Athens Hurricane Warning Update

By Thursday evening Athens can expect to see conditions take a turn for the worse. Due to the intensity and fast forward motion of Hurricane Helene, unprecedented wind and flooding impacts, rivalling or exceeding those of Hurricanes Opal (1995), Irma (2017) and Michael (2018), are expected across the north and central Georgia. 

For Athens specifically we wanted to reiterate the associated hazards in order to provide more context to the true significance of this threat. Models suggest Athens will be getting another 4-8 inches of rain, in addition to the 2 inches we have already received since the processor event last night. In accordance with this possibility, the NWS has issued a High (over 70%) chance of flash flooding for Athens, which is the highest designation possible. Additionally, extremely damaging winds will also accompany this storm with Athens seeing sustained winds of 45mph+ and gusts of 65mph+. The hazards associated with these conditions include shifting debris, power outages, and floods.

In accordance with these risks we advise everyone to take shelter soon and stay indoors as the storm passes through Athens tonight. Please take this situation very seriously and prepare accordingly.