Flood in Crisp County, Georgia

The Crisp County Emergency Management Director reported extensive flooding across Crisp county as a result of rainfall of five inches or more that had fallen on saturated ground from several prior weeks of wet conditions and above normal rainfall. Several roads within the county had to be closed as culverts were washed out and the roads were rendered impassable. Many roads in the Cordele area were inundated with high water during the height of the flooding and had to be closed. In addition, several homes in the Cordele area sustained significant flood damage.

A series of upper troughs were moving through a large, deep upper trough centered in the mid part of the U.S. One such upper trough and associated cold front were sweeping through the southeast U.S. on April 1st, with another stronger system on the 2nd. Widespread heavy rain was observed in central Georgia with the first system. Several creeks and streams exceeded bankful and several roads and low-lying areas in central Georgia counties, especially around Macon, were flooded. This evolved into a minor severe weather event during the early morning hours of April 2nd. A more significant severe weather outbreak was observed when the main upper system and cold front swept into the southeast U.S. late on April 2nd and into the early morning hours of the 3rd. A narrow line of thunderstorms, with a noteable lack of lightning, produced damaging winds gusts of at least 60 mph as it moved across the Floyd and Calhoun areas of northwest Georgia. The line weakened considerably as it tracked further eastward into the state after midnight on the 2nd.