U.S. Geological Survey Fact Sheet 2010–3061

Geological Survey (USGS) is the measurement and documentation of the magnitude and extent of hydrologic hazards, such as floods, droughts, and hurricane storm surge. USGS personnel were deployed to document historic, widespread flooding that occurred throughout the Atlanta metro politan area and northwestern Georgia in the early fall of 2009. The floods were created by prolonged rainfall that occurred during September 16–22, 2009, with an especially intense period of rainfall during the late evening of September 20. The National Weather Service (NWS) reported that the southeastern United States had above-normal precipitation from August into early September, result-ing in saturated soil conditions making the region extremely flood prone. Precip-itation totals were the sixth highest on record for the month of September for the region (National Weather Service, 2010). Monetary losses reported from this flood were nearly $220 million in flood-damage claims, with 17 counties declared Federal disaster areas. Eleven fatalities were attributed to this flood, with many of them occurring during early morning hours when drivers attempted to cross flooded roads. Significant damage to hundreds of roads and bridges across the region also severely impacted traffic conditions for months after the even