Debris Flow and Flooding in Georgia, September 16 to 17, 2004

Name: Debris Flow and Flooding in Georgia, September 16 to 17, 2004
Start: 2004-09-16T20:00
End: 2004-09-17T05:00
Location: Georgia

September 16 to 17, 2004 · NWS GSP · 5 events in 4 counties and zones

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 5 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

Open the live radar over this ground

The toll

Deaths: 0
Injuries: 0
Property damage: $5.5 million
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 5

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.

After isolated flash flooding developed earlier in the evening, persistent moderate to heavy rainfall led to a gradual expansion of general flooding across extreme northeast Georgia. By far the hardest hit area was Rabun County, where numerous streams flooded severely, including Toccoa Falls and Worley Creeks, and the Tallulah River. Numerous homes, businesses, and several apartment buildings were damaged by flood water. Another home was destroyed by a mudslide. Many roads and bridges were washed out or otherwise damaged across the area, including highways 15 and 76 in Rabun County, and Yonah Dam Rd in Stephens County, which was washed out to a depth of 30 feet in one section. Water from Toccoa Creek washed away an unoccupied automobile in Toccoa Falls. In Habersham County, families trapped by high water were rescued in Clarkesville and in the northern part of the county.

What forecasters said that day

The local office's own words before the first event, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.

NWS Greenville-Spartanburg, SC wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Sep 16, 7:52 PM EST, 8 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Sep 16, 7:52 PM EST, 8 minutes before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION...UPDATED
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
852 PM EDT THU SEP 16 2004

.SHORT TERM (REST OF TONIGHT)...
CIRCULATION CENTER OF THE REMNANTS OF IVAN THIS EVENING ARE LOCATED
OVER NORTHEAST AL AND MOVING NE. THE PRES GRAD CONT TO TIGHTEN
ACROSS THE REGION AND ADVISORY LEVEL WINDS ARE NOW POSSIBLE IN
SOME FOOTHILL LOCATIONS...ESPECIALLY AS TROPICAL RAIN BANDS
TRANSPORT STRONGER WIND SPEEDS TO THE LOWER ELEVATIONS. WILL
THUS UPDATE TO INCLUDE FROM HART TO SPARTANBURG TO LENOIR IN A WIND
ADVISORY. WILL LEAVE OTHER PRODUCTS IN PLACE PRESENTLY. PIEDMONT
LOCATIONS HAVE NOT RECEIVED MUCH RAIN THUS FAR...BUT ISOLATED
FLOODING THREAT CONT AS SHOWERS SHOULD START FILLING IN.

PER LATEST COORDINATION WITH SPC...TORNADO WATCH WILL BE EXTENDED
UNTIL 3 AM...AND EXPANDED INTO THE SRN TIER OF NORTH CAROLINA
COUNTIES.
&&

.PREVIOUS DISCUSSION...
THE FOLLOWING WAS ORIGINALLY ISSUED AT 258 PM EDT THU SEP 16 2004

SHORT TERM (TONIGHT THROUGH SUNDAY)...
MOST OF THIS PACKAGE DETERMINED BY TRACK OF IVAN...WHICH IS NOW MORE
PROGRESSIVE AND EXPECTED TO WEAKEN FASTER THAN YESTERDAY. WIND SHEAR
TO INCREASE AS RAIN BANDS MOVE CLOSER...SUPPORTING TORNADO DEVLOPMENT
INITIALLY IN S. WILL HAVE TO MONITOR NC COUNTIES LATER TONIGHT S
SHEAR MOVES FURTHER N. ALTHOUGH SYSTEM TO WEAKEN FASTER THAN IN
PREVIOUS PACKAGES...WIND GUSTS ALREADY SUBSTANTIAL IN N GA...AND
BELIEVE HIGH WIND WARNING CRITERIA WILL STILL BE MET IN MOUNTAINS
TONIGHT AND FRIDAY...AND WILL CONTINUE WARNING. FOOTHILL WINDS STILL
TO REMAIN JUST BELOW ADVISORY CRITERIA.

