Epic flood called 500 Year Flood

The flooding in Georgia that took place this week is now being referred to as an epic 500-Year-Flood.

At least 10 deaths in Georgia and Alabama were blamed on the torrential downpours in the Southeast. The storms finally relented and relief was in sight with just a slight chance of rain Wednesday, but the onslaught left many parts of the region in stagnant water.

The latest victim, Richard Butler, 29, drowned after his car was apparently washed off a road near a creek Tuesday night in suburban Douglas County, west of Atlanta, county spokesman Wes Tallon said.

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According to the USGS website...

The flooding around Atlanta this week is one for the record books. According to the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), the rivers and streams had magnitudes so great that the odds of it happening were less than 0.2 percent in any given year. In other words, there was less than a 1 in 500 chance that parts of Cobb and Douglas counties were going to be hit with such an event.

“The USGS can reliably say just how bad these floods were. They were epic!” said Brian McCallum, Assistant Director for the USGS Water Science Center in Georgia. “We have all witnessed the devastation caused by these floods, but now we can quantify it.” The data are gathered from the USGS real-time streamgaging network.

On Sept. 22, USGS crews measured the greatest flow ever recorded (28,000 cubic feet per second) on Sweetwater Creek near Austell, Ga.

Elsewhere in the Atlanta area:

The Yellow River streamgages in Gwinnett, DeKalb and Rockdale counties measured flows between the 1 percent chance (100-year) and 0.5 percent chance (200-year) flood magnitude.
Flows caused by the rain at Peachtree Creek in Atlanta were only near the 10 percent chance (10-year) flood magnitude, but the backwater effects from the Chattahoochee River pushed water levels over the 0.2 percent chance (500-year) flood at the gage location.
On the Chattahoochee, USGS measured a 1 percent chance exceedence (100-year) flood at Vinings and Roswell.


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Allow me now to just share with you some of the shocking photos that have come out of the flood-stricken areas... it's hard to imagine going through something like this... such a long road lies ahead for some of these people!
From left: Garrett Jacobs, Dakota Nelson, and Levi Wright move a barricade to higher ground after flood waters from the Yellow River continued to rise Monday, Sept. 21, 2009 in Lilburn. Ga. The community canceled their beach bash, which was scheduled for Monday night. (AP Photo/Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Curtis Compton)
From left, Allen Rice, Zach Shirley, Jacob Shirley, and Danny Shirley remove two mattresses from their home in East Ridge, Tenn., Tuesday, Sept. 22, 2009. Heavy rainfall caused water from area creeks to flood areas throughout Chattanooga and northern Georgia areas. (AP Photo/Chattanooga Times Free Press, Patrick Smith)

The roof of an auto shop is barely visible above swollen Sweetwater Creek after heavy rains of recent days caused the creek to flood, Tuesday, Sept. 22, 2009, in Austell, Ga. (AP Photo/John Amis)
An unidentified man looks back at tractor trailer cars washed against a bridge going over Sweetwater Creek left there by flood waters from recent rains, Wednesday, Sept. 23, 2009, in Austell, Ga.(AP Photo/John Amis)
A submerged truck is shown in flood waters in Mableton, Ga., Tuesday, Sept. 22, 2009. Heavy rains caused flooding in and around the Atlanta area. (AP Photo/John Bazemore)
Grounds crew including Michael Watts, Jr., second from left, work at cleaning up mud and debris at the foot of the Ninja roller coaster, left by flood waters that inundated Six Flags over Georgia amusement park, Thursday, Sept. 24, 2009, in Atlanta. (AP Photo/John Amis)
Mud encased bicycles lay strewn in front of a house in Lilburn after flood waters from the Yellow River receded from it, Wednesday, Sept. 23, 2009, in Austell, Ga. A newly built deck on the back of the house was nowhere to be found. (AP Photo/John Amis)


