Flood, Harris
- When
- March 31, 7:08 AM EST to 12:08 PM EST
- Where
- Harris forecast zone
- Reported by
- OFFICIAL NWS OBS.
- Coordinates
- 32.736, -84.909 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Flooding in Georgia, March 31, 2005
General rainfall of 2-3 inches was common across much of the region during the early to mid-morning hours. This rain fell on saturated soil from previous heavy rainfall on the 27th.
Where it happened
Every event with a place to put it; 3 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
- None recorded
- Crop damage
- None recorded
- Events
- 4
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 FFC wrote it up.
General rainfall of 2-3 inches was common across much of the region during the early to mid-morning hours. This rain fell on saturated soil from previous heavy rainfall on the 27th. The following counties below listed specific flooding conditions during the event.Carroll: The Times Georgian of Carrollton reported that several roads in the county were flooded. No flash flooding was reported.Heard: The Heard County 911 Center reported that several roads in the county were flooded. Mayhayley Road was closed.Harris: Rainfall of three to five inches across much of the county resulted in general flooding of some roads and low-lying areas.Upson: The Upson County Emergency Manager reported that several inches of rain had fallen during the morning and early afternoon hours on very saturated ground. This had resulted in minor flooding of Potato Creek in the Thomaston area. This area, as well as areas along the Flint River, were being monitored for possible evaucation. In addition, a dam was being monitored one mile north of Thomaston for a possible failure.
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 Atlanta, GA wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Mar 31, 5:15 AM EST, 1 hour 53 minutes earlier.
Area forecast discussion, Mar 31, 5:15 AM EST, 1 hour 53 minutes before
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION...UPDATED NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PEACHTREE CITY GA 515 AM EST THU MAR 31 2005 .SHORT TERM... RATHER BUSY THIS MORNING WITH FLOODING POTENTIAL AND SEVERE WEATHER. WENT WITH A BLEND OF THE GFS/ETA THROUGH DAY 3. ETA IS COMING MORE IN LINE WITH GFS PER THE SURFACE LOW POSITION REMAIN TO OUR WEST THURSDAY NIGHT AND MOVING NORTHWEST FRIDAY. THIS WILL KEEP MOST OF THE CWA IN THE WARM SECTOR FRIDAY. THIS WILL KEEP THE CWA IN A FLOODING/SEVERE WEATHER THREAT NOT ONLY TODAY...BUT ALSO AGAIN ON FRIDAY UNTIL THE COLD FRONT PASSES BY. STRONG NORTHWEST WINDS FRIDAY NIGHT AND SATURDAY WITH GUSTS TO NEAR 30 MPH OVER MUCH OF THE CWA. AS FOR TODAY...HPC HAS AXIS OF HEAVY RAIN OVER NORTH GEORGIA...SHIFTING TO CENTRAL GEORGIA THIS AFTERNOON. THESE AREAS ARE ALREADY SATURATED AND THE FFG SHOWS THIS. FOR THIS REASON WILL ISSUE A FLASH FLOOD WATCH FOR PARTS OF NORTH AND CENTRAL GA FOR TODAY. .LONG TERM... BUMPED UP THE WIND SPEEDS AND GUSTS ON SATURDAY WITH COOLER TEMPS THAT ARE IN LINE WITH THE NEW GUIDANCE. OTHERWISE NO CHANGES PLANNED. && .AVIATION... LINE OF EXTENSIVE CONVECTION IN WARM AIR AHEAD OF SLOW MOVING COLD FRONT WILL BE THE THING TO WATCH. MOST CEILINGS ASSOCIATED WITH PCPN HAVE COME DOWN TO 2500-5000 FT. WILL NEED TO WATCH FOR IFR CEILINGS ASSOCIATED WITH HEAVIER PCPN. EXPECT IFR VSBYS DUE TO HEAVY SHOWERS AND T-STORMS. SURFACE WINDS GENERALLY S WILL TREND TO THE SW 10 KTS OR LESS. CONVECTION HAS CAUSED THE WIND DIRECTIONS AND SPEEDS TO BE HIGHLY VARIABLE. BDL && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... ATLANTA 71 57 66 44 / 80 60 100 40 ATHENS 71 54 69 47 / 90 40 100 60 GAINESVILLE 69 55 65 46 / 80 40 100 60 ROME 74 55 66 45 / 80 60 90 50 COLUMBUS 76 62 73 49 / 80 70 100 40 MACON 74 60 73 50 / 90 60 100 60 && .FFC WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... GA...FLASH FLOOD WATCH PARTS OF NORTH AND CENTRAL GEORGIA TODAY. && 17/99
