Flood hits Newton County

By Charles Edwards

Atlanta, GA – The flood that has taken lives and property plus closed schools, roads and bridges in metro Atlanta is moving.

The heavy waters are flowing south and east into places like Newton County about 30 miles east of downtown Atlanta.

WABE's Charles Edwards reports

Crowell Road connects many Covington residents to Interstate 20.

But today, the relatively busy road is quiet as people like Diane Rupert stare in amazement.

RUPERT: "I've lived in Georgia all my life just about and never had anything like this happen in an area where you would not think it would happen."

Rupert is looking at the half mile of Crowell Road that blocked by barricades. It's drowned in water from the Yellow River. The river is 22 feet high. That's 16 feet above normal level.

The Yellow River actually starts 25 miles north of here in Gwinnett County where Rupert's family owns a business.

RUPERT: "And right beside right down the street from our shop, the Yellow River is there and it's completely overflowed and has destroyed like 3 businesses. I mean cars in the car lot are completely submerged to where you can just see the tops of their cars."

After heavy constant rains did damage in Gwinnett, the water flowed downstream to Newton covering entire trailer parks and soaking churches. The flood has tickled the bottom of bridges and completely covered parts of streets like Crowell Road.

Todd Cofer works in the roads division of Newton County's Public Works Department.

COFER: "As you can look down there and see you see the guard rails so you naturally assume the road is still there but it may not be. You can't tell. All that water may have washed it away. It may be gone."

Nearby homeowner Mary Foster has watched the flood hit other counties until now.

FOSTER: "To see this actually on TV and then to see this for yourself where you're living it's just amazing. It's unbelieveable."

Foster's home is ok and so far no one in Newton has been killed or injured. However, Tayna Forehand is still concerned.

FOREHAND: "I just hope it doesn't get any worse and the water starts rising up towards my house."

Newton road worker Todd Cofer says you can see water has started to subside.

COFER: "It'll get back into the river. As it goes down, it'll drain back into the river and move south."

However, Cofer and other officials don't know how long that will take. They're also watching the forecast which calls for more rain this weekend.

Charles Edwards, WABE News.