Flash Flood and Flooding in Georgia, September 20, 2009

Name: Flash Flood and Flooding in Georgia, September 20, 2009
Start: 2009-09-20T10:05
End: 2009-09-20T21:00
Location: Georgia

September 20, 2009 · NWS GSP · 3 events in 2 counties and zones

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it. 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: $4.5 million
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 3

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.

Periods of heavy rain fell between the 18th and 22nd across northeast Georgia, with the heaviest rain falling on the 20th. Stephens County was by far the most heavily affected area in the extreme northeast part of the state. Over 17 inches of rain was reported by one observer for the 5 day period in this area. Other intense flash flooding also affected areas closer to Atlanta.

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 20, 9:34 AM EST, 31 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Sep 20, 9:34 AM EST, 31 minutes before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
1034 AM EDT SUN SEP 20 2009

.SYNOPSIS...
BROAD LOW PRESSURE OVER THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER VALLEY WILL CONTINUE
TO BRING DEEP MOISTURE ACROSS THE SOUTHEAST TODAY AND TONIGHT. WEAK
HIGH PRESSURE WILL LINGER OVER THE REGION FOR MOST OF THE WORK WEEK.

&&

.NEAR TERM /THROUGH TONIGHT/...
WIDESPREAD HEAVY RAIN PERSISTS IN AREAS ALONG/NEAR THE SOUTHERN
ESCARPMENT THIS MORNING IN RESPONSE TO STRONG UPSLOPE FLOW. THIS HAS
RESULTED IN SOME ISOLATED FLOODING ACROSS THE AREA. WITH HEAVY RAIN
EXPECTED TO CONTINUE FOR AT LEAST ANOTHER COUPLE OF HOURS...FLOODING
WILL ONLY BECOME MORE WIDESPREAD INTO THE EARLY AFTERNOON...AS SOME
AREAS WILL LIKELY RECEIVE AN ADDITIONAL INCH OR SO OF RAINFALL.
WEAKENING UPSLOPE FLOW/ISENTROPIC LIFT SHOULD LEAD TO DIMINISHING
RAINFALL RATES THIS AFTERNOON...BUT COVERAGE SHOULD REMAIN
SIGNIFICANT ENOUGH TO WARRANT CATEGORICAL POPS ALONG THE SOUTHERN
ESCARPMENT THROUGH THE AFTERNOON. THERE WILL BE A LARGE POP GRADIENT
ACROSS THE CWFA...WITH BARELY A SLIGHT CHANCE REGISTERING ALONG THE
I-77 CORRIDOR...DUE TO DRIER AIR AND LITTLE FORCING. MAX TEMPS WILL
RANGE FROM THE UPPER 60S IN THE VALLEYS NEAR THE ESCARPMENT...TO
AROUND 80 IN THE LOWER PIEDMONT.

SUNDAY NIGHT LOOKS VERY SIMILAR TO THE SITUATION WE HAVE RIGHT
NOW...WITH CONTINUED UPSLOPE/UPGLIDE. IF THIS GOES DOWN IN A SIMILAR
FASHION...THEN WE ARE GOING TO HAVE TO CONSIDER A FLOOD WATCH FOR
THE ZONES NEAR THE BLUE RIDGE. WOULD RATHER NOT ISSUE A WATCH RIGHT
NOW FOR ZONES THAT ALREADY HAVE A WARNING...SO IT WILL BE EVALUATED
LATER IN THE MORNING. TEMPS WERE KEPT CLOSE TO THE GUIDANCE FOR
LOWS.

&&

.SHORT TERM /MONDAY THROUGH TUESDAY/...
AS OF 240 AM SUNDAY...ON MONDAY AND TUESDAY...BOTH THE 0Z GFS AND
ECMWF AGREE THAT A MID LEVEL LOW WILL CLOSE OFF OVER THE PLAINS AS A
RIDGE BUILDS OVER THE ATLANTIC COAST. AT THE SFC...WEAK HIGH
PRESSURE WILL LIKELY CONTINUE TO NOSE SE ACROSS THE CWA. THIS
PATTERN SHOULD FAVOR A CONTINUATION OF MOSTLY CLOUDY CONDITIONS WITH
TEMPERATURES AT OR SLIGHTLY LESS THAN NORMAL. ON MONDAY...IT APPEARS
THAT UPSLOPE FLOW AND DIURNAL INSTABILITY WILL SUPPORT LIKELY
COVERAGE OF SHRA AND POSSIBLY TSRA OVER THE MTNS...SCT COVERAGE
EAST. LI/S ON THE GFS INDICATE THAT THE SOUTHERN TIER OF THE CWA IS
FAVORED FOR INCREASED INSTABILITY. ON TUESDAY...ATLANTIC RIDGE AXIS
BEGINS TO SHIFT WEST...WITH THE CENTER PIVOTING OVER THE DEEP SOUTH.
THE RIDGE SHOULD REDUCE TUESDAY/S COVERAGE FROM MONDAY...DUE TO
DECREASED AFTERNOON INSTABILITY. I WILL FORECAST CHC POPS THROUGH
EARLY AFTERNOON...WITH LIKELY COVERAGE OVER THE MTN PEAKS DURING THE
MID TO LATE AFTERNOON.

