In Helen, the alpine-themed North Georgia tourist town, shops and restaurants were open along the swollen Chattahoochee River on Friday.
The weekend’s annual hot air balloon race also began and was scheduled to take place through the weekend. But organizers of the event - which draws pilots and spectators from around the country - were anxiously watching the forecast, which shows more heavy rain on the way.
Flooding this week has done an estimated $1 million in damages to White County, home to Helen and other northeast Georgia towns.
“We are estimating somewhere in the neighborhood of $1 million in county infrastructure damage,” David Murphy, White County public safety director, said Friday afternoon. “The sun has certainly helped, but it looks like more rain is in the forecast.”
An estimated 7 inches of rain fell during a two-hour period on Thursday in White, forcing the county to close several roads. Most state routes were open Friday, but a handful of roads remained closed, Murphy said.
Since last Saturday, 17.5 inches of rain has fallen in Sautee, just over 12 inches in Helen, according to Channel 2 Action News. Hiawassee and Rabun Gap each received 9 inches of rain.
Scattered storms are expected to continue through the weekend, especially Sunday as a cold front moves through, according to Channel 2 meteorologist Katie Walls. Areas of heavy rain could impact metro Atlanta and White County, she said.
Credit: White County
Credit: White County
No injuries were reported due to the flooding. But a woman had to be rescued from flood waters in northern White County when her SUV was swept away, Murphy said.
It took two firefighters and two sheriff’s deputies about 15 minutes to reach the woman in the fast-moving waters of Duke’s Creek. The woman, whose name was not released, had exited the vehicle and was holding on to a holly tree in about 4 to 5 feet of water, according to county officials.
“When we tell you not to drive through flooded areas, we ask people to take that seriously,” Murphy said.
The weather forced the Georgia Department of Natural Resources to close two outdoor areas. The Helen to Hardman Heritage Trail is closed until further notice, and Smithgall Woods State Park is closed to day activities, such as hiking, biking, fishing and hunting, the general manager of both sites said.
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