Flooding in Georgia, December 24 to 31, 2015

Name: Flooding in Georgia, December 24 to 31, 2015
Start: 2015-12-24T21:00
End: 2015-12-31T23:59
Location: Georgia

December 24 to 31, 2015 · NWS TAE · 4 events in 4 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: $250,000
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 TAE wrote it up.

An anomalous upper level pattern developed across the country with a large upper level trough remaining nearly stationary west of the area for several days. Continuous southwest flow brought unseasonably warm temperatures and high moisture content across the area. Excessive rainfall amounts occurred during the last week of the month with amounts in excess of 15 inches falling across the upper portions of the Pea, Choctawhatchee, and Chattahoochee River basins with lesser but still significant amounts extending eastward into central Georgia. This resulted in significant river flooding downstream in southwest Georgia across the Chattahoochee, Flint, Kinchafoonee, and Muckalee Creek basins. The flooding along much of the Flint River basin crested in early January.

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 Tallahassee, FL wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Dec 24, 7:37 PM EST, 1 hour 23 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Dec 24, 7:37 PM EST, 1 hour 23 minutes before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TALLAHASSEE FL
737 PM EST THU DEC 24 2015

.Near Term [Through Tonight]...

Showers and thunderstorms in the northwestern part of the region
will come to an end around midnight. Without frontal passage, it
will remain warm and moist overnight. Fog is already forming near
the coast and will continue to form over the rest of the region
especially after midnight. A Dense Fog Advisory is already in
effect along most of the coastline. This advisory may be extended
for the rest of the region later tonight if needed. Fog could make
early morning travel difficult, perhaps even dangerous if
visibility is extremely poor. Lows tonight will be in the mid to
upper 60s.

&&

.Aviation...
[Through 00Z Saturday]...

LIFR and IFR conditions are expected late tonight into the
morning. Expect MVFR conditions on Friday. Rain near DHN and ABY
will move out of the region by morning. Areas of fog are expected
late tonight into the morning hours. Fog may be dense in some
spots. Winds will be moderate and southerly.

&&

.Prev Discussion [310 PM EST]...

.Short Term [Friday Through Saturday Night]...

Very warm weather with record breaking high temperatures expected
for both Christmas and Saturday as deep layer ridging builds in from
the east. Low level flow will be southerly which will not only keep
our minimum temps elevated well above seasonal levels but also bring
a slight chance for a shower or thunderstorm, mainly over our
western zones. Also with dew points in the lower to mid 60s,
widespread areas of fog (possibly dense) will develop in the late
evening and overnight hours. High temperatures both days will
range from the lower to mid 80s with lows in the lower to mid
60s.

The following are current record max temps for Christmas and December
26th that are in jeopardy of being tied or broken:

Record high temps for 12/25...
Tallahassee...80...multiple times with last occurrence 1984
Apalachicola...79/1984
Albany...80/1964
Valdosta...81/2008

Record high temps for 12/26...
Tallahassee...79...multiple times with last occurrence 1987
Apalachicola...78/1984
Albany...81/1942
Valdosta...79/2008

.Long Term [Sunday Through Thursday]...

A deep upper low centered over northern Mexico Sunday will eject
rapidly to the northeast early next week and push a cold front
into the local area Monday and Monday night. The front is expected
to stall over or near the Tri-state region Tuesday before getting
nudged to our south late in the week. This will keep rain chances
in the forecast through the extended period. Cooler but not cold
temperatures should arrive by Wednesday in the wake of the cold
front. Until then, temps will be well above seasonal levels.

.Marine...

Light to moderate south to southeast winds are forecast to
continue into early next week.

.Fire Weather...

Low level moisture will remain high for the next several days. No
fire weather concerns.

.Hydrology...

Training cells dumped a significant amount of rain over Coffee
County overnight, with 12 hour accumulations close to 10 inches.
This has led to Flash Flooding in the county as well as significant
rises on the Pea River. Ariton has reached moderate flood stage and
Elba is forecast to reach moderate flood later today. Elsewhere,
river rises will continue, with even the main stem rivers getting in
on the action eventually as water is routed from north/central
Georgia.

