Helene expected for Athens in the dark with fierce winds and lashes of rainwater

As tropical storm Helene mushrooms into hurricane status Wednesday, folks in the Athens area are warned to buckle down for the brunt of the storm expected to arrive Thursday evening.

Overnight Thursday in the darkness, local residents are expected to hear the ferocious power of winds and loud torrents of rainwater as the storm keeps people huddled in their homes.

National Weather Service meteorologist Carmen Hernandez said Wednesday morning from the Peachtree City office that the tropical storm force winds should arrive Thursday evening and continue into Friday morning.

There will be potential wind gusts of 55 to 65 mph as the fast-moving storm moves through the area likely leaving downed trees with numerous power outages.

“We’ll be watching out for any short-lived tornadoes as well,” Hernandez said.

Athens happens to be on the eastside of the storm as it cuts through Georgia, which is the side of the storm's most dangerous energy as it spins like a circular saw slashing a path as it travels northward.

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“The western side won’t have as much of a threat by those tornadoes, but there will be widespread flood risks,” she said.

A flood watch was in place Wednesday as weather predictors hunkered around satellite images tracking Helene.

The water, with possible flooding, will be saturating in the Athens area.

There is also rain predicted for late Wednesday, but that storm is not associated with Helene, but with another front over north Georgia, according to Hernandez.

“We’re looking at widespread areas of 4 to 5 inches,” she said, but she warned that there will be localized areas where as much as 10 inches of rainfall will gather through Friday afternoon.

The weather service also predicts that Helene will be over central Tennessee by early Friday afternoon. The forecast for Saturday in Athens is sunny with a high of about 78.

Athens-Clarke County issued a release Wednesday alerting citizens that officials are monitoring the storm and its potential impact locally.

“Heavy rain and strong winds are most likely to occur that will cause flooding, downed trees and power lines and power outages,” it reads.

Officials were also encouraging citizens to prepare for the storm and stay informed about the severe weather conditions.

The government maintains a social media channel providing information at www.facebook.com/accgov .

This article originally appeared on Athens Banner-Herald: Helene expected for Athens in the dark with fierce winds and lashes of rainwater