Significant flooding to threaten Carolinas into Monday night
Heavy rain will crawl across the southeastern United States into Monday night with parts of the Carolinas bracing for major flooding.
Thus far from 2 to 6 inches of rain has fallen in some areas with additional rain to go through Monday night.
A storm that brought severe weather to the central U.S. and interior South to end last week will slowly move up the East Coast early this week.
While the danger of severe weather has greatly diminished, the fire hose effect of heavy rain will continue over parts of North and South Carolina through Monday night.
“This storm in the Southeast will be slow to move away,” AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Frank Strait said.
Given the slow and drenching nature of the rainfall, there is the potential for widespread flooding to occur from eastern South Carolina and southeastern North Carolina to the eastern foothills of the southern Appalachians.
Some episodes of heavy rain will also occur in parts of southern Virginia.
Significant flooding has been reported in Charleston, South Carolina, as of Monday morning.
Truck in river at Arbor Grove Church Road in Wilkes County. (Photo/Michelle Dimmette)
Runoff could quickly overflow small streams and rivers, potentially inundating nearby lands, roads and homes. Mudslides are possible in the higher terrain.
The heaviest rain will fall along the North and South Carolina coast to Raleigh, Winston-Salem, Charlotte, North Carolina, and the neighboring foothills into Monday night.
"Localized rain amounts of 6 inches or more would lead to major flooding and greater hazards to lives and property," AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Kristina Pydynowski said.
Commutes could be especially treacherous as roads may be impassable or closed. Motorists are reminded to never drive through a flooded road to avoid a potentially life-threatening situation.
Flooding can occur despite prolonged drought in much of the region.
Locally gusty thunderstorms could be embedded within the rain along the immediate coast, threatening residents further with damaging wind gusts and possible power outages. There will be the risk of a couple of waterspouts drifting onshore and becoming tornadoes right along the coast.
The rainfall will be beneficial in some respects by helping to water lawns, crops and gardens. Enough runoff will occur to boost some lake and reservoir levels.
The clouds and wet weather will slowly drift northward by the middle of the week into the Northeast.
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