VALDOSTA — Heavy rains triggered flash flooding across Valdosta and surrounding areas early Thursday morning, leading to school closures and disrupted travel on major roads. 

Valdosta City Schools canceled classes for the day, citing unsafe conditions for transporting students, while Lowndes County Schools remained open with adjusted transportation routes. The unexpected deluge left streets submerged, causing significant disruptions for residents and travelers alike.

In a statement, VCS announced, “Due to our inability to safely transport students to school and the timing of the event, Valdosta City Schools will be closed Thursday, November 7, 2024.” 

The school system also canceled “Carloads of Kindness,” a distribution of supplies donated by the Douglas County School System in the wake of Hurricane Helene. The distribution was now expected to take place 10 a.m. to noon Friday at the VCS Professional Learning Center, 2037 E. Park Ave. 

While VCS chose to close for the day, Lowndes County Schools remained open, stating, “The safety of our staff and students is always our top priority. With the primary impact being inside the city, we have adjusted transportation routes and are having school.” The district assured families that adjusted routes were in place to navigate around the flood-prone areas.

Valdosta City Schools, Lowndes County Schools, and the City of Valdosta collectively advised residents to avoid several flooded areas. 

Berkeley Road was partially submerged, and the intersection of Saint Augustine Road and River Street was affected. Saint Augustine Road at US 84 Eastbound was flooded, impacting downtown traffic. 

River Street by Saunders Park was submerged, and sections of Country Club Drive near Williamsburg and Three Mile Branch, where the roadway has been undermined. Another affected area is Saint Augustine Road at Hightower Creek, where damage to the road has made it unsafe for travel. 

US 84 near Leon Street has been impacted by flooding in both directions, while Inner Perimeter at Valdosta High School was completely flooded. Additionally, Patterson Street at Drexel Park and Saint Augustine Road between Melody Lane Circle K and Cookout were marked as dangerous due to high water levels.

The City of Valdosta operates rain gauges as part of the Community Collaborative Rain, Hail and Snow Network. Those gauges recorded between 9.30 and 11.22 inches of rain in 24 hours that ended about 7 a.m. Thursday. Daily readings from the gauges are posted online at https://maps.cocorahs.org/. A gauge in the network that is not operated by the City of Valdosta reported 12.30 inches in 24 hours in the Wetherington Lane area.

Some of the readings include notes from the person monitoring the gauge. The monitor of a site in the Victoria Drive area, not monitored by the City of Valdosta, wrote: “Rather localized thunderstorm cell with a lot of lightning activity dropped the 9 plus inches of rain in about 5 hours from 6:30 p.m. triggering flash flood warnings. This is an all time 24 hour record for our station to the best of my knowledge. And this is a heck of a way to end our 37 consecutive dry days since Hurricane Helene.”

Valdosta Daily Times Editor Kevin C. Hall contributed to this report.