Flash Flood — Wilkes, Georgia

2020-01-13 · near Tyrone, Wilkes, Georgia

Event narrative

Media reported that Rocker Road near Greensboro Highway was washed out by flash flooding. A driver was injured and had to be rescued when her car drove into the floodwaters. Additionally, several other roads were closed in the area due to water over the road or touching the bridge, including: Happy Hollow Road, Norman Road NE, Maxwell Mill Road. Radar estimates indicate that 3 to 5 inches of rain occurred over the area in a short period of time, causing a rapid rise in creeks and streams and overwhelming culvert and storm drain systems.

Wider weather episode

Following an incredibly wet beginning to January, another round of heavy rainfall occurred on January 13th as ample moisture continued to produce heavy rainfall over a stalled system. The rainfall amounts, combined with extremely wet soils resulted in isolated flash flooding over portions of north and central Georgia. Widespread rainfall amounts were generally 1 to 3 inches, with the heaviest amounts oriented along a line from LaGrange, to Covington, to Lexington. A few strong to severe thunderstorms also produced isolated reports of damaging winds and a couple of isolated, brief tornadoes.

View location on OpenStreetMap → (33.6500, -82.8800)

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 874319. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.