Hazardous weather outlook, Mar 31, 2:46 AM EST, 4 hours 22 minutes before
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PEACHTREE CITY GA 246 AM EST THU MAR 31 2005 GAZ001>009-011>016-019>025-027-030>039-041>062-066>076-078>086- 089>098-102>113-010745- BALDWIN-BANKS-BARROW-BARTOW-BIBB-BLECKLEY-BUTTS-CARROLL-CATOOSA- CHATTAHOOCHEE-CHATTOOGA-CHEROKEE-CLARKE-CLAYTON-COBB-COWETA-CRAWFORD- CRISP-DADE-DAWSON-DE KALB-DODGE-DOOLY-DOUGLAS-EMANUEL-FANNIN-FAYETTE- FLOYD-FORSYTH-GILMER-GLASCOCK-GORDON-GREENE-GWINNETT-HALL-HANCOCK- HARALSON-HARRIS-HEARD-HENRY-HOUSTON-JACKSON-JASPER-JEFFERSON-JOHNSON- JONES-LAMAR-LAURENS-LUMPKIN-MACON-MADISON-MARION-MERIWETHER-MONROE- MONTGOMERY-MORGAN-MURRAY-MUSCOGEE-NEWTON-NORTH FULTON-OCONEE- OGLETHORPE-PAULDING-PEACH-PICKENS-PIKE-POLK-PULASKI-PUTNAM-ROCKDALE- SCHLEY-SOUTH FULTON-SPALDING-STEWART-SUMTER-TALBOT-TALIAFERRO-TAYLOR- TELFAIR-TOOMBS-TOWNS-TREUTLEN-TROUP-TWIGGS-UNION-UPSON-WALKER-WALTON- WARREN-WASHINGTON-WEBSTER-WHEELER-WHITE-WHITFIELD-WILCOX-WILKES- WILKINSON- 246 AM EST THU MAR 31 2005 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR NORTH AND CENTRAL GEORGIA. .DAY ONE...TODAY. ...ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS EXPECTED TODAY INTO THIS EVENING... .SYNOPSIS... A SLOW MOVING COLD FRONT APPROACHING THE TENNESSEE VALLEY THIS MORNING...WILL MOVE INTO NORTH GEORGIA TONIGHT AND BECOME NEARLY STATIONARY. .PRIMARY HAZARD... THE PRIMARY HAZARD WILL BE LARGE HAIL. DAMAGING WINDS WILL ALSO BE POSSIBLE. .DISCUSSION... AN INCREASINGLY MOIST AIRMASS WILL CONTINUE OVER THE AREA. A LOW LEVEL JET WILL INCREASE OVER THE AREA TODAY AS UPPER LEVEL DISTURBANCES MOVE ACROSS. CAPES OF 1000 TO 2000 CAN BE EXPECTED. THIS COULD LEAD TO LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING WINDS. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS REQUESTED. EMERGENCY MANAGERS SHOULD MONITOR THE SITUATION. .OTHER HAZARDS... HEAVY RAINFALL ASSOCIATED WITH THUNDERSTORMS COULD PRODUCE LOCALIZED FLOODING OR FLASH FLOODING. .DAY TWO THROUGH DAY SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY. THERE WILL BE A CHANCE OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS AND HEAVY RAINFALL ON FRIDAY. OTHERWISE NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. && FOR THE GRAPHICAL HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK AND OTHER WEATHER INFORMATION...PLEASE VISIT OUR WEBSITE AT WEATHER.GOV...AND CLICK ON GEORGIA. BDL
In the hours before
Local storm report, Mar 31, 2:41 AM EST, 4 hours 27 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PEACHTREE CITY GA
241 AM EST THU MAR 31 2005
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0135 AM HAIL 2 SW WHITESVILLE 32.80N 85.06W
03/31/2005 1.75 INCH HARRIS GA PUBLIC
QUARTER TO GOLFBALL SIZE HAIL.
0153 AM TSTM WND DMG 8 N TALKING ROCK 34.63N 84.51W
03/31/2005 GILMER GA PUBLIC
TWO LARGE TREES BLOWN DOWN AND DIME SIZE HAIL.
&&
FFCUSRSpecial weather statement, Mar 31, 3:12 AM EST, 3 hours 56 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PEACHTREE CITY GA 312 AM EST THU MAR 31 2005 GAZ070-071-310845- 312 AM EST THU MAR 31 2005 ...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ALERT FOR PEA-SIZE HAIL AND 40 MPH WINDS IN MONROE AND LAMAR COUNTIES UNTIL 345 AM EST... AT 310 AM EST...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED STRONG THUNDERSTORMS FROM MILNER TO 20 MILES SOUTH OF BARNESVILLE... MOVING NORTHEAST AT 45 MPH. LIGHTNING DETECTION SYSTEMS HAVE INDICATED NUMEROUS CLOUD-TO-GROUND LIGHTNING STRIKES WITH THIS STORM. RESIDENTS IN THIS AREA SHOULD STAY INDOORS. ELECTRICAL APPLIANCES AND CORDED TELEPHONES SHOULD NOT BE USED UNLESS IN AN EMERGENCY. THE THREAT FROM THIS STORM IS EXPECTED TO DIMINISH BY 345 AM EST.
