(This is the Downtown Connector (I-85 & I-75) at Freedom Parkway about 4:00 PM 9/21/09 photo from ajc.com)Atlanta is one big flooded mess with Interstate highways closed, schools closed, mudslides, bridges washed out, people trapped, houses floating away, and sadly six lives lost. It has rained every day since last Tuesday, I think, we sort of lost track here. Not just drizzly rain but rain-rain, interspersed with torrential rain. We usually have this kind of rain when a hurricane or tropical storm goes through but this is a stalled out low pressure system or something that just won't go away.
Last night at about 2:30AM until about 4:00AM, the cats and I listened to windows rattle and heard a flood of rain fall and watched the lightning during one of the worst storms I've been through at my house. I was so thankful that I put a new roof on the house and that my house is on high ground on tall, sturdy foundation.
(A mudslide that covered east and west bound lanes of U.S. 78 at Hugh Howell Road. photo from ajc.com)I watched the rain from my office window as the storms came through from Alabama and periodically checked the latest weather and road reports. If you are not familiar with Atlanta, we have three main Interstates (75, 85, and 285) and not much in the way of alternate roads to get into and out of the city and surrounding suburbs. In the morning, Spaghetti Junction (intersection of I-85 and I-285) was closed because of flooding. Luckily I found out before I left day job to go to Starbucks that the main Interstates (I-75 & I-85 called the Downtown Connector) through Atlanta were closed due to flooding. It took me an hour to go about 10 miles taking back roads. We were slow at SBux because I think everyone was still stuck in traffic all night or were shopping for boats....
The latest news says that nearly all of the metro area schools are closed on Tues. (at least there will be less traffic!) and the Chattahoochee River is expected to crest above its record 1919 level. It's never boring living in the ATL....
PS: latest weather reports: chance of rain from high of 60% to low of 30% chance Tuesday through Saturday. I may start carrying some flippers around.....
9 comments:
Be careful going to and from work. I am not sure which direction to go this AM to get around the water and floods. Think I will try going north (to get south)that worked yesterday morning!
It is scary wet here. Thanks for posting those amazing photos. Roads were closed on my way to work yesterday, and I dread trying to get there today.
Isn't that connector photo beyond belief. It was so hard getting home yesterday but thank goodness the schools are closed today. Can't imagine how you found a way around the connector.
Be careful out there. Glad I don't have to go to school today.
Oh, how scary!
Gosh, this is stressful. I'm glad you're safe and snuggly though. Thanks for bringing this up so we could remember and keep close tabs on you!
We've been seeing and reading about it here. What a disaster!
Glad to hear you're high and dry. We're trying to dry out up here in Cumming. The sun is out now....I'm walking around squinting like a mole person.
Also, if you can find the pictures of Six Flags....those are crazy too.
My son, who also lives in Atl says he is going to put a trolling motor on his car. lol
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