Middle Georgia counties expected to remain under flood threat Wednesday

Middle Georgia is expected to remain under a flood threat Wednesday, with weather experts and public safety officials keeping a close watch on the rain totals.

"Basically, what we've got going on is like a conveyor belt of moisture off the Gulf of Mexico, and there are these disturbances that are tracking along this plume of moisture. And right now, we're kind of at a lull between these different waves," said Adam Baker, a meteorologist for the National Weather Service at Peachtree City.

Between these lulls, conditions are ripe for periods of heavy rain that could dump another two inches of rainfall or more over the next couple of days into already swollen rivers and creeks, including the Ocmulgee River which already was at flood stage Tuesday afternoon.

Depending on a variety of factors, the region could see anything from minor flooding to heavy flooding in some areas, Baker said.

There's also the potential for heavy winds starting Wednesday afternoon and even the development of tornadoes, though Middle Georgia is in a low-risk zone, Baker said.

At Tuesday afternoon's Georgia Emergency Management Agency briefing, Macon-Bibb County officials were told to expect an additional one to two inches of rain through Thursday morning, said Robert McCord, operations officer for the Macon-Bibb County EMA.

Between Wednesday afternoon and Thursday morning, there's a slight chance of tornadoes spinning up from winds that could reach 50 to 70 mph, McCord said.

In Macon along the Ocmulgee River, the riverwalk was closed Tuesday and could remain closed through Saturday. The Parks and Beautification Department, which manages the trail, is expected to monitor river conditions to determine when the trail is safe to reopen.

Authorities say motorists need to be cautious, and if water is over a road, don't attempt to drive through the water. There's no way to tell the water's depth and how strong the current may be.

In Laurens County, a 911 operator said a flood warning has been issued for the city of Dublin until 8 a.m. Wednesday. No problems have been reported as of 8 p.m. Tuesday, she said.

In Putnam County, Sheriff Howard Sills was among those keeping close tabs on the weather. His county took a hit early Tuesday.

Large sections of Rose Creek Road off Gray Highway south of Eatonton and Little River Trail off Twin Bridges near Lake Sinclair were washed away early Tuesday by heavy overnight rains.

A temporary lane was created by county work crews across Little River Trail after the road gave way and cut off about 100 residents, Sills said.

Work crews were out late Tuesday night working to build a temporary bridge across a section of Rose Creek Road that gave way, impacting a handful of residents.

Meanwhile, Curtis James Adams, 43, Milledgeville, was taken by a supervisor to a hospital to be checked out after the road washed out and wrecked the commercial garbage truck he was driving, Sills said.

But river and creek levels had dropped by late Tuesday afternoon. Sills said he has been advised to expect about another inch of rain.

He said the county extension agent estimated that five inches was dumped on Putnam County by Tuesday morning.

"There's a big difference between one inch and five inches of rain," said Sills, who noted that it was raining when he went to bed Monday night and was still raining when he awoke to the mayhem at 4 a.m. Tuesday.

To contact writer Becky Purser, call 256-9559, or find her on Twitter@becpurser.

This story was originally published December 22, 2015 at 8:31 PM with the headline "Middle Georgia counties expected to remain under flood threat Wednesday ."