Heavy rain leads to crashes and flooding in metro Atlanta

Tomorrow: Rain and storms. High: 68

» For a detailed forecast, visit The Atlanta Journal-Constitution weather page.

For the first time in more than a month, metro Atlanta woke up to heavy downpours.

But that rain led to dozens of crashes, flooding and standing water on local interstates.

"Best advice for commuters this morning, if you can — if you have the option — telecommute," the WSB 24-hour Traffic Center's Mark Arum said. "Second option is wait until daybreak before you get out on the roads, so you can actually see what's going on there."

Here’s the latest:

Traffic

Drivers on I-85 in Gwinnett County experienced delays after a crash south of Hamilton Mill Road, one of more than a dozen crashes reported across metro Atlanta.

While investigators cleared the scene about 5 a.m., delays remained, according to theWSB 24-hour Traffic Center.

Flooding and standing water

There was no flooding in traditional problem areas such as Big Creek in Alpharetta.

Since 4:30 a.m., drivers on I-285 in DeKalb County have dealt with standing water in the left lanes before Bouldercrest Road. All lanes have reopened, but delays remain, according to the Traffic Center.

Flooding was reported on I-20 westbound east of Candler Road in DeKalb County and on Ga. 400 southbound past Northridge Road in north Fulton County.

And those heading to Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta Airport encountered flooding on the I-85 southbound ramp to Camp Creek in south Fulton County.

Power outages

More than 9,430 people without power early Tuesday, according to the latest numbers from Georgia Power.

In parts of Dunwoody Monday night, a tree branch knocked out power lines on North Shallowford Road and Village Drive, the Dunwoody Police Department said.

What’s next?

The downpours ended a record-breaking streak without measurable rainfall in metro Atlanta Tuesday, according to Channel 2 Action News. The last time Atlanta saw measurable rainfall was Oct. 16.

By 6:40 a.m., a weather system had dumped more than 2 inches of rain in Atlanta — “the most rain we’ve seen in a single day in 10 months,” Channel 2 meteorologist Brian Monahan said. Temperatures were 58 degrees in Atlanta, 52 in Blairsville and 59 in Griffin.

Monahan said the primary threat for the next couple of hours will be heavy rain, primarily on the Southside.

“That will lead to flooding,” he said, “especially poor drainage areas.”

» For updated traffic information, listen to News 95.5 and AM 750 WSB and follow @ajcwsbtraffic on Twitter.