&&

.LONG TERM /TUESDAY NIGHT THROUGH SATURDAY/...
AS OF 3 AM SUNDAY...I WILL FAVOR THE ECMWF FOR ADJUSTMENTS WITHIN
THE EXTENDED PERIOD. WEAK MID LEVEL RIDGING WILL CONTINUE ACROSS THE
CWA FROM MID WEEK INTO THE EARLY WEEKEND. AT THE SFC...PRESSURES
SHOULD FAVOR SLIGHT HIGH PRESSURE...HOWEVER...A WEAK COLD FRONT
COULD SWEEP ACROSS THE REGION LATE IN THE WORK WEEK. TIMING AND
STRENGTH OF EXTENDED RANGE SFC FEATURES ARE TOO UNCERTAIN AT THIS
TIME. HOWEVER...THE CLOSED LOW OVER THE PLAINS WILL LIKELY MOVE
EAST...INCREASING MOISTURE AND LLVL RETURN FLOW ACROSS THE REGION.
OVERALL...DIURNAL SWINGS IN POPS ARE ANTICIPATED...PEAKING WITH CHC
DURING THE AFTERNOON AND EVENING WITH SCHC AT NIGHT. MOS GUIDANCE
AND PATTERN SUPPORT TEMPERATURES AT OR SLIGHTLY ABOVE NORMAL.

&&

.AVIATION /15Z SUNDAY THROUGH THURSDAY/...
AT KCLT...IN THE WAKE OF LIGHT PRECIP...A VFR HOLE REMAINS. THINK
THERE IS A VERY GOOD CHANCE THIS WILL FILL IN QUICKLY WITH SOME MVFR
VISIBILITY IN LIGHT FOG FOR AT LEAST AN HOUR...AND NEIGHBORING
OBSERVATIONS DETECT AN IFR CLOUD DECK. THE LATEST LAMP GUIDANCE HAS
FINALLY TURNED A BIT MORE OPTIMISTIC SO THIS HAS BEEN FOLLOWED...
MAINLY TO GIVE UP ON THE IFR CONDITIONS BY MID MORNING. WHEN THEY
FORM...LOW CLOUDS SHOULD BE IN THE MVFR RANGE AND WILL MOST LIKELY
STAY THERE ALL DAY...WITH SOME BRIEF IMPROVEMENT TO VFR IN THE
AFTERNOON HOURS. THIS WILL NOT BE INCLUDED IN A TEMPO GROUP AT THIS
TIME. MOIST UPGLIDE CONTINUES UNABATED THIS EVENING AND TONIGHT...SO
ONCE AGAIN CONDITIONS SHOULD DETERIORATE AFTER SUNSET.

ELSEWHERE...SHOWERS AIDED BY UPSLOPE/WARM ADVECTION SHOULD CONTINUE
TO DEVELOP ACROSS THE REGION THROUGH AT LEAST MID MORNING...MAINLY
NEAR THE BLUE RIDGE AND ON THE EAST SIDE OF THE MTNS. MOST SITES
WILL BE IN AND OUT OF IFR/MVFR CEILINGS AND VISIBILITIES THROUGH THE
MIDDLE PART OF THE MORNING. INDICATIONS ARE THAT CEILING SHOULD STAY
IN THE MVFR RANGE THROUGH THE AFTERNOON ALTHO SOME TEMPORARY
IMPROVEMENT TO VFR SHOULD BE EXPECTED AFTER 18Z. HOWEVER...THIS
SHOULD FILL RIGHT BACK IN AFTER SUNSET.

