Overview
- A stalled cold front over the Appalachian/Upper Southeast is drawing tropical moisture from Tropical Storm Bertha and producing heavy, efficient downpours across North Georgia and the Atlanta metro.
- The National Weather Service and local forecasters have issued a flood watch for parts of North Georgia and flash-flood warnings for portions of the Atlanta area, including north-metro counties such as Forsyth, Cherokee and Hall.
- Forecasters say very high dew points in the mid-70s make storms capable of dumping large rainfall totals in short periods, creating strong localized flash-flood risk that can vary block to block.
- Officials urge residents to follow NWS updates, avoid flooded roadways with the rule 'turn around, don't drown,' seek higher ground if in low-lying areas, and expect travel disruptions on interstates and local roads.
- Models show the highest flood threat through Friday into Saturday night with a rapid trend toward drier, hotter weather by Sunday as the front lifts and Bertha weakens offshore, but neighborhood-scale timing remains uncertain.