18 inches of rain ruins NC beach vacation

A persistent area of low pressure plaguing the Carolina coast has dropped over 18 inches of rain over a small area of southeast North Carolina,

A persistent area of low pressure plaguing the Carolina coast has dropped over 18 inches of rain over a small area of southeastern North Carolina, specifically the Southport/Oak Island area.

NWS map of 5-day rainfall totals after the rain had ended

(See also the June 16, 2020 7-Day Observed Precipitation map I had uploaded previously)

This is essentially the same area that got hit by the tornadoes that I blogged about in April... and my family's summer vacation spot this week, unfortunately. I planned to be there as well, but canceled due to Coronavirus concerns. Street flooding on Oak Island is rampant; my mom sent this picture:

Street flooding on Oak Island, NC June 16, 2020 (Sally Ferrell)

Are we dizzy yet? A three-day water vapor loop shows the low pressure system spinning around and around.

Unfortunately, the system is still not moving much and will cause flooding through Wednesday night, although the highest risk will gradually move up to the Outer Banks (ironically where my mother-in-law is staying this week) and northeastern North Carolina. So it is a bad vacation story all around.

Map from our news story shows the flood potential area through Wednesday night

The highest rain amounts I was able to calculate for the last five days -- as of 10 a.m. today* -- were as follows. The bulk of this rain fell Friday and Monday.

Map showing three-day rainfall amounts zoomed in to Brunswick County, North Carolina, as of June 16.

• Woodside, NC: (Amateur): 18.54"

• Southport/0.9NE, NC (CoCoRAHs): 16.31"*

• Marsh Creek, NC: (Amateur): 16.21"

• Yaupon Beach/0.2SSW, NC (CoCoRAHs): 16.18"*

• Southport, NC: (Amateur): 16.14"

• Caswell Beach, NC: (Amateur): 15.78"

• South Harbor, NC: (Amateur): 15.18"

• Winnabow, NC: (Amateur): 15.09"

• Southport/1.0NE, NC: (CoCoRAHs): 14.48"

• River Sound, NC: (Amateur): 13.99"

• Yaupon Pier, NC: (Amateur): 13.82"

• Long Beach, NC (Amateur): 12.72"

• Oak Island, NC: (Amateur): 12.37"

• Oak Island, NC: (WeatherFlow): 12.03"*

• Sunny Point, NC (RAWS): 11.01"*

• Southport/2.7NNW, NC (CoCoRAHs): 11.01"*

• Saint James, NC (Amateur): 10.47"

• Oak Island/2.3NE, NC (CoCoRAHs): 10.41"*

• Regency Lakes, NC: (WeatherFlow): 10.19"*

• Southport, NC: (Airport): 9.67"*

*Amounts were updated above to a few stations to add rain that fell after this blog was written Southport CoCoRAHs did not report after the reading on the 16th. Amateur station totals came from the Wunderground network and were not updated.