As Michael approaches Florida, flash flood watch issued for Athens

Georgia watches the weather as a hurricane approaches Florida: forecasters say Hurricane Michael will make a landfall on the Florida panhandle midday Wednesday, possibly as a category 3 hurricane. The storm will likely be a big rainmaker for northeast Georgia later in the week. 

From the National Weather Service...

The National Weather Service in Peachtree City has issued a

* Flash Flood Watch for portions of central Georgia...east

central Georgia...north central Georgia...northeast Georgia...

southeast Georgia and west central Georgia...including the

following areas...in central Georgia...Baldwin...Bibb...

Bleckley...Crawford...Crisp...Dodge...Dooly...Houston...

Jasper...Jones...Laurens...Monroe...Montgomery...Peach...

Pulaski...Putnam...Telfair...Twiggs...Wheeler...Wilcox and

Wilkinson. In east central Georgia...Emanuel...Glascock...

Greene...Hancock...Jefferson...Johnson...Taliaferro...

Treutlen...Warren...Washington and Wilkes. In north central

Georgia...Morgan. In northeast Georgia...Clarke...Madison...

Oconee and Oglethorpe. In southeast Georgia...Toombs. In west

central Georgia...Chattahoochee...Macon...Marion...Schley...

Stewart...Sumter...Taylor and Webster.

* From Wednesday afternoon through Thursday afternoon

* As the remnants of Hurricane Michael move across the southeast

states, heavy rainfall will be possible across portions of

central Georgia. Within the watch area, widespread rainfall

amounts of 3 to 5 inches will be likely, with the potential for

locally higher amounts between 6 and 7 inches.

* Several creeks and rivers could rise out of their banks

closing roads and impacting homes, businesses and farms. High

water may not recede until well after the rain has ended.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

A Flash Flood Watch means that conditions may develop that lead

to flash flooding. Flash flooding is a very dangerous situation.

You should monitor later forecasts and be prepared to take action

should Flash Flood Warnings be issued.