Local storm report, Mar 31, 3:20 AM EST, 3 hours 48 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PEACHTREE CITY GA
320 AM EST THU MAR 31 2005
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0250 AM HAIL 5 W THOMASTON 32.89N 84.41W
03/31/2005 0.75 INCH UPSON GA LAW ENFORCEMENT
DIME TO PENNY SIZE HAIL.
&&
FFCUSRSpecial weather statement, Mar 31, 5:00 AM EST, 2 hours 8 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PEACHTREE CITY GA 500 AM EST THU MAR 31 2005 GAZ071-072-081-082-311030- 500 AM EST THU MAR 31 2005 ...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ALERT FOR PEA-SIZE HAIL AND 30 TO 40 MPH WINDS IN CRAWFORD...BIBB...JONES AND MONROE COUNTIES UNTIL 530 AM EST... AT 456 AM EST...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED STRONG THUNDERSTORMS FROM FORSYTH TO ROBERTA...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 50 MPH. THIS STORM HAS THE POTENTIAL TO PRODUCE PEA SIZE HAIL...FREQUENT CLOUD-TO-GROUND LIGHTNING AND WIND GUSTS TO 40 MPH. BRIEF HEAVY DOWNPOURS MAY CAUSE PONDING OF WATER ON ROADWAYS. THE THREAT FROM THIS STORM IS EXPECTED TO DIMINISH BY 530 AM EST.
Special weather statement, Mar 31, 5:04 AM EST, 2 hours 4 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PEACHTREE CITY GA 504 AM EST THU MAR 31 2005 GAZ061-062-073-311030- 504 AM EST THU MAR 31 2005 ...SIGNIFICANT WEATHER ALERT FOR PEA-SIZE HAIL AND 30 TO 40 MPH WINDS IN BALDWIN...HANCOCK AND WARREN COUNTIES UNTIL 530 AM EST... AT 501 AM EST...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED STRONG THUNDERSTORMS FROM 11 MILES WEST OF SPARTA TO 27 MILES SOUTHWEST OF SPARTA...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 40 MPH. THIS STORM HAS THE POTENTIAL TO PRODUCE PEA SIZE HAIL...FREQUENT CLOUD-TO-GROUND LIGHTNING AND WIND GUSTS TO 40 MPH. BRIEF HEAVY DOWNPOURS MAY CAUSE PONDING OF WATER ON ROADWAYS. THE THREAT FROM THIS STORM IS EXPECTED TO DIMINISH BY 530 AM EST.
Local storm report, Mar 31, 6:02 AM EST, 1 hour 6 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PEACHTREE CITY GA
602 AM EST THU MAR 31 2005
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0530 AM HAIL 3 N MACON 32.88N 83.66W
03/31/2005 0.88 INCH BIBB GA PUBLIC
0535 AM HAIL 3 S GRAY 32.96N 83.54W
03/31/2005 0.88 INCH JONES GA BROADCAST MEDIA
&&
17The radar
The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
Event by event
4 flood. Local standard time, as filed.
Flood, Heard
- When
- March 31, 7:30 AM EST to 2:30 PM EST
- Where
- Heard forecast zone
- Reported by
- GOVT OFFICIAL
- Coordinates
- 33.297, -85.128 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Flood, Carroll
- When
- March 31, 7:30 AM EST to 10:30 AM EST
- Where
- Carroll forecast zone
- Reported by
- NEWSPAPER
- Coordinates
- 33.583, -85.080 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Flood, Upson
- When
- March 31, 10:00 AM EST to 8:00 PM EST
- Where
- Upson forecast zone
- Reported by
- EMERGENCY MANAGER
- Coordinates
- 31.550, -82.850
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.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
The same day elsewhere
- Flash Flood in Alabama, March 31, 2005
- Flash Flooding and Hail in Georgia, March 31, 2005
- Damaging Wind in Texas, March 31, 2005
- Strong Wind in Alabama, March 31, 2005
- Flash Flood in Alabama, March 31, 2005
- Flash Flooding in Florida, March 31, 2005
- Hail in Mississippi, March 31, 2005
- Lightning Strike in Alabama, March 31, 2005
- Damaging Wind and Strong Wind in Indiana, March 31, 2005
- High Wind in California, March 31, 2005
- Flash Flood in Florida, March 31, 2005
- Hail and Damaging Wind in Georgia, March 31, 2005
More
Every storm in Georgia in 2005Every state in 2005This day in weather historyWarnings in Georgia, March 2005
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: 5440016, 5440015, 5440017, 5440018.