In the 1990s, we went on vacation with my in-laws a few times. Because my father-in-law’s company (Low Temp) shut down for the week around Independence Day, that’s when we went. In 1994, we decided to go to Panama City. By the time we got there, the rain from Tropical Storm Alberto had arrived. I had been in Panama City during a hurricane before, and it seemed to blow through, and then it was gone. With any luck, we would have a little wind and a day of rain, but then we’d be good.
Well, the rain stayed. The storm moved up into Alabama and Georgia, where it stalled. After a few days of non-stop rain, we decided we were going to get wet anyway and went out in it. I don’t recall which day of the week it was when my in-laws decided to call it quits, but they left early. We were getting some reports of flooding, so they decided to drive across the panhandle and turn back north up 75. That was the wrong decision. I-75 was closed in places, and they routed all that traffic through Georgia backroads. It took them over 20 hours to get home. We came home the next day the usual way. There were places where the water was eerily high. Still, everything was open on our route through Florida and Alabama. It may have taken an hour longer than expected, primarily because of the mess closer to home.
Henry County was literally a disaster area. Two people drowned in separate incidents on the Towaliga River. Forty roads were closed, including a several-mile stretch of I-75. Some of these roads would remain closed for weeks. The Henry County water system was also heavily damaged, requiring over a million dollars in repairs. Crop damage was also extensive, with over 10,000 acres of farmland flooded.
As bad as it was here, it was much worse further south. Americus got almost 28 inches of rain from the storm, which is astounding since it averages 49 inches for the entire year. Throughout the state, 471,000 acres were submerged. There were 31 deaths statewide and roughly a billion dollars in damages.
Just when everyone thought the worse was over, coffins started surfacing on the Flint River in Albany. First, it was just one or two, here and there. But then they started appearing like something out of a Stephen King story. Witnesses told of some of the watertight coffins popping up out of the water like rockets. In total, 438 coffins were disinterred. The unpleasant job of identifying remains would take months.
What do you remember about the flood of 1994? Please share in the comments below.
I believe we had 4th activities at church earlier in the day before the rain started. Then it rained, and rained. Walnut Creek flowed over Babbs Mill Road. The entire part of Nash Farm around the creek was a big lake. I remember they told everyone to stay off the roads that night and when Eddie called in to work, they asked (from north Atlanta), “What rain?”
I also remember the videos of the old bridge washing out at High Falls.
1994 was the year we built our house. Mud EVERYWHERE!!! It took a little longer than expected. Bo did the excavating and Randy Holmes did the waterproofing. What a mess!
I was a flight attendant at the time and we had no electricity or water for 5-6 days. Daddy did something to the old well and we got to take a shower- although the water was pretty brown. I couldn’t wait to go to work so I could sleep in a hotel and have a shower.