A thunderstorm Friday, fueled by lingering moisture in the atmosphere, dropped several inches of rain in a matter of hours on the Savannah area.
For the third time in a little more than a week, motorists found themselves stranded when their cars stalled after being swamped by floodwaters. That included sections of highly traveled Victory Drive, which is a common problem area.
Nearly 4 inches of rain fell Friday evening at Hunter Army Airfield, according to the National Weather Service.
The United States Geological Survey weather station at Fort Pulaski reported nearly 2.3 inches of precipitation and another at Elba Island on the Savannah River measured nearly 2 inches.
Friday’s storm included a rotational wind pattern that prompted the National Weather Service to issue a tornado watch, which was lifted at around 8 p.m.
The area experienced similar flooding Saturday and Monday. With the ground already saturated, NWS warned that streets could flood again with more heavy rain.
More than 600 Savannah area customers were without power Friday, according to Georgia Power. That number was down to about 30 late Saturday morning.
More of the same: Savannah’s more-frequent flooding fueled by climate-induced extreme rain
Plan ahead
Here are flood-prone areas that motorists should avoid during extreme rain, according to the City of Savannah:
John Deem covers climate change and the environment in coastal Georgia. He can be reached at 912-652-0213 or [email protected].
This article originally appeared on Savannah Morning News: More flooding and a tornado warning for Savannah
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