The National Weather Service warned on Monday that the downpour of rain falling in the last few days might raise water levels enough to push the Middle Oconee and Oconee rivers over their capacity.
As of late Monday afternoon, after the heavy rain had passed, the Athens area had received a total of 2.5 inches of rain or more, said Matt Sena, a representative of the National Weather Service.
That rainfall level, which was measured since the storms began on Saturday, was consistent across Clarke, Oconee and Oglethorpe counties, Sena said.
Some nearby cities received a little more rainfall, such as Winder, which measured 3.5 inches of rain. Arcade received 3.4 inches, and Watkinsville got just 2.6 inches of water, Sena said.
Some closures were already reported Monday. A portion of State Route 172 in Hartwell near U.S. 29 was closed when it was flooded with standing water at 2 p.m. on Monday and will remain closed until it can be repaired.
Clarke County police reported power lines were down for a portion of the afternoon on Monday on Charlie Bolton Road in Watkinsville.
Georgia Power reported one outage in west Athens that affected fewer than 50 people.
“Most of the heavier rain has shifted southeast of (Athens). I would not expect significant amounts — maybe 0.1 inches in the coming days. That trend continues pretty much until Wednesday,” Sena said.
The chance of rain for Athens-Clarke County falls to 20 percent through Wednesday.
Despite the drop in the chance of showers, the river water levels are expected to keep growing, according to the National Weather Service.
The Middle Oconee and Oconee rivers are expected to reach
flooding levels early this morning. A flood warning continues for areas around the Oconee River until Thursday, according to the National Weather Service.
On Monday afternoon, the Middle Oconee River was flowing at 3,160 cubic feet per second, which is higher than its previous record for Nov. 2. That record was set in 1968 with 2,260 cubic feet per second, according to measurements from the U.S. Geological Survey.
As of Monday, the Middle Oconee River was 7.5 feet high, which is up from its level of 1.5 feet high on Saturday, according to measurements from the U.S. Geological Survey.
Flooding level for that river is 16 feet high, Sena said. It is expected to reach up to 19 to 20 feet high in early hours today and will fall below flood level by this afternoon, Sena said.
Similarly, the Oconee River was measured at 8.7 feet high on Monday, which is up from its measured 4.9 feet high on Saturday, according to measurements from the U.S. Geological Survey.
The North Oconee River was measured to be flowing at a rate of 1,340 cubic feet per second, which is up from its previous record high for Nov. 2. The previous record for this day in history is 298 cubic feet per second, which was recorded in 2010, according to measurements from the U.S. Geological Survey.
The Oconee River is considered at flooding level when it hits 13 feet, Sena said. The Oconee River is predicted to reach up to 17 feet in height by Wednesday and will fall below flooding level by Thursday morning, Sena said.
These levels are only considered minor flooding levels, but they will make nearby land soggy and could block roads, Sena said.
“The Middle Oconee River, as it approaches 20 feet, minor flooding expands into the woodlands and the pastures. Some dirt access roads to the river will start getting cut off,” Sena said. “Anyone who has any interest along the river, especially agricultural interest, just needs to keep an eye on how the water is rising.”
For instance, Sena said Ward Road in Watkinsville is at risk for flooding because it runs near the Oconee River.
Sena said the best way to stay safe during the flooding is to keep an eye on how land near the rivers is flooding and stay away from that area.
It takes 6 inches of rushing water to knock over a person and 1 foot of water can carry away a small car, according to the National Oceanic and Atmosphere Administration.
That organization advises people to pay attention to local forecasts and the accumulation of water then to get to high ground if caught in rising waters.
The forecast for the near future includes continued rain, according to the National Weather Service.
While Thursday might be a dry day, the chance for rain on Friday is 30 percent and that chance continues to rise through Sunday, according to
predictions.
Follow reporter Hilary Butschek on Twitter @hilarylbutschek or at https://www.facebook.com/hbutschek.