

In Alpharetta, Big Creek was cresting early Tuesday about 3.4 feet above flood stage. Suwanee Creek in Gwinnett County crested late Monday at 11.22 feet, and had receded about a foot by early Tuesday. Flood stage on the creek is 8 feet.

The Chattahoochee River at Vinings crested on Monday at 17.07 feet and had dropped to just below flood stage of 14 feet by 5 a.m.

Azalea Drive in Roswell reopened about 6 a.m. Tuesday after being closed overnight by high water, while in northeast Atlanta, a large tree that fell overnight blocked Piedmont Road near Monroe Drive during the early stages of Tuesday's morning commute.

The forecast for metro Atlanta calls for partly sunny skies Tuesday afternoon, then a 100 percent chance of showers and thunderstorms Tuesday night and Wednesday, decreasing to 40 percent Wednesday night. Highs will be in the mid-70s on Tuesday, cooling to around 60 degrees on Wednesday, with overnight lows in the 50s.

The chance of rain is 70 percent Thursday and Thursday night and 30 percent on Friday, with highs in the 60s and lows in the 50s.

The outlook for the weekend is for mostly sunny skies Saturday and Sunday, with highs in the mid-60s and lows in the low 40s.