Atlanta’s long stretch of rain showers plods through Friday night with the risk of more flash flooding and threatens to dampen the weekend, the National Weather Service said.
The agency issued a flash flood warning Friday evening for southeastern Cobb, northwestern DeKalb, central Fulton and west central Gwinnett counties. It expires at 11:30 p.m.
Thunderstorms with heavy rain have dumped up to 2 inches of rain in that region, the Weather Service said, and “flash flooding is ongoing or expected to begin shortly.”
The warning area includes Atlanta, Brookhaven, Chamblee, Decatur, Doraville, Druid Hills, Dunwoody, Norcross, Peachtree Corners, Sandy Springs and Tucker.
Do not attempt to drive through waterlogged roads, since most flood deaths occur in vehicles, the NWS cautioned.
A flash flood warning is also in place until 10:30 p.m. Friday for some central Georgia counties, where up to 3 inches of rain has already fallen. That warning area includes Treutlen, northern Montgomery, central Emanuel and northwestern Toombs counties.
The Weather Service cautions that the downpours, especially through Friday night, poses risks for streets, rivers and creeks to flood and makes for hazardous road travel across portions of North and Middle Georgia.
Scattered showers are expected throughout the weekend and could drop an inch or more in metro Atlanta and beyond.
Monday’s hard-to-predict forecast provides a “reasonable worst-case scenario” of 2.5 inches of rain in certain areas — or the possibility of no rain at all, NWS meteorologist Sam Marlow said earlier Friday.
“The next chance at maybe some dry conditions, and I am saying maybe, might be Monday,” Marlow said.
The chance for showers has hung over Atlanta for the last eight days, and the coming rainfall will be spotty.
Recent daily precipitation totals have ranged from 0.05 inches on May 22 to 1.27 inches on May 25, according to National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration online weather data.
The downpours have helped to partially remediate Georgia’s long-running drought conditions, according to the Weather Service.
“Hopefully we can continue to see those conditions improve,” Marlow said.
Motorists should not attempt to drive through water-covered roadways, and the Weather Service urges residents to be cautious this weekend if recreating near rivers and streams.
Last week during rush hour, a sudden deluge dumped more than 2 inches of rain in metro Atlanta, flooding the Downtown Connector and temporarily stranding some motorists.
— Staff writer Vanessa McCray contributed to this report.
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