Fresh Loaf

Recent floods and storms battered 478 homes and caused approximately $61 million in damages to city facilities and equipment, according to initial City Hall estimates transmitted to the Federal Emergency Management Agency.

The documents outline the impact the unprecedented flood had on neighborhoods — the majority of which are located in Northwest Atlanta. Lincoln Homes and Cross Creek were the hardest hit, with many homes lost or suffering major damage.

The Atlanta Department of Watershed Management recorded more than $52 million of damage — the highest amount among any municipal department. Most of that total stems from the flooding of the R.M. Clayton wastewater treatment plant in Northwest Atlanta. The Department of Parks, Recreation and Cultural Affairs estimates $2.4 million worth of damage to parks and equipment. Affected greenspaces include Candler Park, Atlanta Memorial and Grove Parks.

The city has also released a by-the-numbers summary of the damage and the cost of such recovery efforts as helicopter flyovers and boat rescues. To view all the statistics, download this PDF.

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Forecasting heavy rains today and tomorrow, the National Weather Service this morning issued a flash flood watch for most of metro Atlanta and North Georgia.

The service says storms today and tomorrow might not be as intense as recent storms, but could likely lead to flash flooding between south metro Atlanta and Tennessee. The North Georgia mountains could expect to see as much as five inches. Other areas might see between one to three inches. But thanks to saturated soil from recent storms, creeks and rivers could rapidly rise.

The flash flood watch is scheduled to expire late Saturday night. For more information and to follow weather alerts, visit the service’s website. For a look at the areas covered by the flash flood watch, take a look after the jump.

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As of this morning the Krog Street tunnel was still closed due to rainwater.

(Photo by Joeff Davis)

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The Atlanta Department of Watershed Management says that R.M. Clayton, the wastewater treatment plant that was knocked offline yesterday thanks to flooding, is once again operational. The discharges of minimally treated wastewater have ended.

The Scattahoochee: Not as flavorful as it was Monday, but still refreshing!

From the department:

By mobilizing all available personnel and resources, the Department has been able to restore function to the primary and tertiary treatment systems of the RM Clayton Water Reclamation Center and halt the bypass of raw sewage into the Chattahoochee River. Commissioner Rob Hunter termed the effort ‘heroic’ and praised plant personnel who have worked around the clock since the river flooded the plant.

The floodwaters have been pumped out of the plant, which is now receiving sewage flows. The flows are receiving treatment at about 70 percent of normal. Plant Manager Rob Bush and Bureau of Wastewater Treatment and Collection Deputy Commissioner David St. Pierre said the Nancy Creek Tunnel was brought online at about 3 am.

The plant is still looking at millions of dollars in repairs, however. Err on the safe side and continue to avoid flood waters.

(CL file photo by Jeff Riley)

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The AJC reports this morning Gov. Sonny Perdue has asked President Obama to issue a disaster declaration for Georgia. A federal disaster declaration would bring federal taxpayer assistance to parts of Georgia effected by the past week’s flooding.

Perdue’s request creates an ethical dilemma for the estimated 53 percent of southerners who do not believe Obama was born in the United States and therefore isn’t eligible to be President. Will birthers whose homes have been damaged by flood waters accept federal disaster aid from a President whose legitimacy they otherwise don’t accept?

If FEMA comes knocking on a birther’s door, will the birther say “Go away, FEMA person, because I do not accept the authority of unlawfully-elected Secret Kenyans!”

I somehow doubt it.

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Gov. Sonny Perdue has declared a state of emergency for 17 counties impacted by recent storms and flooding in metro Atlanta. The counties are Carroll, Catoosa, Chattooga, Cherokee, Clayton, Cobb, Crawford, DeKalb, Douglas, Forsyth, Fulton, Gwinnett, Newton, Paulding, Rockdale, Stephens and Walker counties.

“Mary and I are saddened by the human cost the recent storms have wrought… We are currently focused on rescuing victims of the storms targeting Georgia and preventing further damage. State personnel and equipment are being deployed to assist effected communities. The Georgia Emergency Management Agency is coordinating our response and managing the State Operations Center, the Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Protection Division are deploying boats, high-water vehicles, and testing water. Other state agencies are deploying manpower and additional resources.”

