North Georgia is bracing for heavy rain and the possibility of severe weather as Tropical Storm Fred makes its approach in the Gulf of Mexico.
The storm is expected to make landfall Monday evening along the Florida Panhandle, and its projected track will bring it through eastern Alabama, according to Channel 2 Action News meteorologist Brian Monahan. Rain will be the biggest impact locally, with 2 to 5 inches of accumulation possible by Wednesday evening, he said.
“We’re warming up to some rain that’s going to be moving in the next couple of days,” he said. “It’s going to be a soaking, really saturated, wet week for us across North Georgia.”
Showers are scattered Monday morning, and Monahan said they will stay that way ahead of Fred’s arrival. The chance of rain is 60%, according to Channel 2.
The rain Monday morning is limited to the northwest corner of the state, but Monahan said showers and downpours will become more numerous as the day goes on. None of Monday’s precipitation is associated with the tropical storm, but there is plenty of tropical moisture around, he said.
“For the bus stops, definitely pack an umbrella,” he said. “It will be stormy at times, and tomorrow it’s going to get really wet around here as Fred moves in.”
The rain bands from Fred will arrive overnight. Monahan expects high impacts to travel Tuesday with an 90% chance of storms. As is always the case on the eastern side of landfalling systems, there is also a risk of a brief, spinup tornado, he said.
There is a low-level risk of severe weather for the city of Atlanta and neighborhoods on the Southside, according to the National Weather Service.
Fred will continue dumping rain on North Georgia through Wednesday, according to Channel 2. A flash flood watch goes into effect for most of the region late Monday night and is scheduled to expire Wednesday morning.
“Heavy rainfall on top of likely saturated soils will lead to flash flooding,” the Weather Service said in an advisory. “As Fred moves through, additional bands of rainfall may cause training of storms through Wednesday morning that may exacerbate or lead to additional flash flood issues.”
Even after the storm departs, more rain is in the forecast Thursday and Friday.
“We’re hitting the peak of the hurricane season now,” Monahan said. “Over the next couple of weeks, we’re going to see that risk of tropical activity going up.”
Credit: Channel 2 Action News
Credit: Channel 2 Action News
Pavement is dry Monday morning for most of metro Atlanta, but the morning drive is off to a slow start, according to the WSB 24-hour Traffic Center. Multiple crashes have been reported before 7 a.m.
The biggest slow zone is on I-285 South in Fulton County, where an injury crash was blocking multiple lanes past Hollowell Parkway, the Traffic Center reported.
Another crash on the Downtown Connector was blocking an HOV lane and contributing to slow northbound traffic getting to I-20, according to the Traffic Center.
And on I-85, authorities were on the scene of another crash south of U.S. 129 that was blocking one southbound lane and a right shoulder.
“It is best to use Ga. 124 into Braselton,” the Traffic Center reported.
» For a detailed forecast, visit The Atlanta Journal-Constitution weather page.
» For updated traffic information, listen to News 95.5 and AM 750 WSB and follow @ajcwsbtraffic on Twitter.
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