Rain Ending, Rivers Starting to Fall
NewsCentral Staff
Story Created:
Feb 11, 2013 at 6:37 PM EDT
Story Updated:
Feb 13, 2013 at 6:06 PM EDT
As area river levels rise, flood warnings have been issued.
The Ocmulgee River has been put under a flood warning for Bibb, Houston, Jones, Monroe and Twiggs Counties. The current level is just under 20 feet but is gradually falling. Minor flooding continues to be forecast.
Here are the likely impacts based on current trends for the Ocmulgee River:
At 18 feet, flood stage is reached. Minor flooding of agricultural lands downstream from the gauge will occur.
At 19 feet, minor flooding continues. The Macon Greenway Ocmulgee Heritage Trail will begin to flood in areas just north of the Fifth Street Bridge. Citizens of the trail will need to stop use. In addition, the lowest sections of the Charles Jones Gateway Park will flood.
The Ocmulgee Heritage Trail is now completely closed due to the height of the river. We anticipate it remaining closed until at least Saturday, and it could be longer depending on how quickly the water recedes and the amount of clean up required.
The flood watch that was in effect for central Georgia has been cancelled. The last of the widespread rain is exiting central Georgia.
If you encounter flooding, remember the rule 'Turn Around, Don't Drown'. You never know how deep standing water may be.
Jeff also adds that due to highly saturated soil, gusty winds could put trees at risk, even without thunderstorms in the area. Numerous trees have been reported down Tuesday morning in several central Georgia counties.
Here's a sampling of 6-Day rainfall totals from across central Georgia (through Tuesday night):
Perry: 7.81"
Fort Valley: 7.58"
Butler: 7.35"
Macon: 7.22"
Jeffersonville: 6.55"
Byron: 6.50"
Dublin: 6.46"
McRae: 6.01"
Sandersville: 5.63"
Warner Robins: 5.58"
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