Little reprieve in sight for soaked southeastern US
By
Renee Duff, AccuWeather senior meteorologist
Published Jul 8, 2020 9:36 AM EST
This waterspout formed offshore from Oak Island, North Carolina, on July 6.
Unsettled weather is forecast to linger across the southeastern United States even well after Tropical Storm Fay departs the region.
The system has been plaguing the region with widespread, slow-moving downpours since the weekend. As a result, the amount of moisture in the ground across the region is well above normal for this time of year, yielding a much lower threshold for flash flooding to begin when compared to an average summer.
On Tuesday, Augusta, Georgia, was hit with persistent downpours which totaled 4.64 inches for the day. This broke the rainfall record for the date of 3.67 inches set way back in 1896. Since Monday, the city has picked up 6.09 inches of rain, which is well above the normal for all of July of 4.33 inches.
Even though the bulk of the rain and thunderstorms associated with this system will be located in the Carolinas, the balance of the Southeast should not anticipate completely rain-free weather.
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"Areas of slow-moving and drenching showers and thunderstorms will continue to pester the Southeast states in general beyond midweek," AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Alex Sosnowski said.
Disturbances tens of thousands of feet above the ground will sweep through the region every day or two into the weekend, sparking the daily rounds of stormy weather.
"Some storms can be heavy, leading to flash flooding," said AccuWeather Lead Long-Range Meteorologist Paul Pastelok.
Gusty winds can also occur in the heaviest storms, and since the ground is saturated in many areas, it will not take a wind gust to be severe (58 mph or greater) for trees to potentially topple.
As has been typical over the past week, the afternoon and evening hours are likely to be the wettest periods of the day and hardest times to get outside. Use AccuWeather's exclusive MinuteCast® tool to determine the best time to get outside in-between storms.
Drivers will need to remain mindful of the threat for reduced visibility on the highways and a heightened risk of hydroplaning while traveling at highway speeds.
If you are outside and hear thunder or see darkening clouds or lightning, be sure to seek proper shelter immediately. Just on Monday, two people died in rural Pennsylvania due to a lightning strike.
Jackson, Mississippi; Montgomery, Alabama; Jacksonville, Florida; Atlanta; and Nashville, are some of the communities outside of the Carolinas where residents will be dodging hit-or-miss showers and thunderstorms into the weekend.
A press of drier air may shove most of the storm activity towards Florida and the rest of the Southeast coast this weekend. It will be in this zone that forecasters keep a close watch for additional tropical development next week.
Keep checking back on AccuWeather.com and stay tuned to the AccuWeather Network on DirecTV, Frontier and Verizon Fios.
Report a Typo
News / Severe Weather
Little reprieve in sight for soaked southeastern US
By Renee Duff, AccuWeather senior meteorologist
Published Jul 8, 2020 9:36 AM EST
This waterspout formed offshore from Oak Island, North Carolina, on July 6.
Unsettled weather is forecast to linger across the southeastern United States even well after Tropical Storm Fay departs the region.
The system has been plaguing the region with widespread, slow-moving downpours since the weekend. As a result, the amount of moisture in the ground across the region is well above normal for this time of year, yielding a much lower threshold for flash flooding to begin when compared to an average summer.
On Tuesday, Augusta, Georgia, was hit with persistent downpours which totaled 4.64 inches for the day. This broke the rainfall record for the date of 3.67 inches set way back in 1896. Since Monday, the city has picked up 6.09 inches of rain, which is well above the normal for all of July of 4.33 inches.
Even though the bulk of the rain and thunderstorms associated with this system will be located in the Carolinas, the balance of the Southeast should not anticipate completely rain-free weather.
CLICK HERE FOR THE FREE ACCUWEATHER APP
"Areas of slow-moving and drenching showers and thunderstorms will continue to pester the Southeast states in general beyond midweek," AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Alex Sosnowski said.
Disturbances tens of thousands of feet above the ground will sweep through the region every day or two into the weekend, sparking the daily rounds of stormy weather.
"Some storms can be heavy, leading to flash flooding," said AccuWeather Lead Long-Range Meteorologist Paul Pastelok.
Gusty winds can also occur in the heaviest storms, and since the ground is saturated in many areas, it will not take a wind gust to be severe (58 mph or greater) for trees to potentially topple.
Related:
As has been typical over the past week, the afternoon and evening hours are likely to be the wettest periods of the day and hardest times to get outside. Use AccuWeather's exclusive MinuteCast® tool to determine the best time to get outside in-between storms.
Drivers will need to remain mindful of the threat for reduced visibility on the highways and a heightened risk of hydroplaning while traveling at highway speeds.
If you are outside and hear thunder or see darkening clouds or lightning, be sure to seek proper shelter immediately. Just on Monday, two people died in rural Pennsylvania due to a lightning strike.
Jackson, Mississippi; Montgomery, Alabama; Jacksonville, Florida; Atlanta; and Nashville, are some of the communities outside of the Carolinas where residents will be dodging hit-or-miss showers and thunderstorms into the weekend.
A press of drier air may shove most of the storm activity towards Florida and the rest of the Southeast coast this weekend. It will be in this zone that forecasters keep a close watch for additional tropical development next week.
Keep checking back on AccuWeather.com and stay tuned to the AccuWeather Network on DirecTV, Frontier and Verizon Fios.
Report a Typo