Forbes Raises Metro Atlanta to Level 2 Flood Risk
Metro Atlanta was under a Level 2 severe weather risk on Wednesday as a storm system moved toward north and central Georgia, with flooding concerns rising because the ground was already dry. The main line of storms was expected Wednesday evening, around 8 p.m., after most of the daytime stayed dry.
Forbes said, “What you’re going to notice is that tornado threat dragged a little further into parts of northwest Georgia,” and added, “Calhoun, Rome, Villa Rica, Carrollton — you’re a notch higher than you were earlier.” The risk area stretched from Calhoun to Dawsonville and Gainesville and south through Eatonton, Griffin, and LaGrange.
Forbes on northwest Georgia
The tornado threat increased slightly across parts of northwest Georgia, with Calhoun, Rome, Villa Rica, and Carrollton a notch higher than they were earlier. Forbes also said, “Back into Alabama, that’s where the bigger storms are going to be,” and, “That’s where the focal point is. We’re going to be looking more at Mississippi and Alabama than in northwestern Georgia — but we’re not out of the woods.”
That split left metro Atlanta facing a serious but narrower window. A few isolated storms could develop by late morning or afternoon on Wednesday, then the main line was expected to reach the area in the evening.
Rain and flooding concerns
Heavy rainfall totals of 2 to 3 inches were possible in some areas, and Forbes said, “Given how dry the ground is, that could become a little problematic when it comes to flooding.” The threat was expected to taper off overnight, but scattered showers and storms could linger into Thursday morning.
Feldman said, “Don’t sleep on this,” and, “These can still be very strong storms even if they only affect a few areas Wednesday.” He added, “If this model holds true, the main severe weather threat would be late in the evening,” and, “The severe storm threat would taper off overnight, but the rain not necessarily.”
What comes after Wednesday
Highs near 80 degrees were expected on Tuesday and Wednesday, with morning lows starting in the 60s on Wednesday. Rain chances were expected to return again this weekend and into early next week, keeping the pattern unsettled as the region moves through Thursday and beyond.
For readers in metro Atlanta, the practical shift is the timing: the day was expected to stay mostly quiet until evening, then turn active around 8 p.m. with the potential for heavy rain and isolated severe storms. After that, the weather was not expected to shut off cleanly, and that lingering rain could keep flooding concerns in play into Thursday morning.
