Emergency Declared in Georgia Due to Torrential Rains

On Friday, Georgia Governor Brian Kemp issued an emergency declaration for 23 counties affected by severe flooding. Heavy rains caused rivers to overflow, submerging roads and necessitating rescue operations for residents trapped by water-encircled homes.

The governor's proclamation enables state resources to be mobilized in support of communities overwhelmed by persistent rains on Wednesday and Thursday covering vast portions of southern Georgia. This deluge hit areas already coping with the aftermath of Hurricane Helene's forceful winds from last month, as well as August's inundations from Tropical Storm Debby. Fortunately, there have been no immediate injury reports.

Rainfall Measurements and Impact

Evans County, a rural area, received more than 10 inches (roughly 25 centimeters) of rain across two days. On Friday, first responders used boats to rescue individuals in the low-lying regions along the Canoochee River near Claxton. The National Weather Service predicted that the river would rise to a historic level of 18.7 feet (about 5.7 meters) by Friday night.

In Valdosta, near the Georgia-Florida state line, rainfall exceeded 12 inches (approximately 30 centimeters), leading to floods that rendered roads impassable and prompted school closures.

Savannah experienced nearly 9 inches (around 23 centimeters) of rain, which overburdened drainage systems and caused vehicles to stall on waterlogged streets. To the west of this coastal city, parts of Interstate 16 heading westbound were shut down on Thursday near Statesboro due to water covering the roadway.