It’s the only way into or out of their homes, and after more than 7 inches of rain fell in Flowery Branch on Sunday it was nearly gone.
One lane of Spring Street was re-opened Monday, allowing the roughly 100 residents impacted to return to or depart from their apartments. But the south Hall County town’s mayor said even the slightest bit of rain could wash away the road for good.
“Last night after the rain stopped, Spring Street sunk another foot-and-a-half,” Mayor Mike Miller said. “We could be a good 1/2-inch away from seeing it totally wiped away.”
That could happen as soon as Wednesday, and Miller said crews are on standby in case an evacuation is necessary. Forecasters are predicting a 60 percent chance of rain by mid-week, prompting city officials to approve the erection of a temporary bridge that Miller said will be completed on Tuesday.
In just six hours Sunday, Flowery Branch received 7.5 inches of precipitation, overwhelming the town’s hydro-infrastructure, according to the mayor.
The problems were concentrated on culverts located under the railroad tracks that run through downtown, effectively cutting off water flowing from Flowery Branch Creek to Lake Lanier.
According to the Gainesville Times, city officials reported last month that three of those culverts required repair or replacement.
Meanwhile, Cantrell Road remains closed and Miller said he doesn’t know when it may re-open. Two other roads in unincorporated Hall County were also washed out.
In neighboring Forsyth County, the rains caused an earth-bound dam to collapse, washing away Mary Alice Lake, a Cumming fixture since 1946.
Elsewhere, most of the roads that had been closed were re-opened Monday, and all but 200 customers statewide had their power restored by early afternoon.
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