Southeast US faces flood risk as slow-moving storm drenches region
Rain will pour down for days in parts of the southeastern United States into next week and that could go well beyond being beneficial for drought as flooding problems ramp up.
As thunderstorms rumbled into the mid-Atlantic on May 8, hail pelted towns across Kentucky, Tennessee and North Carolina.
A massive stalled storm will bring day after day of showers and thunderstorms to parts of the southeastern United States through the Mother's Day weekend. AccuWeather meteorologists say that while rain is needed in some areas, too much may fall and lead to flooding problems.
Rainfall from the winter to the first part of the spring has been lean in parts of the region, to say the least. In some locations, drought conditions have escalated to severe or worse. The dry conditions have resulted in much more than brown lawns and is on the verge of impacting crops in the region by adding stress and stunting growth.
While the southeastern U.S. is well known for crops such as peanuts, tobacco and cotton, it is also a source for summer vegetables, grains and tree and bush fruits. Rainfall at a critical time in the spring and early summer is essential for the plants to grow, fill out and produce a significant amount of produce.
Rainfall from the long-lasting storm will have vast positive impacts on soil moisture and filling some streams, ponds and reservoirs in the region, especially from northern Florida to the Carolinas.
Some of the negatives from the slow-moving, drenching storm system are fairly obvious and may lead to alterations to outdoor plans and slow travel heading into and throughout the Mother's Day weekend.
A much more significant negative impact may unfold and this can occur anytime there are days of downpours.
AccuWeather meteorologists expect a broad zone where 1-4 inches of rain will fall. While that amount spread over multiple days is not extreme, rainfall in some locations can be double and nearly triple that amount. The AccuWeather Local StormMax™ rainfall for the storm through Tuesday is 10 inches.
Streams and rivers in the region that may have been running low will fill with water. Low-lying unprotected flatlands along some of the rivers may flood.
The greatest risk for flooding will be from the Florida Panhandle to central Georgia and Alabama, where downpours and heavy thunderstorms will be more frequent. As the storm moves northeast, heavy rain will also bring flooding concerns to far western North Carolina on Monday.
Meanwhile, the same storm system will create an onshore wind from the Atlantic that will push water toward the coast and result in levels above the astronomical tide.
The combination of the onshore winds and proximity to the astronomical effects of the full moon early next week can lead to coastal flooding. The flooding will be the most significant at times of high tide. Any surge of water coming in to meet the tidal surge can also add to the flooding. This potentially may include cities such as Charleston, South Carolina, and Savannah, Georgia.
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