Amidst a prolonged wet and soggy period, another round of heavy rainfall over central Georgia triggered isolated flash flooding through the day on September 20th. Though much of the flooding occurred during the first half of the day, another localized report of flash flooding was reported late in the evening with another round of shower activity.
Every event with a place to put it. Tap one for its entry below.
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.
The episode as NWS FFC wrote it up.
Amidst a prolonged wet and soggy period, another round of heavy rainfall over central Georgia triggered isolated flash flooding through the day on September 20th. Though much of the flooding occurred during the first half of the day, another localized report of flash flooding was reported late in the evening with another round of shower activity.
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 Sep 20, 6:36 AM EST, 1 hour 25 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Peachtree City GA 736 AM EDT Mon Sep 20 2021 ...Updated for 12z Aviation Discussion... .PREV DISCUSSION... /Issued 456 AM EDT Mon Sep 20 2021/ SHORT TERM /Today through Tuesday/... Another rinse and repeat forecast, quite literally, wet weather is ahead through the short term one again. Scattered showers will continue continue to lift northward across the area this afternoon as the CWA remains downstream of the mid/upper low over the Arklatex region. PWAT values remain well above climatological avg, around or above 2". Current forecast additional rainfall amounts through tomorrow range from 1-2" totals across much of the northern sector of the CWA, with locally higher amounts across the NE GA mtns. Heavy rainfall remains the primary concern, especially for areas highlighted in the ongoing Flash Flood Watch where the pockets of heaviest rainfall totals have so far been concentrated. Only major changes to the current Flash Watch is the removal of portions in the SW CWA, and extending the watch through 00z this evening. Can't rule out the extension of the current FFA towards the NE GA corner later today, but given low QPE from yesterday across that area, confidence is too low to pull the trigger for issuance at this time. Morgan LONG TERM /Tuesday Night through Sunday/... An upper level trough continues to march eastward across central CONUS and will dig southeastward into the ArkLaTex region at the beginning of the long term forecast period. The tropical airmass that has been lingering for the past several days has become sufficiently saturated from persistent upper level southwesterly flow from the Gulf of Mexico. As a result, elevated PoPs for Tuesday overnight remain in the forecast with a chance of thunderstorms possible, especially associated with any small upper level disturbances ahead of the surface frontal passage. GFS and Euro show good agreement on timing of the surface front impacting the northwest sector of our CWA by Wednesday. As the front progresses southeastward overnight Wednesday, the upper level trough transitions into a cut off low and ejects northeastward into the Great Lakes region. At the moment, the dynamic setup ahead of the front does not lend itself to widespread severe weather. However, low level shear and moderate instability Wednesday afternoon will allow for a chance of isolated strong storms where damaging wind gusts and heavy rainfall are the main threats. Highest QPF is expected to be in areas of elevated terrain in North Georgia, but with PWAT values ranging from 1.75 to 2.25 inches, periods of locally heavy rainfall will be possible across the entire CWA. Enhanced cloud cover from the beginning of the period through Wednesday overnight will limit diurnal temperature, where lows drop into the 60s to 70s and highs in the 70s to 80s. Once the front passes through early Thursday, high pressure begins to build in across the CWA. Flannel fans will rejoice as cooler than average temperatures and dry conditions dominate the weather pattern throughout the rest of the forecast period. High temperatures in the upper 60s to low 80s will be expected with low temperatures in the 50s to low 60s. Some mountainous areas will drop into the upper 40s for low temperatures. KAL && .AVIATION... 