PROGRESSIVE TRACK WILL MEAN LESS RAINFALL...THOUGH STILL VERY
HEAVY...AND STILL MORE THAN ENOUGH FOR FLOODING...ESPECIALLY IN WAKE
OF FRANCES. WILL LEAVE FLOOD WATCH UP TONIGHT THROUGH SAT.
PRECIPITATION SHOULD TAPER OFF SAT EVENING AS LOW LEVEL FLOW S OF
IVAN BECOMES DOWNSLOPE FROM W...AND WILL LOWER POPS TO CHANCE ALL BUT
TN LINE. WITH REAMINS OF IVAN TRACKING E ACROSS S VA SUN...WILL
CONTINUE HIGHEST POPS TN LINE AND FAR N...WITH LOWEST IN S. DIURNAL
TEMPERATURE RANGE LIMITED BY CLOUDS AND MOISTURE...THOUGH DEW POINTS
TO FALL OFF IN W FLOW LATE.

LONG TERM (SUNDAY NIGHT THROUGH THURSDAY)...
CONSIDERABLE UNCERTAINTY EXISTS IN THE MON THRU THU TIME FRAME. THE
REMNANTS OF IVAN MON AND THE EVENTUAL TRACK OF JEANNE TUE THRU THU
WILL BE THE MAIN PLAYERS IN IN OUR WX. DEEP MOISTURE AND GENERALLY
UPSLOPE FLOW CONTINUE MONDAY. JEANNE BEGINS TO MOVE TOWARD THE AREA
TUE THEN MOVES UP THE SAVANNAH RIVER VALLEY INTO THE NC MTNS THU.
GIVEN THE TROPICAL MOISTURE...LIFT AND UPSLOPE FLOW. HAVE INCLUDED
CHC POP EACH PERIOD. MAX TEMPS GENERALLY LOWER...MIN TEMPS GENERALLY
HIGHER THAN PREVIOUS FCST GIVEN THIS SCENARIO.

AVIATION...
COPIOUS LOW LEVEL MOISTURE AND ELY TO SELY UPSLOPE FLOW WILL
CONTINUE THRU THE TAF PERIOD AS IVAN APPROACHES FROM THE SOUTHWEST.
CIGS...WHILE GENERALLY MVFR...ARE BOUNCING AROUND BETWEEN MVFR AND
IFR. EXPECT ALL SITES TO BECOME IFR BY EVENING...AND LIFR
OVERNIGHT...AS RAIN SPREADS OVER THE AREA AND ATMOSPHERIC COLUMN
CONTINUES TO MOISTEN. VSBY...ALSO GENERALLY MVFR...IS DROPPING TO
IFR IN RAIN BANDS AND SOMETIMES EVEN VFR AFTER THE BANDS PASS.
EXPECT ALL SITES TO FALL TO MVFR BY EVENING WITH IFR
OVERNIGHT...AGAIN AS RAIN SPREADS OVER THE AREA. WINDS WILL BE ON
THE INCREASE AS WELL. SPEEDS INCREASING TO 15G25...AND EVEN 20G30
CLOSER TO THE CENTER OVERNIGHT. DIRECTION WILL ALSO TREND TO THE SE
OVERNIGHT. THE EXCEPTION IS KAVL WITH SLY FLOW IN THE VALLEY. HAVE
BROUGHT WIND SPEEDS UP THERE AS WELL...BUT AS USUAL...THE HIGHEST
SPEEDS MAY NOT BE REALIZED AT THE TAF SITE IF THE DIRECTION OF THE
GENERAL WIND FLOW IS MORE FROM THE SE.
&&

