[10:46 p.m.]: Flood warnings have been issued for most of North Georgia and many metro Atlanta counties, according to the National Weather Service. Those counties include Cobb, DeKalb, Douglas, Forsyth, Fulton, Gwinnett, Newton and Rockdale counties.
For a full list of counties under a flood warning, click here.
[8:45 p.m.]: A flood warning has been issued for parts of Cobb, Douglas and Gwinnett counties, according to the National Weather Service. The warning for Gwinnett is set to expire at 6 a.m. Wednesday, while the warnings for Cobb and Douglas counties should expire at 2:12 p.m. Thursday.
[8:13 p.m.]: North Harbor Lake Drive at Riverside Drive has been closed due to flooding, Sandy Springs police said.
In Cherokee County, Cokers Chapel Road is also blocked due to flooding, according to the sheriff’s office.
[8:02 p.m.]: Ammons Road in Cherokee County has been shut down by deputies due to flooding, according to the Cherokee County Sheriff's Office. Drivers are advised to avoid the area.
Standing water has also been reported on Dabbs Bridge Road near Washington Boulevard in Paulding County, the county’s sheriff’s office said.
[8 p.m.]: The ground stop at Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport has been lifted, according to the Federal Aviation Administration.
UPDATE [7:26 p.m.]: Hartsfield-Jackson International Airport is under a ground stop due to inclement weather, according to the Federal Aviation Administration. The ground stop is expected to be lifted by 8 p.m.
[ORIGINAL STORY]: If you thought the storms and flooding last week were a thing of the past, think again.
In fact, the risk for flooding is actually increasing into Monday night and will remain high for much of this week, according to Channel 2 Action News. Several more days of rain and storms are on tap.
“It’s not going to take as much rain to cause flooding issues this week,” Channel 2 meteorologist Brian Monahan said. “It was so wet last week, the ground is so saturated, that rivers, creeks and streams can come up really quickly.”
The National Weather Service has issued a flash flood watch for most of North Georgia and all of metro Atlanta. The watch went into effect at 1 p.m. Monday and will expire Tuesday evening.
“Flash flooding and minor to moderate flooding of larger creeks and rivers is expected,” the Weather Service said in an alert. “This will close some roads and could flood homes and businesses in flood-prone areas. Along larger creeks and rivers, flooding could last for several days.”
There is some good news, though, according to Channel 2 chief meteorologist Glenn Burns.
“The good news is it is tapering off back here in Alabama,” he said. “(The rain) is not as heavy, and the other part of the good news is that temperatures will be steady or rising (Monday night).”
Even though the rain will lighten up, the flooding risk will continue overnight as the water begins to drain and pool. Several existing flood warnings remain in effect for local waterways as water levels rise.
That risk only increases Tuesday through Thursday as the rain continues to fall.
“I think we'll have some big issues later this week,” Monahan said. “And poor drainage areas as well, keep a close eye on those. Those will also flood. We’ll have a lot of standing water on roads.”
The chance of rain increases to 90% Tuesday, according to Channel 2. The risk of a severe storm also increases.
Credit: Channel 2 Action News
Credit: Channel 2 Action News
“It’s going to be another tough commute tomorrow morning, with heavy rain likely across parts of North Georgia,” Monahan said.
Due to the threat of severe storms, heavy rain and flooding, several schools in far northeast Georgia have cancelled class or will begin on a delayed schedule.
Wednesday’s rain chance is 40%, and Thursday’s 70% chance could also bring strong storms and the possibility for severe weather, according to Channel 2.
Temperatures, at least, should stay on the mild side. Through Thursday, afternoon highs are hovering around 70 degrees, according to the latest forecast.
» For a detailed forecast, visit The Atlanta Journal-Constitution weather page.
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