It will take more than a little rain to dampen the Fourth of July festivities in Cumming.
Organizers of the fireworks show, set for tonight at the Cumming Fairgrounds, and the Thomas-Mashburn Steam Engine Parade on Thursday say there may be delays, but both events will go on as planned despite the soggy weather forecast.
The National Weather Service has issued a flash flood watch for north Georgia effective from this morning until Friday morning.
There is a 70 percent chance of rain today, with high temperatures near 80 degrees, and a 50 percent chance of rain Thursday, with highs also near 80.
More than an inch of rain was recorded between 3 and 5 p.m. Monday in the Forsyth County area.
There are no plans to cancel the fireworks, said Dave Horton, director of the fairgrounds, because the crew working that night has other commitments on all other nights of the holiday weekend.
“We will make every effort to do the fireworks,” he said.
According to Horton, it’s possible to shoot off fireworks in a light rain. If it does rain, the crew will look for an opportune time that night in between showers to start the show.
“The rain happens all the time,” said Horton, noting that last year’s fireworks show endured a slight delay because of a thunderstorm.
However, if strong storms were to roll in and prevent the fireworks from being safely set off, the show would be scrapped, Horton said.
The fireworks would be saved and used in conjunction with a later event, such as the Cumming Country Fair & Festival in the fall.
Showers could also disrupt the steam engine parade, though organizer Cindy Hansard said it will happen “rain or shine.”
Bring a poncho, she advised, because “once the steam engines are on, they’ve got to go.”
Although weather could delay the event for a few hours, Hansard said there’s no chance it will be rescheduled.
Forecasters with the weather service noted that rain “will probably impact July Fourth celebrations. Some folks may be able to get festivities in between storms, but some may be rained out.”
The flood watch notes that “rainfall amounts of 2 to 4 inches are likely over the watch area, with localized higher amounts possible.”
“Persons planning outdoor activities this week, including those on the Fourth of July, should continue to monitor the latest forecasts and begin making contingency plans in case hazardous weather threatens,” the weather service noted in a special weather statement.
Andrew Akers of the FCN regional staff contributed to this report.