.GSP WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
GA...HIGH WIND WARNING FOR ZONES GAZ010-017 THROUGH FRIDAY.
  ...FLOOD WATCH FOR ZONES GAZ010-017-018-026-028-029 THROUGH
     SATURDAY.
  ...WIND ADVISORY FOR ZONES GAZ018-026-028 THROUGH FRIDAY.
  ...LAKE WIND ADVISORY FOR ZONE GAZ029 UNTIL 6 AM EDT.
NC...HIGH WIND WARNING FOR ZONES NCZ033-048>053-058-059-
     062>065 THROUGH FRIDAY.
  ...FLOOD WATCH FOR ZONES NCZ033>035-037-038-048>059-062>072-
     082 THROUGH SATURDAY.
  ...WIND ADVISORY FOR ZONES NCZ054-055-066-067 THROUGH FRIDAY.
  ...LAKE WIND ADVISORY FOR ZONES NCZ035-037-038-056-057-
     067>072-082 UNTIL 6 AM EDT.
SC...HIGH WIND WARNING FOR ZONES SCZ001>003 THROUGH FRIDAY.
  ...FLOOD WATCH FOR ZONES SCZ001>014-019 THROUGH SATURDAY.
  ...WIND ADVISORY FOR ZONES SCZ004>007-010 THROUGH FRIDAY.
  ...LAKE WIND ADVISORY FOR ZONES SCZ002-008>009-011>014-
     019 UNTIL 6 AM EDT.
&&

SHORT TERM (UPDATE)...HG

Hazardous weather outlook, Sep 16, 5:15 AM EST, 14 hours 45 minutes before

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
615 AM EDT THU SEP 16 2004

GAZ010-017-018-026-028-029-NCZ033>037-048>059-062>072-082-SCZ001>014-
019-171015-
ABBEVILLE SC-ALEXANDER NC-ANDERSON SC-AVERY NC-BUNCOMBE NC-BURKE NC-
CABARRUS NC-CALDWELL NC-CATAWBA NC-CHEROKEE SC-CHESTER SC-
CLEVELAND NC-DAVIE NC-ELBERT GA-FRANKLIN GA-GASTON NC-GRAHAM NC-
GREATER GREENVILLE SC-GREATER OCONEE SC-GREATER PICKENS SC-
GREENVILLE MOUNTAINS SC-GREENWOOD SC-HABERSHAM GA-HART GA-HAYWOOD NC-
HENDERSON NC-IREDELL NC-LAURENS SC-LINCOLN NC-MACON NC-MADISON NC-
MCDOWELL NC-MECKLENBURG NC-MITCHELL NC-NORTHERN JACKSON NC-
OCONEE MOUNTAINS SC-PICKENS MOUNTAINS SC-POLK NC-RABUN GA-ROWAN NC-
RUTHERFORD NC-SOUTHERN JACKSON NC-SPARTANBURG SC-STEPHENS GA-
SWAIN NC-TRANSYLVANIA NC-UNION SC-UNION NC-YANCEY NC-YORK SC-
615 AM EDT THU SEP 16 2004

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA...
UPSTATE SOUTH CAROLINA...AND EXTREME NORTHEAST GEORGIA.

.DAY ONE...

INCREASINGLY WINDY AND RAINY CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED TODAY AS
HURRICANE IVAN MOVES NORTH THROUGH ALABAMA. THE THREAT FOR
EXCESSIVE RAINFALL...STRONG WIND GUSTS AND EVEN TORNADOES
WILL BE INCREASING TONIGHT. HIGH WIND WARNING IS IN EFFECT
FOR THE MOUNTAINS WHILE A FLOOD WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR ALL
OF THE REGION.

PLEASE REFER TO THE FOLLOWING PRODUCTS ISSUED BY THIS OFFICE FOR
FURTHER DETAILS...

FLOOD WATCH...FFAGSP.
HIGH WIND WARNING...NPWGSP.
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT...SPSGSP.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...

