West Point, Georgia

West Point is a city located in Harris County and Troup County, Georgia. As of the 2000 census, the city had a total population of 3,382.

Related Topics:
City - Harris County - Troup County, Georgia - 2000 - Census - Population

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Its first name was Franklin (there is now another Franklin, Georgia). The town's current name comes from being near the westernmost point on the Chattahoochee River, where its southwestward flow from the mountains and by Atlanta quickly turns toward the south-southeast to form the state line with Alabama. Lake West Point was created by the Army Corps of Engineers at this point for flood control, just upstream from the town, which flooded when the dam nearly overflowed in late spring of 2003. Excessive thunderstorm rains upstream in the Atlanta metro area the day before, combined with the same situation locally that day, in addition to allegedly poor forecasting of lake levels and inflow, would have exceeded the capacity of the lake and topped the dam had the emergency release not been made. While this avoided an outright dambreak and catastrophic failure, the town flooded more so than any time since the dam had been built. Still, the town was spared a much worse fate, as flooding would have been seriously worse without the dam.

Related Topics:
Franklin, Georgia - Chattahoochee River - Mountain - Atlanta - State - Alabama - Lake West Point - Army Corps of Engineers - Flood control - Upstream - Flood - Dam - Spring - 2003 - Thunderstorm - Rain - Atlanta metro area - Day - Forecast - Lake - Inflow - Capacity - Emergency - Dambreak - Fate

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The Atlanta & LaGrange Railroad was renamed the Atlanta & West Point Railroad for the town, and the town of East Point was named so for being at the opposite end of the line near Atlanta.

Related Topics:
Atlanta & LaGrange Railroad - Atlanta & West Point Railroad - East Point - Atlanta

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