Flash Flood Warning Hits Columbus Area After Heavy Overnight Rain
A Flash Flood Warning blanketed Muscogee, Harris, and Chattahoochee counties overnight — just hours after a tornado warning threatened the same Columbus-area communities.
COLUMBUS, GEORGIA — The National Weather Service office in Peachtree City issued a Flash Flood Warning late Thursday night for a three-county stretch of west central Georgia, as heavy rainfall inundated the Columbus area and surrounding communities.
The warning, issued at 11:52 p.m. EDT on June 18, remained in effect until 5:45 a.m. EDT Friday, June 19, covering West Central Chattahoochee County, South Central Harris County, and Muscogee County.
Rainfall Totals and Ongoing Threat
According to the National Weather Service, Doppler radar detected heavy rain across the warned area beginning around 11:52 p.m. EDT. Between 2.5 and 3.5 inches of rain had already fallen by the time the warning was issued, with forecasters projecting an additional 0.5 to 1.5 inches possible before conditions improved.
The NWS described flash flooding as either already underway or expected to begin shortly across the affected zones. The agency cited radar data as the source for the warning.
Communities at Risk
The National Weather Service identified multiple specific locations expected to experience flash flooding, including Columbus, Bibb City, Fort Benning/Lawson Army Air Field, Kenwood, Edgewood, Highland Park, Columbus Metropolitan Airport, Vista Terrace, Saint Marys Hills, and Laurel Hills.
Flood impacts were expected to hit small creeks and streams, urban neighborhoods, highways, streets, underpasses, and other low-lying or poorly drained areas, according to the NWS alert.
Earlier Tornado Warning Preceded Flooding
The overnight flood threat followed a separate severe weather event earlier Thursday evening. The National Weather Service in Peachtree City issued a Tornado Warning at 6:28 p.m. EDT on June 18, valid until 7:00 p.m. EDT, for portions of the same region.
At 6:27 p.m. EDT, radar detected a severe thunderstorm capable of producing a tornado located over Kenwood, approximately 7 miles east of Columbus, moving northeast at 35 mph. The warning covered Eastern Muscogee County, Northeastern Chattahoochee County, Southwestern Talbot County, and Southeastern Harris County.
Locations listed under that tornado threat included Waverly Hall, North Fort Benning, Upatoi, Ellerslie, Flat Rock, Box Springs, Kenwood, Midland, Juniper, Vista Terrace, Baughville, and Olive Branch. The NWS warned that flying debris, damage to roofs, windows, and vehicles, as well as tree damage were all likely hazards for anyone caught without shelter, particularly those in mobile homes.
Residents in the affected areas were advised to move to higher ground immediately and avoid flooded roads and underpasses. The National Weather Service urges anyone in a flash flood warning area not to attempt to drive through water of unknown depth.
