Area schools close in advance of hazardous weather potential

Yesterday afternoon, Stephens County School officials announced that all county schools would be closed today, Jan. 9, due to the threat of severe weather.

In a news release, Stephens County Schools Community Engagement Director April James stated they had been advised that the National Weather Service was predicting “excessive rainfall in a short amount of time, flash flooding, and peak wind gusts, which have the potential for downed trees and power lines.”

She added that “the safety of our students, student drivers, and staff is our primary concern. 

According to the notice, schools and school offices will not open today, and any after-school activities, games and practices for today, Jan. 9, are canceled. 

Schools in surrounding Franklin, Hart, Banks, Habersham and Rabun counties have also announced that they will be closed today. 

Additionally, North Georgia Technical College has announced that the Currahee Campus in Stephens County, as well as the Clarkesville and Blairsville campuses, will be closed today, and Tallulah Falls School will also be closed. 

As of 3:30 a.m. this morning, the National Weather Service has Stephens County under a flood watch through this evening, and a wind advisory will remain in effect from 10 a.m. today until 10 p.m. this evening. The NWS Forecast calls for south winds today from 20 to 30 miles per hour, with gusts of 40 to 50 miles per hour. 

According to the latest report, heavy rainfall will spread across the region during the early morning hours this morning, maximize atop the area Tuesday morning through early afternoon, and then move east through Tuesday evening. With rivers and streams still somewhat elevated from previous heavy rainfall, flooding is expected to develop across the region, with excessive runoff possibly resulting in flooding of rivers, creeks, streams, and other low-lying and flood-prone locations. Flash flooding caused by excessive rainfall also continues to be possible.

The National Weather Service also notes “Rainfall of more than five inches in similar storms has been associated with an increased risk of landslides and rockslides. If you live on a mountainside or in a cove at the base of a mountain, especially near a stream, be ready to leave in advance of the storm or as quickly as possible should rising water, moving earth, or rocks threaten. Consider postponing travel along mountain roads during periods of heavy rainfall.”

WNEG News will continue to monitor the weather and communicate with Stephens County Emergency Management Director Danielle Rhodes throughout the day to update forecasts and closures. 

For outages with Georgia Power call 1-888-891-0938 or use this website to report an outage via the internet or to see current outages.https://outagemap.georgiapower.com/external/default.html

For outages with Hart EMC call 1-800-241-4109. You can view current outages at https://www.hartemc.com/outage-center/

For outages with Habersham EMC call 706-754-2114. You can view their current outages at http://outageview.habershamemc.com/#viewer-menu-parent

For Windstream outages call 1-800-347-1991

For TruVista Outages call 706-886-2727