Macon put on flood watch, warning after heavy rainfall affects the Ocmulgee River
Heavy rainfall is expected to cause the Ocmulgee River to flood, which put Macon under a flood warning Sunday that’s expected to last until Friday, according to the National Weather Service.
The NWS advised that Macon-Bibb County also will be under a flood watch, which began Sunday evening until Monday evening after heavy rainfall affected the Ocmulgee River’s water levels. The county also experienced heavy storms Sunday afternoon, which led officials to issue advisories about tornadoes.
The flooding may also affect Twiggs, Jones, Monroe and Houston counties.
Macon was expected to get showers and possible thunderstorms throughout the day Monday, with some storms expected to produce heavy rainfall, the National Weather Service said. Winds will blow southeast at around 10 mph, with the possibility of reaching 20 mph, then will blow toward the west in the afternoon.
The chance of precipitation was 100%, with rainfall expected to total between 1 and 2 inches.
On Monday evening, showers were likely to occur before 9 p.m.. The chance of precipitation later in the night was 60% and was expected to add less than an inch of rain.
Ocmulgee River flooding throughout the week
Macon will also be under a flood warning starting Tuesday around 5:40 a.m., which will end Friday at 7 p.m., according to the National Weather Service. The warning was issued for areas along the Ocmulgee River, expected to experience flooding north toward the Martin Luther King Boulevard bridge.
“Turn around, don’t drown when encountering flooded roads,” the National Weather Service said. “Most flood deaths occur in vehicles. Motorists should not attempt to drive around barricades or drive cars through flooded areas.”
The flood will be up to 2 feet deep on portions of the trail, according to Accuweather. Agricultural lands east of Macon will be under 1 to 4 feet of water. On Monday, they advised that water levels at the river are at 12.7 feet, and they’re expected to rise above flood stage Tuesday morning. It will reach 21.2 feet early Wednesday afternoon, then will fall below flood stage early Friday afternoon, according to Accuweather. A typical flood stage is 18 feet.
The weather will clear up in Macon starting Tuesday until Thursday evening, when the National Weather Service expects a chance of showers and thunderstorms, with the chance of precipitation being 30%.
On Friday, there’s a chance of showers before 8 a.m., then a “slight chance” of thunderstorms between 8 a.m. and 2 p.m.
