Atlanta, GA
Some Atlanta residents resort to boats as Helene leaves streets submerge
Boats being used in some neighborhoods after Helene
Helene brought record rainfall to metro Atlanta, causing widespread flooding and leading some to use boats to get around.
ATLANTA – Metro Atlanta is drying out after Helene barreled through the area. The storm toppled trees, tore down power lines and submerged streets. Some roads were so inundated that people in some neighborhoods actually took to boats to get around.
Woodland Brook Drive was swamped. The only way people could get down the road was by boat. So a good Samaritan took out his motorboat to give his neighbors rides to their homes.
Angela Wells and her son set out on their neighbor’s boat for a ride across troubled waters. “There’s no way to get there by street,” Wells said.
Rain submerged her street in the Brandy Station subdivision of Vinings. “It is totally flooded,” Wells said. “Our whole front yard is flooded, and we have standing water in our basement.”
Some Georgians were getting around by boat after Helene tore through the state on Sept. 27, 2024 (FOX 5)
Woodland Brook Drive looked more like the Everglades than a residential road.
There’s no way Price Connor and her little dog Pippi could navigate their washed-out street. “No, I sure can’t,” Connor said. “It would be over our heads. And Pippi’s little, so she couldn’t take the water. I’m afraid there are snakes in there too.”
So, Andrew Link revved up his motorboat and ferried flooded-out friends to their houses. “Just to help them get to their homes faster,” Link said.
Some Georgians were getting around by boat after Helene tore through the state on Sept. 27, 2024 (FOX 5)
Torrential rain flooded Brandy Station, which sits right beside the Chattahoochee River. “Eight to 12 inches of rain in Atlanta, next to the river, you’re going to see some flooding,” link said. “It’s 12-and-a-half feet deep out there.”
Link says he is just being a good neighbor. “Why not? It’s good karma,” he said.
ATLANTA – The Atlanta City Council approved a resolution requesting a comprehensive study to evaluate switching Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport security operations from federal workers to private contractors.
The decision launches a formal assessment of the world’s busiest airport joining the federal Screening Partnership Program.
Atlanta airport private security evaluation
What we know:
The Atlanta City Council voted 11-1 to direct the Department of Aviation to commission an independent feasibility study within 90 days. The study will analyze converting current Transportation Security Administration operations to a private screening model.
This federal program allows airports to use private contractors who must still meet federal security standards under federal oversight. The proposal comes after a February-March federal funding lapse caused 34 to 36 percent of local TSA officers to miss work, leading to multi-hour wait times and canceled flights.
Aviation funding and consultant selection
What we don’t know:
It remains unclear which independent third-party consultant will be chosen to conduct the data-driven analysis.
During the council meeting, officials noted it is still an open question whether the Department of Aviation has already set aside specific dollars or identified a shortlist of experts to pull the report together.
Historical Screening Partnership Program metrics
By the numbers:
- 100 million: The minimum number of travelers processed annually at the world’s busiest airport.
- 20 to 22: The number of U.S. airports currently participating in the private contractor screening program, including San Francisco and Kansas City.
- 140 million to 240 million: The estimated range of dollars that TSA screening operations currently cost at the Atlanta airport each year.
Category X airport operational realities
The backstory:
Hartsfield-Jackson Atlanta International Airport is classified as a Category X public facility, representing the highest risk tier in the nation. No Category X airport has ever fully transitioned from federal screeners to a private model under the program.
Proponents point out that participating private airports avoided major disruptions during federal funding shutdowns because contractor payrolls rely on pre-existing federal contract obligations rather than annual congressional appropriations.
Local labor and political debate
The other side:
Councilmember Kelsey Bond voted against the resolution, citing deep concerns from local voters about the privatization of public sector jobs. Bond stated that privatization efforts align with controversial federal political agendas aimed at defunding public systems.
Bond argued that local leaders have a responsibility to stand back and defend the public sector and the union employees working at the facility.
Airport passenger lines and grandmothers
What they’re saying:
“This feasibility study is only asking about what it would look like if we can better serve grandmothers standing in line all day long because our federal government can’t get their act together to keep our TSA workers employed,” Councilmember Byron D. Amos said.
Amos emphasized that the legislation protects local workers by giving current TSA employees the first right of refusal to transition into the contractor roles if a change is ever made.
Super Bowl and major events timeline
What’s next:
The Department of Aviation has a 90-day window to deliver the final study, which places the evaluation period directly after FIFA World Cup events and during peak planning for the Super Bowl.
Once the report is complete, the findings will be presented in a public session so the city council can determine whether to apply for the federal program, run a limited pilot program or maintain the current federal system.
The Source: The information in this story was gathered from Atlanta City Council Resolution ELMS No. 40196, which outlines the official parameters and legislative elements of the airport security request, as well as official video and audio records from the Atlanta City Council legislative session where members debated and voted on the proposal.
‘Back to the Future’-inspired DeLorean among the entrants at this weekend’s event in Atlanta.
Razorfly Studios has been bringing its replica of Doc Brown’s “Back to the Future” time machine DeLorean to MomoCon for years. (Courtesy of MomoCon)
When Mark Zoran drives one of his replica cars, it’s not uncommon for fellow drivers to gawk at him.
Sometimes people ask for photos. Once, while he was driving outside of Atlanta, another driver stopped beside him to take a photograph of his car.
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Joe Metscher will bring his Subaru Forester itasha to MomoCon that features a character from “Kantai Collection” on it. (Courtesy of Joe Metscher)
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Joe Metscher’s dirt bike features Twin Turbo from the anime “Umamusume.” (Courtesy of Joe Metscher)
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Olivia Wakim is a reporter on the lifestyle team. She joined the AJC as an intern in 2023 after graduating from the University of Georgia with a journalism degree. While in school, she reported for The Red & Black, Grady Newsource and the Marietta Daily Journal.
ATLANTA, Ga. (Atlanta News First) — Detectives are investigating a fatal shooting that occurred Sunday afternoon in Stone Mountain.
Around 2 p.m., DeKalb police officers responded to the area of Martins Crossing and Hemingway Road after receiving reports of a person shot, authorities said.
When officers arrived, they found a victim who had been shot. The victim was pronounced dead at the scene.
Detectives are still working to determine what led up to the incident, officials said.
Return to Atlanta News First for updates.
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