OUTLOOK...A STAGNANT PATTERN WILL FAVOR PERIODS OF RAIN THROUGH MID
WEEK. EXPECT RESTRICTIONS...MAINLY MVFR...ESPECIALLY AT NIGHT...WITH
IFR POSSIBLE AROUND DAWN...AT LEAST THROUGH TUESDAY.

&&

.GSP WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
GA...NONE.
NC...NONE.
SC...NONE.

&&

SYNOPSIS...NED
NEAR TERM...JDL/PM
SHORT TERM...NED
LONG TERM...NED
AVIATION...PM

Hazardous weather outlook, Sep 20, 4:00 AM EST, 6 hours 5 minutes before

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
500 AM EDT SUN SEP 20 2009

GAZ010-017-018-026-028-029-NCZ033-048>053-058-059-062>065-501>510-
SCZ001>007-010-210900-
RABUN-HABERSHAM-STEPHENS-FRANKLIN-HART-ELBERT-AVERY-MADISON-YANCEY-
MITCHELL-SWAIN-HAYWOOD-BUNCOMBE-GRAHAM-NORTHERN JACKSON-MACON-
SOUTHERN JACKSON-TRANSYLVANIA-HENDERSON-CALDWELL MOUNTAINS-
GREATER CALDWELL-BURKE MOUNTAINS-GREATER BURKE-MCDOWELL MOUNTAINS-
EASTERN MCDOWELL-RUTHERFORD MOUNTAINS-GREATER RUTHERFORD-
POLK MOUNTAINS-EASTERN POLK-OCONEE MOUNTAINS-PICKENS MOUNTAINS-
GREENVILLE MOUNTAINS-GREATER OCONEE-GREATER PICKENS-
GREATER GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG-ANDERSON-
500 AM EDT SUN SEP 20 2009

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

.DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT.
PERIODS OF MODERATE TO HEAVY RAIN WILL CONTINUE ACROSS THE NORTH
CAROLINA MOUNTAINS AND ADJACENT FOOTHILLS THIS MORNING. SEVERAL INCHES OF
RAIN HAS ALREADY FALLEN ACROSS THE EAST FACING SLOPES EARLIER THIS
MORNING. ADDITIONAL RAINFALL TODAY COULD RESULT IN RAPID RISES
ALONG SMALL STREAM AND CREEKS AND POSSIBLY DEEP STANDING WATER
WITHIN AREAS OF POOR DRAINAGE. IN ADDITION...ISOLATED MUD SLIDES
MAY OCCUR DURING HEAVY RAINFALL RATES ACROSS STEEP TERRAIN.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY.

NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

SKYWARN SPOTTERS ARE REQUESTED TO FORWARD ANY REPORTS OF FLASH
FLOODING TO OUR OFFICE.

NCZ035>037-056-057-068>072-082-SCZ008-009-011>014-019-210900-
ALEXANDER-IREDELL-DAVIE-CATAWBA-ROWAN-CLEVELAND-LINCOLN-GASTON-
MECKLENBURG-CABARRUS-UNION NC-CHEROKEE-YORK-ABBEVILLE-LAURENS-
UNION SC-CHESTER-GREENWOOD-
500 AM EDT SUN SEP 20 2009

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PIEDMONT NORTH
CAROLINA...WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA AND UPSTATE SOUTH CAROLINA.

.DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT.

SCATTERED TO NUMEROUS SHOWERS...A FEW HEAVY AT TIMES...WILL
CONTINUE ACROSS THE PIEDMONT THIS MORNING. HIGH RAINFALL RATES WILL
LIKELY LEAD TO STANDING WATER WITHIN AREAS OF POOR DRAINAGE.
OTHERWISE...NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY.

NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

SKYWARN SPOTTERS ARE REQUESTED TO FORWARD ANY REPORTS OF FLASH
FLOODING TO OUR OFFICE.

NED

In the hours before

Local storm report, Sep 20, 6:11 AM EST, 3 hours 54 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
711 AM EDT SUN SEP 20 2009

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

0640 AM     FLASH FLOOD      LAKE LURE               35.44N 82.21W
09/20/2009                   RUTHERFORD         NC   COUNTY OFFICIAL

            SEVERAL ROADS AROUND LAKE LURE HAVE WATER COVERED AREAS.

