Portion of Georgia Highway 19 Closed Due to Flooding

In Wheeler County, a portion of Georgia Highway 19 near Glenwood was closed after flooding caused the highway to break apart on Thursday. The highway was barricaded and detour signs posted to keep motorists out of the area.

Wheeler County received over 5 ½ inches of rain Thursday, with many of the rural county’s dirt roads flooding. Wheeler County Commission Chairman Keith McNeal said county workers were called to assist two school buses that were mired in the mud. Wheeler County School remained open Thursday and Friday and no further incidents occurred.

Wheeler County Emergency Management Agency Director Steve Adams said several county roads were under water after the heavy rains, causing washouts in some areas. The full extent of the damage is still being assessed. Adams said that area rivers are out of their banks but are flowing at a rate which is not expected to bring about further flooding. He added that St. Paul Church Road in the southern part of the county has reopened. The road had been closed after a dam break caused extensive flooding during Hurricane Helene.

A portion of Interstate 16 was shut down with westbound lanes covered by water after downpours Wednesday and Thursday swamped Bulloch and Screven counties. The National Weather Service reported an estimated 8 to 10 inches of rain fell in the area and several South Georgia counties were under flash flood warnings from Thursday morning into the evening.

Traffic had to be rerouted off I-16 near Statesboro after all westbound lanes were closed due to flooding, the Georgia Department of Transportation said on its website. Governor Brian Kemp declared a State of Emergency for south and east Georgia counties on Friday due to the heavy rainfall that accumulated in parts of South and East Georgia on Wednesday, November 6, and Thursday, November 7, which caused severe flooding. In the Governor’s executive order it states that the heavy rainfall has caused and will likely continue to cause rivers throughout the affected area to rise leading to major flooding and the washing out of road and bridges.

The State of Emergency exists in the following counties: Atkinson, Ben Hill, Bryan, Candler, Chatham, Dodge, Effingham, Emanuel , Evans, Irwin, Jeff Davis, Jefferson , Lanier, Laurens, Lowndes, Montgomery, Screven , Tattnall, Telfair, Toombs, Treutlen, and Wheeler.