&&

.Preliminary Point Temps/PoPs...

Tallahassee   65  83  62  83  63 /  10  10  10  10  10
Panama City   67  78  64  79  66 /  30  10  10  10  10
Dothan        67  81  63  82  64 /  70  10  10  20  10
Albany        65  81  63  82  63 /  50  10  10  10  10
Valdosta      65  84  63  84  64 /   0  10  10  10  10
Cross City    66  84  64  83  66 /   0  10  10  10  10
Apalachicola  66  76  65  77  66 /  10  10  10  10  10

&&

.TAE WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
FL...Dense Fog Advisory until 10 AM EST /9 AM CST/ Friday FOR Central
     Walton-Coastal Bay-Coastal Franklin-Coastal Gulf-Coastal
     Wakulla-Inland Bay-Inland Franklin-Inland Gulf-Inland
     Wakulla-South Walton.

GA...NONE.
AL...NONE.
GM...Dense Fog Advisory until 10 AM EST Friday FOR Apalachee Bay or
     Coastal Waters From Keaton Beach to Ochlockonee River Fl
     out to 20 Nm-Coastal Waters From Ochlockonee River to
     Apalachicola Fl out to 20 Nm-Coastal waters from
     Apalachicola to Destin FL out 20 NM.

&&

NEAR TERM...MCDERMOTT
SHORT TERM...BARRY
LONG TERM...BARRY
AVIATION...MCDERMOTT
MARINE...BARRY
FIRE WEATHER...MCDERMOTT
HYDROLOGY...WESTON

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. Local standard time, as filed.

Flood, Lee

When: December 24, 9:00 PM EST to December 30, 4:00 AM EST
Where: Lee County, 6.71 mi SW of Smithville to 3.59 mi WNW of Smithville
Cause: Heavy Rain
Property damage: $250,000
Reported by: River/Stream Gage
Coordinates: 31.840, -84.340

Significant flooding occurred within the Kinchafoonee Creek basin as well as the lower portions of the Muckalee Creek basin. The Kinchafoonee crested at its 3rd highest stage on record, causing significant damage to homes in the area, especially along Century Road. Some homes on North Hampton Road also received flooding from Muckalee Creek. The damage cost was estimated.

Flood, Dougherty

When: December 28, 1:00 PM EST to December 31, 11:59 PM EST
Where: Dougherty County, 3.5 mi N of Albany to 5.38 mi ENE of Turner City
Cause: Heavy Rain
Reported by: River/Stream Gage
Coordinates: 31.620, -84.180

The Flint River at Albany entered minor flood stage during the last few days of December and crested in moderate flood stage in early January. In minor flood stage, approaches to Oakridge Drive bridge flooded, and flooding reached the lowest elevations along Third Avenue, Highland Avenue, and Front Street. This flooding continued into early January.

Flood, Baker

When: December 28, 1:00 PM EST to December 31, 11:59 PM EST
Where: Baker County, 5.98 mi ENE of Red Store Crossroads to 1.18 mi ENE of Red Store Crossroads
Cause: Heavy Rain
Reported by: River/Stream Gage
Coordinates: 31.440, -84.180

Minor river flooding along the Flint River extended down to the Newton area during the last few days of December. The bulk of the flooding occurred in early January as the river crested at its 3rd highest crest on record in the moderate flood category. Several roads were flooded and closed. This flooding continued into January.

Flood, Decatur

When: December 28, 1:00 PM EST to December 31, 11:59 PM EST
Where: Decatur County, 4.15 mi N of Steinham Store to 1.5 mi NNW of Mt Pleasant
Cause: Heavy Rain
Reported by: River/Stream Gage
Coordinates: 31.080, -84.540

Minor river flooding extended down to Bainbridge during the last few days of December. Most of the significant flooding occurred in early January when the river crested in the moderate flood stage category.

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

Every storm in Georgia in 2015 Every state in 2015 This day in weather history Warnings in Georgia, December 2015

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: 611437, 611438, 611439, 611440.