Dozens of Upson County roads closed due to flooding, more 'washed out'

UPSON COUNTY, Ga. - Strong storm waters have caused significant damage to several roads in Upson County, leading county officials to declare a state of emergency.

Seven roads have been closed because of damage, according to Upson County Emergency Management. Another 23 roads throughout the county were closed because the flooding made them impassible.

Related: Weekend storms in Georgia leave behind destruction, flooding

Upson County’s Emergency Management Agency Director Martha Anne McCarty created a live Google Map showing all the current closures:

The blue pins show areas where water is on the road. Red pins denote areas where roads have collapsed.

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"The rain has continued to come back over the same areas again, and again, and again," McCarty said.

Thomaston resident Nathan Buckman said he witnessed Jeff Davis Road washing out under the heavy currents.

Jeff Davis Road closed (Credit: Upson County Emergency Management Agency)

"We turned the car around, and as soon as the tail lights went that way, the road fell in." 

That road caved under the force of the storm waters, leaving nothing but asphalt and a few pipes.

Up the road, Ten Mile Creek looked like a raging river.

McCarty said her crews have their work cut out for them.

"They are tired," she said. "They’ve been up and nobody got a whole lot of sleep last night because by the time they stopped to catch their breath and lay down, they had to get back up and go out again."

Although there have been no reports of tornadoes, the county has been inundated with water. Crews have been working tirelessly to assess the damage caused by the rainfall over the past 36 hours. County officials said that they are balancing the need to get the roads open as quickly as possible while ensuring that floodwaters recede enough to prevent future damage.

Weekend storms washed out several roads in Upson County leaving officials scrambling to block and fix them starting on March 27, 2023. (FOX 5)

Buckman said Jeff Davis Road is a major thoroughfare for people in the community.

"A lot of people use it and [have] to go that way, my kinfolks live that way," he said. "It’s kind of inconvenient, but they’re going to fix it because it is a main road."

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