ATLANTA, GA — A catastrophic flash flood warning is in effect for Gilmer and Fannin counties until 1:30 a.m. after intense rain overwhelmed parts of north Georgia. The National Weather Service said 5 to 6 inches of rain had already fallen in the warned area, with another 1 to 3 inches still possible.
The warning comes as road closures, mudslides and water rescues were already being reported. Severe Weather Team 2 Chief Meteorologist Brad Nitz called the situation very dangerous, and local officials were tracking rapidly rising water as thunderstorms continued to move through the region.
Roads blocked as water rises and mudslides spread across the warned area
Emergency managers reported several trouble spots late Wednesday night as flooding intensified. At 12:46 a.m., Gilmer County emergency management said John Waters Road was impassable because of water. Earlier reports also said a car had been overtaken by water on Old Cc Camp Road.
At 11:42 p.m., officials said a mudslide had partially blocked the west side of Highway 52 near mile marker 4. Sugar Creek at Boardtown Road on the Gilmer-Fannin line was also reported impassable because of a mudslide. Those reports showed how quickly the heavy rain was turning roads into hazards.
Water enters homes as emergency officials warn of dangerous conditions
Flooding was not limited to roadways. Fannin County emergency management reported water entering residences on Bushyhead Road at 11:13 p.m., and Gilmer County officials later said Bushy Head Lane also had water into homes. The situation pointed to flooding that was spreading beyond drainage ditches and low-water crossings.
At around 10:47 p.m., local law enforcement in Fannin County said thunderstorms were producing heavy rain across the warned area, leading to mudslides and water rescues. That combination of flooding and emergency response underscored how fast conditions worsened after the heaviest rain bands moved through.
National Weather Service adds more rain to already saturated counties
The catastrophic warning followed an earlier flash flood warning that covered Fannin, Gilmer, Murray and Union counties and was set to expire at 3 a.m. Thursday. In that earlier warned area, the National Weather Service said between 1 and 2 inches had fallen, with rain falling at rates of 1 to 2 inches an hour.
Forecasters said another 1 to 2 inches could still fall there, and flash flooding was either already happening or expected to begin. The additional rainfall threat meant that even areas that had not flooded yet could face rising water quickly as storms kept moving through north Georgia.
Brad Nitz says the overall severe weather threat is low but flooding remains the main concern
Before the worst flooding reports came in, Brad Nitz with Severe Weather Team 2 had forecast periods of heavy rain and thunderstorms moving through north Georgia on Wednesday. He said the severe storm threat had expanded slightly, with damaging wind gusts the main risk from the stronger storms.
Nitz said the tornado threat was very low, though not zero. He also said the flood threat was low overall, but warned that a few of the strongest storms could dump 1 to 2 inches quickly. That kind of localized downpour can overwhelm creeks, ditches and roads even when the broader storm risk is limited.
What residents in north Georgia were being told to watch as storms continued
With the warning in place, the immediate concern was for fast-moving water, road blockages and sudden flooding in low-lying spots. Officials were already reporting impassable routes, homes taking on water and mudslides near major roads, all signs that travel in the warned area could become dangerous without much notice.
Severe Weather Team 2 said it was continuing to track the storms, while the National Weather Service kept the flash flood warning active for the hardest-hit counties. With more rain still possible overnight, residents in and around the warned area were facing the prospect of worsening conditions before dawn.