12Z Update... Widespread IFR/MVFR cigs this morning with SHRA/RA across the metro TAF sites this morning. Expecting this trend to continue through with not much improvement during the day, staying BKN/OVC with IFR/lower end MVFR cigs through the afternoon thanks to persistent RA/SHRA. Cigs should lower once again to IFR moving into tomorrow night. Winds remain from the east with speeds increasing to 8-12kts today, with some gusts up to 15-17kts possible during the late afternoon. //ATL Confidence...12Z Update... Medium confidence on all elements. Morgan && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... Athens 75 69 79 68 / 80 60 70 60 Atlanta 75 70 80 68 / 80 50 60 60 Blairsville 71 65 75 63 / 70 60 70 70 Cartersville 76 69 81 67 / 80 50 60 60 Columbus 80 71 84 70 / 70 50 60 40 Gainesville 73 68 77 67 / 80 60 70 60 Macon 79 71 84 70 / 70 40 70 40 Rome 76 70 82 68 / 80 50 60 60 Peachtree City 77 70 82 67 / 80 50 60 50 Vidalia 80 72 84 72 / 70 50 80 40 && .FFC WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... Flash Flood Watch through this evening for the following zones: Bartow...Carroll...Catoosa...Chattooga...Cherokee...Cobb... Coweta...Dade...Douglas...Fayette...Floyd...Gilmer...Gordon... Haralson...Heard...Meriwether...Murray...North Fulton... Paulding...Pickens...Polk...South Fulton...Troup...Walker... Whitfield. && SHORT TERM...Morgan LONG TERM....KAL AVIATION...Morgan
Hazardous Weather Outlook National Weather Service Peachtree City GA 537 AM EDT Mon Sep 20 2021 GAZ001>009-011>016-019>025-027-030>039-041>062-066>076-078>086- 089>098-102>113-210945- Baldwin-Banks-Barrow-Bartow-Bibb-Bleckley-Butts-Carroll-Catoosa- Chattahoochee-Chattooga-Cherokee-Clarke-Clayton-Cobb-Coweta- Crawford-Crisp-Dade-Dawson-DeKalb-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- 537 AM EDT Mon Sep 20 2021 This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for portions of North and Central Georgia. .DAY ONE...Today and Tonight... A Flash Flood Watch is in effect for portions of west and northwest Georgia until this evening. Rainfall totals of 1 to 2 inches can be expected in these areas with locally higher amounts up to 3 inches possible. These rainfall amounts could lead to areas of flooding, especially in low-lying and flood prone areas. Gusty winds and lightning will also be possible in any thunderstorm that develops. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Tuesday through Sunday... Isolated to scattered thunderstorms are forecast across the area from Tuesday through Wednesday. Some of these storms could produce locally heavy rain, gusty winds, and frequent lightning. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... Spotter activation is not requested but spotters are encouraged to submit reports of flooding through the web by going to weather.gov/atlanta. Please relay any information about observed severe weather to the NWS while following all local, state, and CDC guidelines.
The Robins AFB radar (KJGX), 57 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 13:00 UTC.
6 flash flood. Local standard time, as filed.
There were several social media reports of flooding of the Eastman Walmart Parking lot. Radar estimates indicate that between 4 and 5 inches of rain had fallen over the area in a short period of time, resulting in the flash flooding.
The Emergency Manager reported water over the roadway on Cochran Highway near Hawkinsville. Radar estimates indicate that between 1.5 and 3 inches of rain had fallen over the area in a short period of time, resulting in the flash flooding.
The Emergency Manager reported water over the roadway on I-16 near the Bleckley/Laurens county line. Radar estimates indicate that between 2 and 3 inches of rain had fallen over the area in a short period of time, resulting in the flash flooding.
The Emergency Manager relayed multiple reports of flash flooding including road closures and washed out roads in and around the city of Eastman. Some of these reports include Wilson Woodward Road (washed out), from 7th to 9th, MLK Blvd to Cooper Drive, Abbeville Highway, Level Church and near the intersection of Airport Road and Ready Branch Road. Radar estimates indicate that between 4 and 5 inches of rain, with localized areas of up to 8 inches, had fallen over the area in a short period of time, resulting in the flash flooding.
The Emergency Manager reported water over the roadway on Highway 441/Telfair Street. Radar estimates indicate that between 1.5 to 2.5 inches of rain had fallen over the area in a short period of time, resulting in the flash flooding.
The Emergency Manager reported a portion of Panther Branch Road was washed out due to heavy rainfall and high water on nearby creeks. Radar estimates indicate that between 4 and 6 inches of rain had fallen over the area in a short period of time, resulting in the flash flooding.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Georgia in 2021Every state in 2021This day in weather historyWarnings in Georgia, September 2021
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: 987606, 987607, 987608, 987610, 987612, 987613.