Rain expected to continue, flooding not a concern
Published 7:18 pm Tuesday, February 18, 2020
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Rain is expected to continue in the forecast for LaGrange, but flooding in nearby rivers and lakes doesn’t seem to be a concern as of Tuesday.
Matt Sena, meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Peachtree City, said there was about an inch or an inch and a half of rain dumped on Troup County by noon on Tuesday, but none of the rivers or creeks the weather service monitors are at problem levels.
“There could be some street flooding because of slow draining,” Sena said.
“There could also be some ponding on roads and ditches.”
He said showers will be off and on throughout Thursday.
Most of those showers will be moderate, he said, but there are spots where the rain will be heavy. Sena said the better chances for heavy rain were Tuesday and Wednesday.
On Wednesday, the weather service forecasts about a 60 percent chance of rain, most before 1 p.m. with a high of 58 degrees.
Overnight, the weather service predicts another 60 percent chance of rain after 1 a.m.
On Thursday, more rain is predicted by the weather service with an 80 percent chance. Temperatures are expected to be near 48 degrees.
According to Sena, starting on Friday, and throughout the weekend, the weather is expected to be dry.
The dry spell will last until about Sunday night into next week when rain chances ramp back up.
“We are in an early spring, late winter pattern,” he said. “We end up with one to three days of rain, and get a couple of days of a break, and then back to one to three days of rain again.”
The biggest danger constant rain does provide is ponding on ditches and roadways. Sena said the dirt roads in rural areas hadn’t had much time to dry since the last downpour.
The culverts under the road are passing the water the best they can, but it could cause washed out patches of roads.
“People need to be careful when it comes to driving on water on the road,” Sena said. “It only takes as little as six inches of water if it’s flowing enough to sweep a car away.”
Sgt. Stewart Smith with the Troup County Sheriff’s Office said there aren’t any roads in the county that are closed due to water as of Tuesday.
He said the ditches are getting full and spilling into the roadway, but nothing to cause concern.
However, he still cautions motorists to turn around if they see water flowing over a street.
“If you come upon a road and you see running water, it’s best to turn around,” Smith said.
“It’s hard to tell if it’s one inch of water or a roadbed that’s been washed away. “
David Barr, supervisory park ranger at West Point Lake Project, said West Point Lake is also in good shape as of Tuesday.
“We have been able to capture what’s coming in and send it downstream,” he said.
“We have plenty of room in our reservoir to handle what’s coming in.”
He said the West Point Lake water level is about 628 feet, which is where the lake tries to hover around in the winter months.