Have a blessed weekend!
~Dewdrop

Devastating floods ravage Metro Atlanta--Flooding deaths in Atlanta area

This picture shows flooding at Dog Creek at Hwy 5, Douglas County, Georgia on September 21, 2009. The deck holds the USGS automated water-monitoring and transmission equipment that allows for real-time display of current stream conditions on our Web pages.
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Unfortunately, the story today in weather is not a good one at all. With days of rain, starting with the rain when I was trying to travel back to Georgia on Wednesday, the Atlanta Metro area and surrounding areas have been inundated with anywhere from 5-20" of rain. With some areas receiving 20" of rainfall during a period of only 36 hours, it spells out widespread flooding and mudslides. Sadly many water rescues have occurred, and already 5 7 (the number has risen since I started blogging--link) are reported dead and several people are unaccounted for and considered missing.

It has not been confirmed, however, that the body found Tuesday is one of two missing teenage boys who attempted to rescue a trapped motorist and were swept away. One of the teens was rescued. Four deaths occurred in Douglas County, with Gwinnett and Carroll also reporting fatalities. A 2-year-old died in Carroll County after heavy rain washed his family's trailer away. Carroll County Sheriff Terry E. Langley confirmed that Preston Slade Crawford's body was found Monday afternoon about a mile from his home, in some debris near the road.
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It's a tragic situation of loss and suffering. Schools are closed because of road closures (over 100 roads in the Atlanta Metro area, including parts of I75 and I285).

Current listing of road closures
List of smaller roads closed

Evacuations have taken place. Homes have been overtaken by water. It's a grim situation, and since we experienced it locally in April, and are still recovering... many folks here know all too well what lies ahead for residents of Metro Atlanta.

Link to flooding map in Georgia
Flood and High Flow map

Two men and two women died in Douglas County in separate incidents, officials said.

In each case, Douglas Sheriff Phil Miller said the driver was trying to cross flooded roadways.
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Turn Around, Don't Drown™ is the best advice I could possibly offer anyone in that area. With all area creeks and streams risen to major flood levels, roads and bridges have been compromised... what you might think you're seeing as water over the road could very easily (and scarily likely be) water INSTEAD OF the road. In the picture below, water had risen above the road level, meaning at one point... it looks like water over the bridge, when in fact, there was no bridge there at all. Don't risk it people, TURN AROUND!!!

John Spink, AJC -- A section of Post Road washed away about a mile south of I-20 in Winston.

God be with those impacted, and I sure hope it doesn't result in flooding here...
~Dewdrop

Turn Around Don't Drown™

This week NOAA is promoting flood safety awareness and not a minute too soon. With major flooding along the Illinois River in Missouri, Indiana and Illinois, from the excessive rain, and drastic rise in temperatures causing rapid snow melt, flood safety is a very important topic.The above image links to a map showing the Advanced Hydrologic Prediction Service (AHPS) flood predictions according to gauge measurement. The AHPS works to advance river and flooding forecasts and other water information to work to protect life and property. Yes, it is very important that you know about flood dangers, which are very real and happen to be among the top weather related killers. Link to flooding statistics of 2007.
The above shows the statistics regarding weather related deaths over the 10 year average and the 30 year average. You see that flooding is a great danger! In 30 year statistics, of the weather related deaths recorded (flood, lightning, tornado hurricane) over that period, the annual average is the highest for flooding. One important factor that I want you to notice is that the majority of flooding deaths occurred when people were in a vehicle or in the water. Today, NOAA has highlighted their chief flood related campaign as their flood safety awareness topic, "TURN AROUND, DON'T DROWN™!" Why do flood related deaths occur...?

The main reason is people underestimate the force and power of water.

It takes only six inches of fast flowing water to sweep you off your feet.

