A flood warning has been issued for Sweetwater Creek near Austell in Cobb County and Douglas County from the National Weather Service. The warning will take effect Saturday evening and will extend to Monday morning.

In addition, much of the region is under a flood watch (see the difference between a flood watch and a flood warning in the section below). The flood watch remains in effect from this evening, Friday, March 8, until late Saturday night.

What is in the Flood warning statement?

The following text is from the flood warning alert:

Flood Statement

National Weather Service Peachtree City GA

509 AM EST Fri Mar 8 2024

…The Flood Warning continues for the following rivers in Georgia…

  Sweetwater Creek near Austell affecting Douglas and Cobb Counties.

For the Sweetwater Creek…including Austell…Minor flooding is

forecast.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS…

Turn around, don`t drown when encountering flooded roads. Most flood

deaths occur in vehicles.

Additional information is available at weather.gov/atlanta.

this afternoon at 515 PM EST.

&&

GAC067-097-082215-

/O.CON.KFFC.FL.W.0166.240310T0948Z-240311T1020Z/

/AUSG1.1.ER.240310T0948Z.240310T1700Z.240311T0420Z.NO/

509 AM EST Fri Mar 8 2024

…FLOOD WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM LATE SATURDAY NIGHT TO

MONDAY MORNING…

* WHAT…Minor flooding is forecast.

* WHERE…Sweetwater Creek near Austell.

* WHEN…From late Saturday night to Monday morning.

* IMPACTS…At 12.0 feet, Minor flooding continues in the woodlands

  and fields upstream and downstream from the gage near the

  Interstate 20 bridge. Portions of a paintball playing field just

  downstream of the bridge and athletic fields in the Woodrow Wilson

  Park on Mount Vernon Road are flooded with one to two feet of

  water. A portion of Wren Circle in Douglas County…the County

  Iron Works and Sunlight Drive in Cobb County begin to flood.

* ADDITIONAL DETAILS…

  – At 4:45 AM EST Friday the stage was 6 feet.

  – Forecast…The river is expected to rise above flood stage

    early Sunday morning to a crest of 12.3 feet early Sunday

    afternoon. It will then fall below flood stage early Monday

    morning.

  – Flood stage is 10 feet.

  – http://www.weather.gov/safety/flood

What areas are within the flood watch?

The following counties are in the flood watch:

Baldwin, Banks, Barrow, Bartow, Bibb, Butts, Carroll, Catoosa, Chattooga, Cherokee, Clarke, Clayton, Cobb, Coweta, Crawford, Dade, Dawson, DeKalb, Douglas, Fannin, Fayette, Floyd, Forsyth, Franklin, Gilmer, Glascock, Gordon, Greene, Gwinnett, Hall, Hancock, Haralson, Harris, Heard, Henry, Houston, Jackson, Jasper, Jefferson, Jones, Lamar, Lumpkin, Madison, Marion, Macon, Meriwether, Monroe, Morgan, Murray, Muscogee, Newton, North Fulton, Oconee, Oglethorpe, Paulding, Peach, Pickens, Pike, Polk, Putnam, Rockdale, Schley, South Fulton, Spalding, Stewart, Talbot, Taliaferro, Taylor, Troup, Twiggs, Union, Upson, Walker, Walton, Warren, Washington, White, Whitfield, Wilkes, Wilkinson, Wilcox

Including the following cities:

Athens, Atlanta, Barnesville, Blairsville, Bremen, Buena Vista, Butler, Calhoun, Carrollton, Cartersville, Cedartown, Chatsworth, Cleveland, Columbus, Commerce, Comer, Conyers, Covington, Crawford, Crawfordville, Cumming, Dahlonega, Dallas, Dalton, Dawsonville, Decatur, Douglasville, East Point, Eatonton, Ellaville, Ellijay, Forsyth, Fort Moore, Fort Oglethorpe, Fort Valley, Franklin, Gainesville, Gibson, Gray, Greensboro, Griffin, Hiawassee, Homer, Jackson, Jasper, Jeffersonville, LaFayette, Lawrenceville, Louisville, Lumpkin, Madison, Manchester, Marietta, Milledgeville, Monroe, Montezuma, Monticello, Newnan, Peachtree City, Pine Mountain, Riverdale, Roberts, Rome, Sandersville, Sparta, Stockbridge, Summerville, Talbotton, Thomaston, Toomsboro, Trenton, Warner Robins, Warrenton, Washington, Watkinsville, West Point, Winder, Woodstock, Zebulon

What is the difference between a flood watch and a flood warning?

A flood watch and a flood warning are both alerts issued by meteorological agencies to inform people about potential or imminent flooding. However, there are significant differences between the two:

1. Flood Watch:
   • A flood watch is issued when conditions are favorable for flooding to occur in a particular area, but flooding is not imminent. It means that there is a possibility of flooding based on current weather conditions, but it has not yet happened.
   • During a flood watch, people should stay informed about the weather conditions, keep an eye on rivers, streams, and other bodies of water, and be prepared to take action if a flood warning is issued.
2. Flood Warning:
   • A flood warning is issued when flooding is either imminent or already occurring in a specific area. It means that flooding is expected to happen soon or is currently happening.
   • When a flood warning is issued, people should take immediate action to protect themselves and their property. This may include evacuating to higher ground, moving belongings to a safe location, and following instructions from local authorities.

In summary, a flood watch indicates that flooding is possible and people should be prepared, while a flood warning indicates that flooding is expected or happening and immediate action should be taken to ensure safety.

About the National Weather Service

The National Weather Service (NWS) is a part of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).

The NWS describes its role as follows:

The National Weather Service (NWS) provides weather, water, and climate forecasts and warnings for the United States, its territories, adjacent waters and ocean areas, for the protection of life and property and the enhancement of the national economy. These services include Forecasts and Observations, Warnings, Impact-based Decision Support Services, and Education in an effort to build a Weather-Ready Nation. The ultimate goal is to have a society that is prepared for and responds to weather, water and climate events.

Read all the Cobb County Courier climate and weather coverage by following this link.