People across metro Atlanta braced for severe weather, now looking at damage left behind

ATLANTA — Across metro Atlanta, people were bracing themselves for the potential impact of severe weather on Friday. Now that it has moved past the area, they are looking at what damage was left behind.

Channel 2′s Audrey Washington was in Putnam County where neighbors in an area prone to flooding feared that they may see rising water on Friday.

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A Channel 2 Action News viewer sent a video of flood conditions, following the heavy rain and high winds earlier this week.

The video showed water rising and rushing down West Riverbend Drive in Eatonton.

“Definitely a little bit scary,” resident Michale Sasso told Channel 2′s Audrey Washington on Friday.

“You don’t expect it, especially when you look in your backyard and you see your neighbor’s canoe floating in your backyard,” he added.

Neighbors said each time a major weather system moves through the area, the street, which is right off of Lake Oconee, floods.

“There’s an underground trench pipe that runs right through here, into this river that leads into the lake,” Sasso explained.

“Being in Georgia’s lake country, we deal with this issue often. Our public safety and staff are working together to minimize any disruption that could occur,” the Putnam County Manager said in a statement.

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Over in Spalding County, Channel 2′s Tom Jones saw several bridges that had been shut down because of the rains.

The county says that because of recent rains and possible flooding, they have closed at least five bridges.

“You know just have to go around the block,” driver Todd Davis said. “We can go this way it’s just a few minutes longer.”

The county also says that a portion of Jordan Hill Road is shut down because of damage that the bridge suffered.

“With the abundance of the rains we had earlier in the week, it was determined that it had some issues. It’s gonna need to be further evaluated and repaired, so it’s closed,” Spalding County EMA Director Glen Polk said.

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Law enforcement in Upson County was on high alert on Friday after a tornado hit the same area in 2020.

Channel 2′s Tom Regan spoke with a man who narrowly escaped before the tornado ripped apart his home.

Anytime there is a threat of severe weather, the whole community is on edge.

“My wife gets extremely nervous,” Butch McDaniel said.

“I don’t think this area can stand it again. We are still trying to recoup,” Charlene Cantrell said.

Upson County Sheriff Dan Kilgore told Regan that they kept a close eye on the weather.

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