Morning, y’all.
Today’s newsletter offers the latest on Julie Chrisley, Nathan Wade and a Braves-Mets doubleheader. But first:
- Hurricane Helene’s early offensive keeps pounding metro Atlanta and the rest of the state with rain, fueling school cancellations and airport issues. The worst is yet to come.
- Most of North Georgia is now under a tropical storm warning (that’s the bad one!) as Helene approaches Florida. It’s forecast to be a Category 4 hurricane when it makes landfall tonight — and still a hurricane when it moves into southern Georgia.
Stay tuned to AJC.com for up-to-the-minute updates, track the storm’s path right here, and read on for a look at why metro Atlanta is so susceptible to flooding and its ill effects.
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COMPOUNDING CONCERNS
Listen.
Something like Helene — the third major hurricane to target Georgia in recent years — could wreak watery havoc anywhere. We’re staring down the possibility of life-threatening floods.
But as much smaller storms have shown, our city is susceptible to dangerous deluges pretty much anytime. Why?
The short version: three decades of booming population growth, corresponding development and a plethora of parking lots and other impermeable surfaces — plus a lack of steady investment in the needed infrastructure.
- Places like the city of Atlanta and DeKalb County have spent years focused on fixing their sewer systems, only recently turning more attention toward their equally aged water pipes.
- While examples of good stormwater work exist (see: Atlanta’s Old Fourth Ward and Rodney Cook parks), there’s only so much money, time and energy to go around.
- Mayor Andre Dickens did say crews were clearing storm drains ahead of Helene, but managing runoff often ranks third on this list of infrastructure priorities.
And while few, if any, of these pipes are actually connected, their respective flaws certainly play off one another — and help exacerbate many of the issues we’re likely to see in the coming days.
Stormwater with no place to go causes flooding (ask the folks around the Atlanta University Center). Or pours into cracks in water and sewer infrastructure, overflowing those systems (ask literally anyone in DeKalb).
Or it sits around, marinating tree roots until a brisk breeze blows by and sends a 50-foot pine plummeting into your bedroom.
That nearby set of power lines is a distinct possibility, too.
- Even absent tropical phenomena, climate change means we’re facing heavy bursts of rainfall more and more often.
So buckle up and batten down the hatches. Then consider asking your local officials to do more.
Not signed up yet? What’re you waiting for? Get A.M. ATL in your inbox each weekday morning. And keep scrolling for more news.
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WHERE’S NATHAN WADE?
The U.S. House Judiciary Committee wants to subpoena former special prosecutor Nathan Wade to testify in its investigation of Fulton County District Attorney Fani Willis.
Just one problem: they can’t find him. And Wade’s attorney says he “has nothing that is of interest” to the committee.
- Dems sue Kemp to force ethics investigation of State Election Board
- State Supreme Court: West, De la Cruz not qualified for ballot
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CHRISLEY IN COURT
A federal judge in Atlanta upheld a seven-year prison sentence for former reality TV star Julie Chrisley.
Chrisley apologized in court for the actions that led to her conviction on bank fraud and tax evasion charges, while her daughter blamed “an Obama-appointed judge.”
- Georgia man ran dogfighting training site at Macon-area home
- Savannah policeman indicted on murder charge in 2022 shooting
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MARTA VS. CITY COUNCIL
MARTA CEO Collie Greenwood backed out of a planned meeting with Atlanta City Council members, saying they have no role in overseeing the transit agency’s embattled expansion program.
Council members called the move “a form of hostility” and a “major red flag.” Greenwood said he intends to speak with Mayor Andre Dickens instead.
- Southwest to cut routes by a third, reduce staff at Hartsfield
- 18th company announces facility to supply Hyundai’s EV plant
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RAINED OUT
The remaining two games of the Braves’ crucial series with the Mets are rescheduled — as a doubleheader on Monday, a day after what would be the end of the regular season. Which isn’t great for anyone.
Before that, Atlanta will (hopefully) host a Friday-through-Sunday series with the Royals.
- Apalachee High: The football team plans to play at Clarke Central in Athens on Friday, marking its first game since the shooting that left defensive coordinator Ricky Aspinwall and three others dead.
- Bulldogs: Ahead of a massive matchup with the Crimson Tide, the AJC’s Chip Towers takes a look at what new Alabama coach Kalen DeBoer has in common with his predecessor. (Hint: it ain’t much!)
- Falcons: While a 1-2 start isn’t ideal, Atlanta learned some valuable lessons as it heads into a stretch of division matchups.
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PEANUT PRIDE
Hurricane Helene has Georgia farmers fearing for their livelihood.
But Saturday’s Plains Peanut Festival will be about two things: love for our state’s legendary legume and admiration for former President Jimmy Carter.
- “There is something about the interest in peanuts here,” farmer Riley Davis told the AJC. “And maybe it’s because of Jimmy Carter and the legacy he has. Corn’s just corn. There’s corn everywhere.”
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MORE TO EXPLORE
» Forsyth hockey arena project moves forward
» U.S. House passes hazing bill driven by Roswell student’s death
» The General Muir to close its Sandy Springs location
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ON THIS DATE
Sept. 26, 1928
The Georgia Supreme Court ruled that selling gasoline on Sundays was not only kosher but a “work of necessity” during the age of the automobile.
The decision saved George Williams, a Sylvania man fined for a 3-gallon Sabbath sale, about a hundred bucks.
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PHOTO OF THE DAY
AJC photographer Natrice Miller captured members of the Alpha Rho Chapter of Alpha Phi Alpha Fraternity Inc. putting on a show for attendees of UATL’s Plaza Theatre screening of the Spike Lee classic “School Daze.”
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ONE MORE THING
Keep those phones charged, friends.
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Thanks for reading to the very bottom of A.M. ATL. Questions, comments, ideas? Contact me at tyler.estep@ajc.com.
Until next time.
About the Author
Tyler Estep hosts the AJC Win Column, Atlanta's new weekly destination for all things sports. He also shepherds the Sports Daily and Braves Report newsletters to your inbox.
