Flash Flood, Habersham
- When
- January 7, 2:00 PM EST to January 8, 12:00 AM EST
- Where
- Habersham County, Countywide
- Coordinates
- 34.631, -83.531 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Flash Flooding and Damaging Winds in Georgia, January 7 to 8, 1998
A powerful winter storm brought heavy rain and severe thunderstorms to much of northeast Georgia. Flooding developed quickly in the early afternoon and persisted through the evening.
Where it happened
Every event with a place to put it; 6 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
- $500
- Crop damage
- None recorded
- Events
- 8
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 powerful winter storm brought heavy rain and severe thunderstorms to much of northeast Georgia. Flooding developed quickly in the early afternoon and persisted through the evening. Many roads became impassable due to high water and several bridges were washed out. A few low-topped thunderstorms became severe, producing damaging winds (measured at 63 mph in Toccoa) that blew numerous trees, power lines, and signs down in Stephens and Elbert counties. High environmental winds, blowing from the south in advance of the main area of low pressure blew trees and signs down in Stephens county early in the evening, as well as causing roof damage to some structures.
The radar
The Greer radar (KGSP), 123 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 01:44 UTC.
Event by event
5 flash flood, 2 thunderstorm wind, 1 high wind. Local standard time, as filed.
Flash Flood, Rabun
- When
- January 7, 6:00 PM EST to 11:00 PM EST
- Where
- Rabun County, Clayton
- Coordinates
- 34.882, -83.402 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
High Wind, Stephens
- When
- January 7, 6:55 PM EST
- Where
- Stephens forecast zone
- Measured
- 50 kt (58 mph)
- Coordinates
- 34.554, -83.293 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Flash Flood, Franklin
- When
- January 7, 8:30 PM EST to 11:00 PM EST
- Where
- Franklin County, Countywide
- Coordinates
- 34.375, -83.229 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Flash Flood, Hart
- When
- January 7, 8:30 PM EST to 11:00 PM EST
- Where
- Hart County, Countywide
- Coordinates
- 34.351, -82.964 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Thunderstorm Wind, Elbert
- When
- January 7, 8:45 PM EST
- Where
- Elbert County, Countywide
- Measured
- 50 kt (58 mph)
- Coordinates
- 34.130, -82.870
Thunderstorm Wind, Stephens
- When
- January 7, 9:23 PM EST
- Where
- Stephens County, Toccoa
- Measured
- 54 kt (62 mph)
- Property damage
- $500
- Coordinates
- 34.580, -83.320
Flash Flood, Elbert
- When
- January 7, 9:30 PM EST to January 8, 12:00 AM EST
- Where
- Elbert County, Countywide
- Coordinates
- 34.117, -82.840 (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.
- Thunderstorm Wind
- Winds from a thunderstorm of 50 knots (58 mph) or more, or lower winds that caused damage or casualties. Measured gusts are marked MG, estimated EG.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
The same day elsewhere
- Flash Flood in Tennessee, January 7, 1998
- Tornado and Flash Flooding in South Carolina, January 7 to 8, 1998
- Flash Flooding in Alabama, January 7, 1998
- Flash Flooding and Flood in North Carolina, January 7 to 9, 1998
- Ice Storm in New Hampshire, January 7 to 9, 1998
- Flash Flood in Alabama, January 7, 1998
- Flash Flooding in Kentucky, January 7, 1998
- Flood in Louisiana, January 7, 1998
- Damaging Winds in Georgia, January 7, 1998
- Flash Flooding and Damaging Wind in Mississippi, January 7, 1998
- Flash Flooding and Damaging Wind in Virginia, January 7 to 8, 1998
- Tornado and Flash Flooding in Tennessee, January 7, 1998
More
Every storm in Georgia in 1998Every state in 1998This day in weather historyWarnings in Georgia, January 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: 5628586, 5628587, 5628588, 5628589, 5628590, 5628584, 5628585, 5628591.