THE REMNANTS OF HURRICANE IVAN WILL CONTINUE TO EFFECT THE
REGION INTO FRIDAY AND POSSIBLY INTO A PORTION OF THE WEEKEND.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS POSSIBLE.

In the hours before

Local storm report, Sep 16, 6:08 PM EST, 1 hour 52 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
708 PM EDT THU SEP 16 2004

..TIME...   ...EVENT...     ...CITY LOCATION...      ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....     ..COUNTY LOCATION...ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0700 PM     FLOOD            CLARKESVILLE            34.61N 83.52W
09/16/2004                   HABERSHAM          GA   COUNTY OFFICIAL

            COUNTY EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT REPORTS HIGHWAY 441 STARTING
            TO FLOOD.

0700 PM     NON-TSTM WND DMG CLAYTON                 34.88N 83.40W
09/16/2004                   RABUN              GA   COUNTY OFFICIAL

            COUNTY 911 REPORTS TREES DOWN COUNTYWIDE FROM STRONG
            WINDS.

&&

HG

Local storm report, Sep 16, 6:28 PM EST, 1 hour 32 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
728 PM EDT THU SEP 16 2004

..TIME...   ...EVENT...     ...CITY LOCATION...      ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....     ..COUNTY LOCATION...ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0518 PM     TORNADO          FORTSONIA               34.01N 82.78W
09/16/2004                   ELBERT             GA   COUNTY OFFICIAL

            *** 1 INJ *** COUNTY REPORTS TORNADO DAMAGE FROM
            FORTSONIA TO NEAR RUCKERSVILLE. MANY TREES BLOWN AND A
            HOUSE DAMAGED IN FORTSONIA WHERE ONE WAS INJURED. DAMAGE
            WAS 518 TO 538 PM.

0615 PM     TORNADO          REED CREEK              34.44N 82.92W
09/16/2004                   HART               GA   COUNTY OFFICIAL

            COUNTY REPORTS MANY TREES AND POWER LINES BLOWN DOWN
            INCLUDING ONE ON A HOUSE IN THE NORTHEAST END OF THE
            COUNTY...ESPECIALLY IN THE REED CREEK COMMUNITY.

&&

HG

Local storm report, Sep 16, 6:59 PM EST, 1 hour 1 minute before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT ... CORRECTION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
759 PM EDT THU SEP 16 2004

..TIME...   ...EVENT...     ...CITY LOCATION...      ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....     ..COUNTY LOCATION...ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0650 PM     TSTM WND DMG     9 SE WALHALLA           34.68N 82.95W
09/16/2004                   OCONEE             SC   AMATEUR RADIO

            NUMEROUS TREES/POWER LINES DOWN IN TOKEENAH CROSSROADS
            AND FAIR PLAY AREAS.

0650 PM     TSTM WND DMG     13 SE WALHALLA          34.64N 82.90W
09/16/2004                   OCONEE             SC   AMATEUR RADIO

            TREES/POWER LINES DOWN IN FRIENDSHIP COMMUNITY...OUTSIDE
            SENECA.

0655 PM     TSTM WND DMG     8 SE WALHALLA           34.69N 82.96W
09/16/2004                   OCONEE             SC   AMATEUR RADIO

            TREES AND POWER LINES DOWN IN SENECA...OFF HIGHWAY 183.

0655 PM     TSTM WND DMG     4 S WALHALLA            34.71N 83.06W
09/16/2004                   OCONEE             SC   AMATEUR RADIO

            TREES AND POWER LINES DOWN IN AND AROUND WESTMINSTER.
            INCLUDED IN THE TREE/POWER LINE DAMAGE REPORTS WAS REPORT
            OF A TREE ON A HOUSE OFF EASTWOOD CIRCLE IN WESTMINSTER.

0700 PM     FLOOD            CLARKESVILLE            34.61N 83.52W
09/16/2004                   HABERSHAM          GA   COUNTY OFFICIAL

            COUNTY EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT REPORTS HIGHWAY 441 STARTING
            TO FLOOD.

