The ongoing thunderstorms are expected to continue in north Georgia this afternoon, bringing with them the chance of flash flooding.

The National Weather Service issued a hazardous weather outlook for  Cobb County and other counties in the region for Tuesday, Aug 29, 2023.  

What is in the statement?

The hazardous weather outlook  gives the following details:

This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for portions of North and Central Georgia.

.DAY ONE…Today and Tonight…

Ongoing thunderstorms will continue to present a localized flash

flooding threat across far north Georgia this morning. Scattered

to numerous thunderstorm activity will then redevelop during the

afternoon and evening. Heavy rainfall will remain the primary

concern with localized flash flooding possible, especially in

north Georgia. A few storms may produce also produce strong wind

gusts.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN…Wednesday through Monday…

Widespread showers and thunderstorms are expected on Wednesday,

particularly across the southeastern half of the area as tropical

cyclone Idalia approaches southeast Georgia. The heaviest rainfall

totals associated with this system will be across far

southeastern portions of the area where as much as 3 to 6 inches

of rainfall with locally higher amounts is possible which will

lead to increased flooding potential. Additionally, wind gusts up

to 40 mph are possible in far southeastern portions of the area

as Idalia approaches.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT…

Spotter activation is not requested but spotters are encouraged

to submit reports of severe weather through the web by going to

weather.gov/atlanta.

What is the difference between “isolated” and “scattered”?

The NWS defines “isolated” as follows:

A National Weather Service convective precipitation descriptor for a 10 percent chance of measurable precipitation (0.01 inch). Isolated is used interchangeably with few.

“Scattered” has the following definition:

When used to describe precipitation (for example: “scattered showers”) – Area coverage of convective weather affecting 30 percent to 50 percent of a forecast zone (s).

In other words isolated means a few showers, scattered means the showers are likely to cover 30 to 50 percent of the affected region.

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What counties are affected?

The following counties are included in the hazardous weather outlook:

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

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.”