Southeast faces dangerous flash flooding as heavy rain returns
Heavy rain from Georgia to North Carolina is triggering flash flood risks in major cities. More flooding could hit coastal areas later this week, with up to a foot of rain possible if a tropical system develops.
This Friday will mark another stormy day in the Southeast, thanks to tropical moisture.
Torrential downpours led to dangerous flash flooding across central North Carolina Wednesday. Two people died after their vehicle was swept off a flooded road and into a ditch in Nash County, North Carolina. A zone of 2-4 inches of rain occurred from northeastern South Carolina to eastern North Carolina. A separate area from central North Carolina to a portion of Virginia was also struck by flooding rain.
Flash flooding problems have riddled the southeastern United States since late last week. The same stalled front will continue to lead to localized flash flooding incidents, but the areas of prime concern will continue to meander around the region.
More rounds of flooding rain will unfold near the Atlantic coast later this week and through the weekend, AccuWeather meteorologists warn.
The zone from southwestern Georgia to parts of central North Carolina has received 2-5 inches of rain since Monday with some localized amounts of 6-8 inches.
Small streams and rivers were already swollen by rain that has drenched the region since late last week. River flooding can continue into the day Thursday for areas previously drenched by rain.
As drying expands inland for the latter part of the week, downpours are forecast to ramp up near the Carolina and Georgia coasts, due to a potential tropical storm just offshore.
Any low pressure area that forms just offshore should take on a northeastward drift as steering breezes develop. Earlier this week, there was concern that these steering breezes would remain light and variable, and that might have resulted in many days of torrential rain in parts of the Southeastern states.
Torrential downpours, flooding problems, and rough surf will still occur later this week along the Carolina coast and parts of the Georgia and Virginia coasts. From Thursday to Sunday, several inches to a foot of rain could fall along the Carolina and Georgia coasts.
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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.
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