Some sections of northwest Georgia saw flash flooding on Sunday after being hit by thunderstorms and heavy rain. Roads were reportedly flooded, and residents were reportedly fighting to keep water out of their homes.
On Sunday afternoon, Georgia Governor Brian Kemp declared a state of emergency in Chattooga and Floyd Counties, mobilizing all available state resources to aid in “preparation, response, and recovery activities” in response to heavy rainfall that, according to the National Weather Service, was producing up to an inch of water per hour in creeks, streams, roadways, and urban areas. According to Kemp’s directive, as much as 12 inches of rain may have fallen in the region.
To put it bluntly, “this is a very serious and maybe deadly scenario. The organization urged people not to try to leave their homes unless they were evacuating because of flooding.
The Chattooga County municipalities of Summerville, Lyerly, and James H. Floyd State Park have all been designated as “flash flood emergency” zones. There was also a flash flood warning in effect for neighboring Floyd County to the south.
At 3:10 p.m., when another wave of emergency rainfall moved into the area, the service warned inhabitants to avoid any travel that wasn’t absolutely necessary.
Due to flash flooding at the Raccoon Creek Filter plant, the city of Summerville instructed households who utilize the city’s water utility services to boil water before using it for drinking, cooking, or preparing baby food.
Once water begins to boil, it needs to be heated for a full minute. Water should be boiled until residents are notified by their drinking water utility that the system is fully operational and the microbiological quality of the water in the distribution system is safe for human consumption, the city said on its website.
