Flash Flood, Elbert
- When
- February 3, 12:00 PM EST to 8:00 PM EST
- Where
- Elbert County, Countywide
- Coordinates
- 34.117, -82.840 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Flash Flooding and High Wind in Georgia, February 3 to 4, 1998
A strong, slow-moving winter storm moved from the Gulf of Mexico through southeastern Georgia and into the Carolinas on the 3rd and 4th. Heavy rain accompanying this storm contributed to many roads being flooded across Elbert, Habersham, and Franklin counties on the 3rd.
Where it happened
Every event with a place to put it; 10 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. Tap one for its entry below.
- Tornadoes
- Tropical storms and surge
- Floods
- Wind
- Hail
- Winter weather
- Heat and drought
- Cold
- Fire, smoke and dust
- Marine and coastal
- Other
The toll
- Deaths
- 0
- Injuries
- 0
- Property damage
- $20,000
- Crop damage
- None recorded
- Events
- 10
Deaths and injuries are direct and indirect together, as the offices filed them. Damage is property and crops in the dollars of the year, not adjusted for inflation, and only where an office estimated it.
What happened
The episode as NWS GSP wrote it up.
A strong, slow-moving winter storm moved from the Gulf of Mexico through southeastern Georgia and into the Carolinas on the 3rd and 4th. Heavy rain accompanying this storm contributed to many roads being flooded across Elbert, Habersham, and Franklin counties on the 3rd. Creeks and streams began to overflow their banks by the 4th, resulting in 10 roads closed in Hart county and additional road closures in Habersham and Franklin counties. The tight pressure gradient set up between strong high pressure in the upper Midwest and the passing strong low pressure, caused high gradient winds that blew down numerous trees and power lines from Stephens county to Elbert county. Numerous power outages occurred and roads were blocked into the early evening on the 3rd.
The radar
The Greer radar (KGSP), 102 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 17:01 UTC.
Event by event
6 flash flood, 4 high wind. Local standard time, as filed.
Flash Flood, Habersham
- When
- February 3, 12:00 PM EST to February 4, 3:00 AM EST
- Where
- Habersham County, Countywide
- Coordinates
- 34.631, -83.531 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Flash Flood, Franklin
- When
- February 3, 12:00 PM EST to 8:00 PM EST
- Where
- Franklin County, Countywide
- Coordinates
- 34.375, -83.229 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
High Wind, Elbert
- When
- February 3, 12:00 PM EST to 6:00 PM EST
- Where
- Elbert forecast zone
- Measured
- 50 kt (58 mph)
- Property damage
- $5,000
- Coordinates
- 34.117, -82.840 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
High Wind, Franklin
- When
- February 3, 12:00 PM EST to 6:00 PM EST
- Where
- Franklin forecast zone
- Measured
- 50 kt (58 mph)
- Property damage
- $5,000
- Coordinates
- 34.375, -83.229 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
High Wind, Hart
- When
- February 3, 12:00 PM EST to 6:00 PM EST
- Where
- Hart forecast zone
- Measured
- 50 kt (58 mph)
- Property damage
- $5,000
- Coordinates
- 34.351, -82.964 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
High Wind, Stephens
- When
- February 3, 12:00 PM EST to 6:00 PM EST
- Where
- Stephens forecast zone
- Measured
- 50 kt (58 mph)
- Property damage
- $5,000
- Coordinates
- 34.554, -83.293 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Flash Flood, Hart
- When
- February 4, 7:00 AM EST to 6:00 PM EST
- Where
- Hart County, Countywide
- Coordinates
- 34.351, -82.964 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Flash Flood, Habersham
- When
- February 4, 7:00 AM EST to 3:00 PM EST
- Where
- Habersham County, Countywide
- Coordinates
- 34.631, -83.531 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Flash Flood, Franklin
- When
- February 4, 9:00 AM EST to 3:00 PM EST
- Where
- Franklin County, Countywide
- Coordinates
- 34.375, -83.229 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
What these are
- Flash Flood
- Flooding that begins within six hours of the rain that causes it, or of a dam or levee failure or ice jam release, often with deadly speed.
- High Wind
- Sustained non-thunderstorm winds of 40 mph or more for an hour, or gusts of 58 mph or more.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
The same day elsewhere
- Heavy Snow in Kentucky, February 3 to 6, 1998
- Heavy Snow in Kentucky, February 3 to 6, 1998
- Heavy Rain in West Virginia, February 3 to 4, 1998
- Ice Storm in Nebraska, February 3, 1998
- Flood in California, February 3 to 21, 1998
- Winter Storm in West Virginia, February 3 to 6, 1998
- Winter Storm in North Carolina, February 3 to 6, 1998
- Heavy Snow in Tennessee, February 3 to 4, 1998
- Heavy Snow in Kentucky, February 3 to 6, 1998
- Flood in California, February 3, 1998
- High Wind in Nevada, February 3, 1998
- Flash Flooding and Heavy Snow in North Carolina, February 3 to 4, 1998
More
Every storm in Georgia in 1998Every state in 1998This day in weather historyWarnings in Georgia, February 1998
Sources
NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database, compiled from the National Weather Service’s monthly Storm Data. Complete through 2026-06; NCEI adds each month about 75 days after it ends and revises past years a few times a year. Rebuilt 2026-09-24. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 5635420, 5635421, 5635422, 5635423, 5635424, 5635425, 5635426, 5635427, 5635428, 5635429.