Q: Reading about the floods elsewhere, I wonder what the total rainfall was in the flooding around Atlanta in September 2009. I remember one woman was drowned and several people rescued and bridges washed out in Lilburn.
—Nadine Davis, Lilburn 770-923-2864
A: More than 15 inches of rain fell in metro Atlanta from Sept. 14-22 that year, causing record flooding throughout the area. The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) described it as a "once in 500 years flood," meaning the odds of such a thing happening are less than 0.2 percent in any given year, the AJC reported. The flooding caused nine deaths, at least $250 million of damage, closed major roads and 17 counties were declared federal disaster areas. In Gwinnett County, Seydi Burciaga, 39, died after her Nissan Quest plunged into a pool of water on Desiree Drive in Lawrenceville.
Q: What will they do with all the unusable debris from the tornado that hit Moore, Okla.?
—Chris Rice, Rex
A: Most of the debris from the tornado that hit the town of Moore and other Oklahoma City suburbs on May 20 initially will be taken to a landfill, the Associated Press reported. Wood, paper and clothing will be incinerated, bricks will be recycled and used for charitable projects, including Habitat for Humanity, and hazardous material likely will be transported out of state. The storm killed 24 people and destroyed Plaza Towers Elementary School and 4,000 homes and businesses, creating an estimated 3 million cubic yards of debris.
Andy Johnston wrote this column. Do you have a question about the news? We’ll try to get the answer. Call 404-222-2002 or email q&a@ajc.com (include name, phone and city).
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