Flash Flood Watch Monday For Metro Atlanta

ATLANTA, GA — The National Weather Service has issued a flash flood watch for metro Atlanta, with heavy rains and thunderstorms expected to move into the area Monday.

Cobb, Cherokee, Clarke, Dekalb, Douglas, Gwinnett, Paulding and north Fulton counties all are included in the watch, though forecasters with the weather service say extreme north Georgia is the spot where flooding is most likely.

The best chance for flooding, according to the watch, will happen north of a line from Rome to Gainesville.

A storm system that was over the lower Mississippi Valley early Monday morning was expected to bring showers and thunderstorms, some with heavy rain, into metro Atlanta. That, coupled with the fact that the ground is already saturated from previous rains, led the weather service to issue the flood watch.

According to the watch, rainfall amounts of 1-3 inches, with isolated instances of as much as five inches, have occurred in the area over the past 24 hours. An additional 1-2 inches of rain is possible through Monday night, the weather service said.

The watch will remain in effect until early Tuesday morning.

A flood watch means conditions are favorable for flash flooding. Residents in flood-prone areas should stay tuned to local media, weather radio and other reliable information sources should flood conditions become possible.

Weather instability is expected to increase across north Georgia Monday afternoon. This could allow a few storms to become strong, with gusty wind and frequent lightning, the weather service said.

Generally, the worst of the storms are expected north of a line from Carrollton to Atlanta to Athens. The storms are expected to be at their heaviest from noon to 10 p.m. Monday.

Showers and thunderstorms are expected to continue across north and central Georgia on Tuesday and wrap up by Wednesday. A few of those storms also may be strong with gusty winds and heavy rain, according to the forecast.

After that, metro Atlanta should have clear skies until the weekend, when another chance of thunderstorms will emerge.

Photo courtesy National Weather Service