Amerson River Park closed after three days of rain causes Ocmulgee River to flood

Amerson River Park was officially closed Thursday due to the rising levels of the Ocmulgee River.

Macon-Bibb Emergency Management Agency announced the park and the Ocmulgee Heritage Trail will be closed until the river has “receded to a safe level and our crews have had a chance to assess and repair any damage,” according to a post on its Facebook page.

The Macon-Bibb EMA closed the trail Wednesday along with the boat ramps at Amerson River Park and Spring Street. The unpaved trails at Amerson also were closed Wednesday.

The Ocmulgee River will reach around 25.56 feet on Thursday and should start to recede by Saturday, according to the National Weather Service.

Macon has seen 2.86 inches of rain since Tuesday morning, which is approaching the average amount of rain Macon receives in the entire month of February at 2.96 inches, said Katie Martin, a forecaster with the National Weather Service.

The rising levels of the Ocmulgee River are caused by a combination of factors, including the abnormal amount of rain in addition to rain falling upstream, Martin said.

The rain is supposed to stop Thursday night, and Macon should have sunny weather until it starts raining again Monday, according to the National Weather Service’s website.