Those other state agencies GEMA will help wrangle:

Georgia Forestry Commission- Manpower and debris clearance, water tanker for Douglas County Hospital, water tender strike teams for structural fire support
Georgia State Patrol – Law enforcement for traffic control, road closures, helicopters
Department of Transportation – Road closure signs, bridge inspection, detours
Department of Human Services- Hospital coordination, shelter coordination, boil water advisories

Perdue says the state Department of Agriculture will help evacuate large animals and find shelter for pets. If you can’t find your pet, the department might be able to connect you with a local missing animals contact.

(File photo by Joeff Davis)

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Jesus. Courtesy of the City of Atlanta.

West Conway Drive

Many more photos of Northwest Atlanta’s damage after the jump.

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… for up-to-the-minute reports on blocked roads and what parts of town to avoid. As well as photos of the flooded areas.

Here’s a link to an #atlflood thread. Here’s a link to an #atltraffic thread. For links to official closed roads, check out our previous post.

And when the storm passes, send some karma to SpaceyG and DriveAFasterCar (she of #atlgas fame) for helping kickstart these hashtags. (We’ve also set up a feed for the #atlflood updates on our news page, clatl.com/news).

After the jump, an idea of just how bad the roads really are.

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Not good, eh? ENNNH?!?

The National Weather Service has issued a tornado watch until 3 p.m. for 78 counties in Georgia, including metro Atlanta. The region is also included under a flash flood watch until 4 p.m.

Downtown Atlanta after the tornado last March

The AJC reports forecasters predict 2-3 inches of rain from the storm.

(Photo by Joeff Davis)

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WE PRAYED FOR RAIN: God sends wintry mixed signals.

ACCREDIT WHERE ACCREDIT IS DUE: One Clayton school board member quits, one is voted out.

DUNN DONE: Falcons release 10,000-yard rusher after signing former L.T. backup Turner.

JACK DAVIS: Gets respect.

DRUNK DELTA PASSENGER: Accused of threatening to blow up a plane from Atlanta to Dublin.

OBAMANIA, CLINTOMONIUM: It all comes down to tonight. Unless it doesn’t.

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A couple hundred onlookers showed up at the Capitol Tuesday to witness whether, when the governor came out of his office, he would see his shadow, thereby presaging six more weeks of watering restrictions. Or something like that.

Actually, the reality was nearly as wacky, with Sonny literally leading a prayer service on the front porch of the Statehouse. Less surprising was the fact that the crowd was stocked with true believers, from folks holding their hands up like on “Hour of Power,” to a guy wearing a “Yes I am a Jesus Freak” T-shirt, to a woman holding an umbrella — the better to avoid a sunburn, as it turned out.

“We acknowledge our wastefulness,” Perdue said in his closing remarks. Oh, really? Was that a sly reference to legislative pork?

“We do believe in miracles,” he added. Of course he does — his first run for governor proved they can happen.

It was interesting to see who was on hand to bask in the pandering, such as state School Superintendent Kathy Cox and Lt. Gov. Casey Cagle, who beseeched the Big Guy to “Open up the floodgates of heaven.” (As Andisheh noted, Cagle might have added: “And, Lord, do close the gates of Buford Dam.”)

The Rev. Joe Lowery was on hand to observe, and ex-Speaker Terry Coleman, now retired, watched from the sidewalk.

And it was just as telling to note who was a no-show, namely current Speaker Glenn Richardson, whose feud with Perdue got no reprieve Tuesday.

Despite the gov’s efforts, and the preachifyin’ from three pastors from across the state — all Protestant, natch — the weather brightened up halfway through the ceremony.

That’s what we get for electing a guy named Sonny.

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It’s an especially busy day at CL, so you’ll have to wait a bit for our full report on Gov. Sonny Perdue’s prayer service for rain at the Capitol today.

I will tell you this — when Scott Henry and I arrived at the service, it was overcast. When we left, the sky over the Gold Dome was blue.

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North Avenue westbound was flooded this morning at 9:35 a.m. underneath the Northside Drive overpass. I had to take a detour to work.

It didn’t even rain that much.

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KOREAN POP STAR RAIN’S PRESS CONFERENCE AT MIDTOWN’S FOUR SEASONS: “I swear, I’m very famous in Asia.”

(Photo by Joeff Davis)

Last Thursday, Korean singer and actor Rain held a press conference at the Four Seasons in Midtown. The reason: to introduce the “pan-Asian heartthrob” to American journalists before his first U.S concert tour, which starts in Atlanta June 19 at Philips Arena. Speaking through a translator, Rain described his music to CL as “East meets West,” which, translated into nonpublicist-speak, means he sings Timberlakey R&B in Korean and appears shirtless in lavishly produced music videos.

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