&&

NED

Local storm report, Sep 20, 7:31 AM EST, 2 hours 34 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
831 AM EDT SUN SEP 20 2009

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

0830 AM     FLOOD            MILL SPRING             35.30N 82.16W
09/20/2009                   POLK               NC   EMERGENCY MNGR

            4 FEET OF WATER OVER PARTS OF GREEN RIVER COVE ROAD.
            EVACUATIONS IN PROGRESS.

&&

MOORE

Local storm report, Sep 20, 8:57 AM EST, 1 hour 8 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
957 AM EDT SUN SEP 20 2009

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

0840 AM     FLASH FLOOD      1 N LONG CREEK          34.79N 83.26W
09/20/2009                   OCONEE             SC   LAW ENFORCEMENT

            CASSIDY BRIDGE ROAD FLOODED BY CREEK OVERFLOWING.

&&

PTANNER

Local storm report, Sep 20, 8:58 AM EST, 1 hour 7 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
958 AM EDT SUN SEP 20 2009

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

0840 AM     FLASH FLOOD      3 N LONG CREEK          34.82N 83.26W
09/20/2009                   OCONEE             SC   LAW ENFORCEMENT

            WHETSTONE ROAD FLOODED DUE TO STREAM OVERFLOWING BANK.

&&

PTANNER

Local storm report, Sep 20, 9:03 AM EST, 1 hour 2 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
1003 AM EDT SUN SEP 20 2009

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

0850 AM     FLASH FLOOD      WALHALLA                34.77N 83.06W
09/20/2009                   OCONEE             SC   LAW ENFORCEMENT

            SEVERAL ROADS IN TOWN TO INCLUDE N ANDOVER RD AND WINDY
            HILL FLOODED. SOME DUE TO STREAMS OVERFLOWING.

&&

PTANNER

Local storm report, Sep 20, 10:04 AM EST, 1 minute before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
1104 AM EDT SUN SEP 20 2009

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

1102 AM     FLASH FLOOD      3 NNE ROSMAN            35.18N 82.80W
09/20/2009                   TRANSYLVANIA       NC   LAW ENFORCEMENT

            GREEN AND BARKLEY ROADS FLOODED DUE TO CREEK OVERFLOWING.

&&

PTANNER

The radar

The Greer radar (KGSP), 111 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 15:03 UTC.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

2 flood, 1 flash flood. Local standard time, as filed.

Flash Flood, Stephens

When: September 20, 10:05 AM EST to 11:30 AM EST
Where: Stephens County, 2.58 mi WNW of Toccoa Falls to 1.41 mi WSW of Boydville
Cause: Heavy Rain
Property damage: $4.5 million
Reported by: County Official
Coordinates: 34.619, -83.389

Severe flash flooding affected Stephens County. Numerous creeks left their banks in the central and western part of the county, including Toccoa Creek which flooded highway 17. Portions of highway 441 and 123 were also closed. At least 300 homes in the county suffered flood damage. Uninsured property losses were estimated to be over 2 million dollars, and damage to roads and water lines was estimated to be around 3 million. A 20 foot section of Dick's Hill Parkway, the major road between Toccoa and Cornelia, was washed away.

Flood, Stephens

When: September 20, 11:30 AM EST to 4:00 PM EST
Where: Stephens County, 2.58 mi WNW of Toccoa Falls to 1.41 mi WSW of Boydville
Cause: Heavy Rain
Reported by: County Official
Coordinates: 34.619, -83.389

The very heavy rainfall that caused flash flooding early in the day ended by early afternoon. However, periods of moderate to heavy rain caused flooding to persist across the Toccoa area through the afternoon. New flooding also developed along the Broad River. Large sections of Yearwood St and highway 123 to the southwest of Toccoa were washed out during this time. The heavy rain also washed out some water lines, causing 5000 customers to lose water service. A sewage spill also occurred.17.63 inches of rain was reported in Toccoa for the period from the 18th-22nd.

Flood, Habersham

When: September 20, 12:54 PM EST to 9:00 PM EST
Where: Habersham County, 0.7 mi N of Tagula Camp to 0.69 mi NNE of Demorest
Cause: Heavy Rain
Property damage: $10,000
Reported by: County Official
Coordinates: 34.630, -83.548

Water from a stream flowed over Rodeo Circle. Several other roads were flooded with several feet of water off highway 17 near Clarkesville. Additionally, a stream gauge on the Soque River at highway 197 went above its established flood stage.

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.
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

Every storm in Georgia in 2009 Every state in 2009 This day in weather history Warnings in Georgia, September 2009

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: 197999, 198006, 198002.