We've already had two named storms in May, but June 1 is actually the beginning of hurricane season. Some areas in southeast Georgia got up to eight inches of rain from Tropical Storm Beryl.
Southwest Georgia certainly needs rain, but we all know the flooding dangers that can come with a hurricane or tropical storm.
When the ground is hard and dry like it has been it reacts much like a parking lot, allowing a quick falling rain to pool rather than soak in, and that's the fear going into hurricane season.
When more than 15 inches of rain fell on south Georgia in late March and early April in 2009, Bennie Lofton was told to evacuate.
"It was a little frightening at first they came out here and told us to move, but I told them we were going to sit it out. It came at least about 100 yards right down here where this green car is and the blue barrel," said Homeowner Bennie Loftin.
Flood waters left his neighborhood, Radial Subdivision in east Dougherty County, a mess.
Loftin's home never got water inside, but other neighbors weren't as lucky. Emergency Management Officials say that's just one of the problems a tropical system can bring to south Georgia, flash flooding.
"It's when the surface receives tremendous amount of precipitation and its not capable of absorbing it, in a dry condition the land is hard," said Jim Vaught, Dougherty Co. Deputy EMA Director.
Last year, south Georgia was spared. Most storms tracked farther north and east. The National Weather Service does its best to alert regions to a potential threat with predicted paths like they did for Irene. After the flooding in 2009, Dougherty County's Public Works identified 40 areas around the county that needed improvements. They're about a quarter of the way through their list with funding being the major obstacle, but development over the years hasn't helped.
"Just the amount of buildings that have come into an area causes us to lose land that can actually absorb the precipitation, so it has no other choice to run quickly off to a low lying area and that's where you get the flash flooding," Vaught said.
With hurricane season underway, EMA officials say it's a good time to make sure the drainage areas on your property are free of debris. That allows water to drain away from low lying areas, avoiding flooding. They also remind you to have that emergency kit packed and ready to go.
Some neighbors in the Radial Subdivision have been forced to purchase flood insurance to protect them from flash flooding in the future.
Hurricane season in the Atlantic runs through November 30th. Forecasters predict a relatively tame season.
They say they expect 12 named storms and out of the 12 named storms, seven possibly will develop into hurricanes.
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