FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: July 25, 2001, 8:30 p.m. Barnes Place Leads Atlanta in Downpour BARNES PLACE (ATLANTA, GA) -- Heavy rain overnight caused minor flooding in the basement at Barnes Place. Barnes Place led the Atlanta metro area with 3.24 inches of rain falling in the 24-hour period that ended at 8 a.m. this morning. The city of Atlanta had 0.09 inches of the rain for the same period, according to the instrumentation at Atlanta's Hartsfield International Airport, the city's official rain gage. Peachtree-Dekalb Airport, only 5 miles to the northwest of Barnes Place received 3.2 inches of rain, and Fulton County Airport 12.9 miles to the west received only 1.51 inches. Rain continued on throughout the morning. The total rainfall at Barnes Place produced by the a low pressure system moving through Georgia, which drew much-needed moisture from the Gulf of Mexico, was 3.45 inches in about a 18 hour period which began Tuesday at 7 p.m. The Social Secretary issued a Flash Flood warning for low-lying areas of Barnes Place, and ordered the evacuation of Sheleata Kanatuna from the basement. Today, clean up begins for mild flooding. "Normally we wouldn't be concerned with the amount of water in the basement we have now; it will be gone in a day," said Co-Director Timothy State. But with the first Atlanta case of the West Nile virus appearing in a hawk only four miles from Barnes Place on Tuesday, officials aren't taking any chances with standing water. With 15 birds and one horse dead in Georgia so far this year, the Metro Atlanta West Nile Task Force is asking individuals to take action by using mosquito repellant and by eliminating standing water where mosquitoes breed. The West Nile virus, a disease found in birds, is spread to mammals through mosquitoes. In most humans, it causes no symptoms, or transient flu-like symptoms, however, those over 50 and with weakened immune systems can be adversely affected. --END--