CLEVELAND — White County is 14.3 inches above normal rainfall so far this year, with much of that precipitation falling in the past week.
The countyreceived several inches of rainfall over the last 24 hours, according to WRWH Weather Reporter Bill Kinsland. The rain gauge in Helen measured 5.56 inches at 7 a.m. Wednesday.
The excessive rainfall has caused numerous problems around the county, especially the northern part.
White County Public Safety Director David Murphy reported Wednesday that 9-1-1 dispatch received several calls Tuesday night and Wednesday morning concerning trees down, road blocked with debris and roads with heavy water runoff — especially in higher elevations.
According to Murphy, moderate to heavy mudslides have been reported, mainly on the mountain north of Helen toward Towns County.
Murphy said the county officials expect some damage to vehicles and lower levels of buildings near the river in Helen. After midnight, the river flooded out of its banks into parked vehicles and rental units along the river.
No injuries have been reported as a result of the flooding, according to Murphy..
The Chattahoochee River in downtown Helen crested at 6.44 feet, which is 0.44 feet above official flood stage, at 2:25 a.m. today (Wednesday). The river had dropped to 4.75 feet by 7 a.m., leaving a layer of mud along sidewalks, patios and parking lots..
Murphy said one privately-owned pond in the county was overflowing across the dam, with its spillway fully operational. There are no signs of visual structural damage and no significant downstream threat to residents, Murphy said.
As of 8 a.m. Wednesday, the following county roads were damaged or closed:
- Roy Powers off Duncan Bridge is closed;
- Sandy Flats at Silver Falls Road is closed due to washout damage;
- Bean Creek Road – one lane closed due to washout and culvert damage.
Murphy said county officials will continue damage assessments, especially to the county’s infrastructure, and checking out reports received by the public.
White County Public Works will be evaluating in detail the county roads with closure and damage.
In the city of Cleveland, South Main Street (U.S. 129) was closed to traffic for about 30 minutes beginning at 11:48 p.m. Tuesday due to flooding in the highway in front of Glenda's Restaurant, according to Cleveland Fire Chief Ricky Pruitt. Cleveland Fire Department and Cleveland Police Department shut down the area as a safety measure.
According to Pruitt, prior to the arrival of officials, a driver attempted to cross the water and the vehicle flooded out. The driver was able to get out of the vehicle as the water continued to rise.
Pruitt said the roadway was reopened after the water receded.
Quillian Street in the city also was shut down due to flooding, according to Pruitt. Cleveland Fire personnel also checked out other areas of the city and found only minor flooding issues.
In White County as of this morning (Wednesday), the year-to-date rainfall total is 41.59 inches, a departure from the normal 27.29 inches by a 14.30-inch surplus, according to Kinsland..
