Flash Flood — Stephens, Georgia

2009-09-20 · near Toccoa Falls, Stephens, Georgia

Event narrative

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.

Wider weather episode

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.

View location on OpenStreetMap → (34.6190, -83.3890)

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 197999. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.