COVINGTON, Ga. — What seems like one of the rainiest summers to date in Georgia has begun to have substantial impacts on some Covington residents who fell victim to a flash flood on Sunday morning.

As the weekend deluge ramped up on Sunday, Covington was one of many areas in the state that went under flash flood watch and, eventually, warning.

To many, flash flood warnings can seem like one of the less concerning weather events when compared to the tornadoes and hurricanes that can plague Georgians. But numerous Covington residents quickly learned that flash floods can be no joke.

Shamica Tucker, executive director of the Housing Authority of the City of Covington, shared that residents were evacuated around 10 a.m. and were able to return to their homes by noon. 

Further information was shared by the city of Covington in a statement on Sunday evening. The incident was reportedly isolated to the Nixon Circle area, and approximately 30 people were evacuated.

“This was the only part of the city affected by flooding, and no injuries were reported,” the city’s statement read.

According to Tucker, the initial evacuation was precautionary due to water coming over the wall of a dam that is on city property above the residences. There was concern that the dam could break.

“The water rose, but we have no reports of flood water getting inside of apartments,” Tucker said.

Only one home was significantly damaged, on its roof, Tucker shared. The resident was moved into a hotel room, and staff have already begun repairs.

“City, county, CHA employees and the residents of the Alcovy community did a great job of handling the situation, taking all measures to ensure the safety of residents and neighbors,” Tucker wrote in a statement to The Covington News.

Tucker added that reports circulating that attribute the flooding to a retention pond are incorrect, as there is no retention pond on the property.

As the days ahead forecast more rain to come, the city advises that all residents pay attention to weather alerts and contact 911 to report any concerns.

“Our primary concern is always the safety and well-being of our citizens,” said Ken Malcom, public information officer for the city of Covington. “We’re grateful for the swift response by our public safety personnel and for the cooperation of those impacted.”