0700 PM     NON-TSTM WND DMG CLAYTON                 34.88N 83.40W
09/16/2004                   RABUN              GA   COUNTY OFFICIAL

            COUNTY 911 REPORTS TREES DOWN COUNTYWIDE FROM STRONG
            WINDS.

&&

SAB

Local storm report, Sep 16, 7:26 PM EST, 34 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
826 PM EDT THU SEP 16 2004

..TIME...   ...EVENT...     ...CITY LOCATION...      ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....     ..COUNTY LOCATION...ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0400 PM     TORNADO          5 SSW CARNESVILLE       34.30N 83.27W
09/16/2004                   FRANKLIN           GA   LAW ENFORCEMENT

            *** 1 FATAL *** TORNADO CAUSED TREE TO FALL ON CAR

&&

LGL

Local storm report, Sep 16, 7:30 PM EST, 30 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
830 PM EDT THU SEP 16 2004

..TIME...   ...EVENT...     ...CITY LOCATION...      ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....     ..COUNTY LOCATION...ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0545 PM     TORNADO          CARNESVILLE             34.37N 83.23W
09/16/2004                   FRANKLIN           GA   PUBLIC

            TORNADO OBSERVED NEAR CARNESVILLE

&&

LGL

Local storm report, Sep 16, 7:39 PM EST, 21 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
839 PM EDT THU SEP 16 2004

..TIME...   ...EVENT...     ...CITY LOCATION...      ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....     ..COUNTY LOCATION...ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0400 PM     TORNADO          8 SE CARNESVILLE        34.29N 83.13W
09/16/2004                   FRANKLIN           GA   LAW ENFORCEMENT

            25 HOMES DAMAGED OR DESTROYED... EMS AND FIRE STATION
            DAMAGED... 15-20 CHICKEN HOUSES DESTROYED... REPORTS FROM
            COMMUNITIES OF FRANKLIN SPRINGS AND SANDY CROSS. SOME
            DAMAGE ALSO REPORTED FROM RED HILL 5 MILES NORTHWEST OF
            CARNESVILLE

&&

LGL

The radar

The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

4 flood, 1 debris flow. Local standard time, as filed.

Flood, Elbert

When: September 16, 8:00 PM EST to September 17, 5:00 AM EST
Where: Elbert forecast zone
Property damage: $50,000
Reported by: EMERGENCY MANAGER
Coordinates: 34.117, -82.840 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flood, Rabun

When: September 16, 8:00 PM EST to September 17, 5:00 AM EST
Where: Rabun forecast zone
Property damage: $4.6 million
Reported by: EMERGENCY MANAGER
Coordinates: 34.882, -83.402 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flood, Stephens

When: September 16, 8:00 PM EST to September 17, 5:00 AM EST
Where: Stephens forecast zone
Property damage: $50,000
Reported by: EMERGENCY MANAGER
Coordinates: 34.554, -83.293 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flood, Habersham

When: September 16, 8:00 PM EST to September 17, 5:00 AM EST
Where: Habersham forecast zone
Property damage: $720,000
Reported by: EMERGENCY MANAGER
Coordinates: 34.631, -83.531 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Debris Flow, Rabun

When: September 17, 12:00 AM EST
Where: Rabun forecast zone
Property damage: $100,000
Reported by: EMERGENCY MANAGER
Coordinates: 34.882, -83.402 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

What these are

Flood: Flooding that develops more slowly than a flash flood: rivers leaving their banks, or water standing over land for an extended time.
Debris Flow: A fast-moving slurry of mud, rock and debris, usually on a slope soaked by heavy rain or stripped by a fire.

After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.

The same day elsewhere

Every storm in Georgia in 2004 Every state in 2004 This day in weather history Warnings in Georgia, September 2004

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: 5423295, 5423296, 5423297, 5423298, 5423299.