Wednesday, September 25, 2024–8:00 p.m.

-National Weather Service-

The National Weather Service has issued a Tropical Storm Warning and a Flash Flood Watch for all of Northwest Georgia.

Forecasters are predicting below tropical storm force winds with a peak wind of 15-25 mph with gusts to 45 mph.

There is the potential for wind 39 to 57 mph.

– The wind threat has remained nearly steady from the previous assessment.
– Plan for hazardous wind of equivalent tropical storm force.
– Remaining efforts to protect property should be completed as soon as possible. Prepare for limited wind damage.
– Move to safe shelter before the wind becomes hazardous.

Potential impacts are expected to be limited

– Damage to porches, awnings, carports, sheds, and unanchored mobile homes. Unsecured, lightweight objects blown about.
– Many large tree limbs broken off. A few trees snapped or uprooted, but with greater numbers in places where trees are shallow rooted. Some fences and roadway signs blown over.
 – A few roads impassable from debris, particularly within urban or heavily wooded places. Hazardous driving conditions on bridges and other elevated roadways.
 – Scattered power and communications outages.

An additional 3-6 inches of rain is predicted, with locally higher amounts.

– The flooding rain threat has remained nearly steady from the previous assessment. – Emergency plans should include the potential for major flooding from heavy rain. Evacuations and rescues are likely.
– Strongly consider protective actions, especially if you are in an area vulnerable to flooding.
– Heed any flood watches and warnings. Failure to take action will likely result in serious injury or loss of life.

Potential impacts could be extensive

– Major rainfall flooding may prompt many evacuations and rescues.
– Rivers and tributaries may rapidly overflow their banks in multiple places. Small streams, creeks, canals, arroyos, and ditches may become dangerous rivers. In mountain areas, destructive runoff may run quickly down valleys while increasing susceptibility to rockslides and mudslides. Flood control systems and barriers may become stressed. – Flood waters can enter many structures within multiple communities, some structures becoming uninhabitable or washed away. Many places where flood waters may cover escape routes. Streets and parking lots become rivers of moving water with underpasses submerged.

Driving condition could become dangerous. Many road and bridge closures with some weakened or washed out.

The situation is somewhat favorable for tornadoes

There is the potential for a few tornadoes.

– The tornado threat has increased from the previous assessment.                                                  – Emergency plans should include the potential for a few tornadoes.
– If your shelter is particularly vulnerable to tornadoes, prepare to relocate to safe shelter before hazardous weather arrives. If a tornado warning is issued, be ready to shelter quickly..

The potential impacts are limited

– The occurrence of isolated tornadoes can hinder the execution of emergency plans during tropical events.
– A few places may experience tornado damage, along with power and communications disruptions.
– Locations could realize roofs peeled off buildings, chimneys toppled, mobile homes pushed off foundations or overturned, large tree tops and branches snapped off, shallow-rooted trees knocked over, moving vehicles blown off roads, and small boats pulled from moorings.