Overnight flooding inundates parts of the Fulton County Jail as sheriff publicly criticizes the county's improvement plan

Thu, 21 Aug 2025 22:45:00 -0400

Heavy rain on Wednesday night sent water into parts of the Fulton County Jail on Rice Street, prompting deputies and inmates to move to higher-ground cells in the building and prompting a sharp public rebuke from Sheriff Patrick Labat over what he called the county’s failed effort to fix the aging facility.

The flooding was first reported by detention staff at about 9:30 p.m., after a slow-moving storm dropped more than 2 inches of rain in less than two hours across parts of downtown and South Atlanta. Water pooled in at least two housing units on the jail’s lower floors and in a maintenance corridor near the booking area, according to a statement from the Sheriff’s Office.

Sheriff-Labat on WACN 21 News

Overnight flooding inundates parts of the Fulton County Jail as sheriff publicly criticizes the county's improvement plan