Flash flood watch under way for 80m in eastern US as heatwaves broil west

Western Georgia sees one-in-1,000-year rainfall event' as homes and businesses flood

More than 80 million people in the eastern US were under flash flood watches late on Monday, marking still more extreme weather in a country reeling from record heatwaves in some regions, as the US increasingly feels the effects of the climate crisis.

In Georgia, the threat of torrential downpours became a reality on Sunday afternoon, spurring a flash flood emergency in western portions of the state, CNN reported.