By Anna Clark
A hazardous weather outlook continues through 8 a.m. Wednesday for the Athens area, with continued rain creating the potential for flooding in low lying or poor drainage areas.
Athens’ average rainfall in September is 3.64 inches (1996-2015), according to the National Weather Service. We’ve had 3.56 inches rain this month, and 55 percent came down in the past week, according to Craig Ramseyer of the UGA department of geography.
If the water on the road is deeper than a couple inches, you should avoid driving, according to Pam Knox, UGA agricultural climatologist. If you can’t see the roadway, it’s not a good idea to drive through the water, she said.
Wet sidewalks and lack of sunlight increase the growth of algae, making the sidewalks slippery, according to Fred Remen, director of operations and management at the UGA Facilities Management Division. His team constantly checks campus drainage systems during rain to control flooding. Heavy rain may clog pipes and gutters, and it’s worse during fall with more leaves on the ground.
Remen also warns tailgaters at Saturday’s UGA – Alabama football game that these conditions increase the number of fire ant mounds, so people should watch their step and where they stand.