Water only two feet deep can float away most automobiles.
~source

Here is a link to someTADD resources. It is a serious and real threat. If you see a flood covered road, it is for your own safety and your potential rescuers that you turn around to avoid being trapped in a current and swept away, leading to drowning. Water over roads can hide damage done to roads, where parts of roads have been washed away leaving them completely impassable, hazards left in the roadway, how strong the current is, or how potentially deep the flood water actually is. Floods can destroy roads. Floods can sweep away people and cars. Floods can kill. Over the past 30 years, floods have killed more people than any other recorded weather related threat.

Aside from that...

...NO TSTM AREAS FORECAST...

A RATHER QUIET WEATHER PATTERN IS IN PLACE ACROSS THE NATION TODAY WITH RELATIVELY WARM AND DRY CONDITIONS IN MOST AREAS. SCATTERED SHOWERS ARE POSSIBLE TODAY OVER SOUTH FL...AND ACROSS THE NORTHERN PLAINS. HOWEVER...THE THREAT OF LIGHTNING STRIKES IN BOTH AREAS APPEAR TOO LOW TO WARRANT AN OUTLOOK AT THIS TIME.

The SDS is killing me...

Have a great day! Sorry for the delay. Trouble getting an image to load.
~Dewdrop

Flooding in the Central States, Severe Weather Headed for the Southeast

Several big stories in weather today... first of all, the rain, rain and more rain that fell and continues to fall with this approaching system is causing all sorts of problems in several states. I saw this map on TWC this morning, which is published by the Missouri Department of Transportation (MO DOT). Of course, they listed the source site incorrectly... You know, I am getting so aggravated with the inaccurate information that rapidly disseminates... fortunately, my CNN friend Courtney, has kindly offered to send me periodic "important news" updates... such a dear. Anyways, I was shocked by the information they shared about road closures associated with the astronomical rainfall totals, which are just through the roof, almost 12 inches of rain in parts of Missouri... (the photo to the right is an AP photo taken by Mark Schiefelbein found on a weather.com blog) 10 inches of rainfall was reported in Cape Girardeau on the CoCoRaHS website. Well, with those outrageous rainfall totals, you can imagine how bad flooding is, and tremendous rainfall spans all the way to New England! Unfortunately, there have been 2 flood-related fatalities.

Also, as part of that system, during yesterday's portion, 2 tornadoes were reported... one in Corpus Christi, TX. This has been an exceptionally tornadic year. I really hope that this trend does not continue to follow the typical trend because we are so far above average.With 462 tornadoes so far in 2008, we have almost had half of all the tornadoes we usually have in an entire year, and we are ONLY halfway through March. Folks, we have not even reached the "peak tornado season". Granted, the graphic is based on local storm reports, which overestimates the number of actual tornadoes, and it definitely exceeds confirmed tornado counts since many tornadoes aren't ever fully realized because they cannot be rated due to a lack of damage... (the ideal tornadoes), but the trend is very close to accurate. It's shocking.

Now, for today, the slight risk for severe weather has once again been expanded, and I have almost been drawn out of it. Already a lengthy squall line is developing and cutting through Alabama and the Panhandle of Florida. Locally, I am seeing sunshine, which should boost our shot at instability, which shouldn't be too plentiful for this weather event elsewhere. The current concern is the expectation that damaging winds will accompany this line. The embedded cells within the squall line are racing across the country at speeds in excess of 60 knots. This system is MOVING!!! and should be here before we know it. I will keep one eye on that as it tracks across the southeast. I can already hear the strong winds crashing against the side of my building.

I will update if something happens.

Update 2:45: Just got word from my non-storm chasing friend, Michael... that in the March 14th downtown Atlanta tornado the 72-story Westin Peachtree Plaza was moved a couple of feet (along with many of the windows). Here is a link to the story. They got a manager saying,

"It's designed to move a couple of feet and I think it did... (chuckling)."

It's in the video. Very interesting. So, yes, the tornado shifted the Westin a couple of feet... weird.

Also, locally, we have been placed under a Wind Advisory. They are saying that 40-45mph gusts are expected. Wow.

Toodles,
~Dewdrop