Southeast faces dangerous flash flooding as heavy rain returns

Yahoo

2 days ago

Torrential downpours will lead to dangerous flash flooding from central North Carolina to central Georgia into Tuesday night before more rounds of flooding rain unfold near the Atlantic coast later this week and through the weekend, AccuWeather meteorologists warn.
The zone from central Georgia to parts of western and central North Carolina has received 2-5 inches of rain since Monday, with an additional 2-5 inches of rain predicted from Tuesday to Tuesday night. The AccuWeather Local StormMax™ is 8 inches for this latest 24-hour period.
Small streams and rivers were already swollen by rain that has drenched the region since late last week. However, upcoming river flooding and flash flooding will not be limited to rivers that have surged. The new rain into Tuesday night can quickly bring small streams out of their banks and moderate rises on some of the rivers.
Rainfall rates in this zone will vary from hour to hour, but they can approach 1-3 inches per hour. At that rate, storm drains will be easily overwhelmed and small streams will surge rapidly.
The metro areas at risk for significant flash urban flooding into Tuesday night include:
•North Carolina: Charlotte, Greensboro, Winston-Salem, Raleigh, Asheville•South Carolina: Greenville, Spartanburg, Columbia, Anderson•Georgia: Atlanta
Some of the heavy rain will fall on areas still recovering from Helene's deluge last September.Have the app? Unlock AccuWeather Alerts™ with Premium+
From later Tuesday night to Thursday, a wedge of dry air will expand southwestward across the Virginia, Carolina and Georgia piedmont areas, ending the rain or reducing it to showers.
There will be some locally heavy storms in central North Carolina to part of the South Carolina Midlands and Low Country at midweek, which can cause flooding.
As drying expands inland for the middle and latter part of the week, downpours are forecast to ramp up near the Carolina and Georgia coasts, due to an anticipated budding tropical storm.
Weak steering breezes may cause downpours to linger around the coastline for days, regardless of whether a tropical storm develops. The rainfall would be more intense if a storm develops.
The new expanse of downpours to inland locations late this week and this weekend may depend on the track and strength of the tropical entity.
From Thursday to Sunday, several inches to a foot of rain could fall along the Carolina and Georgia coasts. Depending on the inland extent of the downpours, that rainfall would lead to flooding in urban areas and along some of the region's streams and rivers.
Coastal communities such as Wilmington, North Carolina; Savannah, Georgia; and Charleston and Myrtle Beach, South Carolina, may want to closely monitor the forecast in the coming days.
Want next-level safety, ad-free? Unlock advanced, hyperlocal severe weather alerts when you subscribe to Premium+ on the AccuWeather app. AccuWeather Alerts™ are prompted by our expert meteorologists who monitor and analyze dangerous weather risks 24/7 to keep you and your family safer.