Southeastern US to face more flooding downpours but drought relief into midweek
More than 12 inches of rain has triggered major flooding in parts of western North Carolina as the southeastern United States faces more flooding downpours into midweek. Residents and motorists will have to remain alert for more flooded roads and poor driving conditions as downpours continue to soak the Southeast through midweek.
More than 12 inches of rain has triggered major flooding in parts of western North Carolina as the southeastern United States faces more flooding downpours into midweek.
Since late last week, a slow-moving storm tapping into tropical moisture has unloaded more than a month's worth of rain across parts of the Southeast.
For Atlanta, nearly all of the rain that would typically fall each June (3.95 inches) poured down on Saturday. The 3.90 inches measured shattered the day's previous rainfall record of 1.45 inches from 1950.
The deluge led to flash flooding in the city's southern suburbs. In Jonesboro, Georgia, runoff from the heavy rain flooded some cars and homes on Saturday afternoon.
Vehicles became submerged in flood waters at Todd Island Park, North Carolina, during the morning of June 9, 2019. (Facebook/Todd Community Preservation Organization)
Many communities in North Carolina and southern Virginia have also been plagued by road closures due to flooding this past weekend.
Western North Carolina has been hit the hardest by the flooding and heavy rain. A few locations have recorded more than a foot of rain in the past three days. This includes 13.64 inches near Brookford and 13.57 inches east of Boone, North Carolina.
The deluge has prompted declarations of states of emergency and evacuations.
Residents and motorists will have to remain alert for more flooded roads and poor driving conditions as downpours continue to soak parts of the Southeast through midweek.
Remember never to drive through a flooded road as doing so can put yours and your occupants' lives in danger.
The same storm spread downpours across the central Appalachians and mid-Atlantic coast on Monday. A helicopter crashed onto the roof of a building in New York City during the early afternoon hours on Monday. Rain and a low cloud ceiling were occurring around the time of the incident. Downpours retreated eastward across New England on Tuesday.
While flooding will not unfold in every community due to how the downpours will be strewed about the region, issues will occur where heavy rain is slow-moving and soaks areas where the ground is already saturated.
Drier air swept across the southern Appalachians and Piedmont areas, on Tuesday, but that will not mark an end to the downpours in the Southeast.
A piece of the storm lingered in the southeastern corner of the nation on Tuesday in the form of drenching showers and thunderstorms from Florida to southeastern Georgia.
The storm will then spread showers and thunderstorms back across central and southeastern areas of the Carolinas and Virginia at midweek.
Worse than spoiling vacation and outdoor plans, the heaviest rain Tuesday into Wednesday can trigger more localized flash flooding incidents in poor drainage and urban areas. Once again, small streams can be brought out of their banks.
"With this storm, the heaviest rain will be farther south and east in the Carolinas, closer to the coast when compared to the storm last week and weekend," according to AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Dan Pydynowski.
Even in the absence of flooding, motorists will have to use caution from the Interstate 95 corridor to portions of I-85. Visibility can be reduced, and standing water can increase the risk of vehicles hydroplaning at times into midweek.
Despite all the adverse impacts of the unsettled weather, drought relief will continue across the Southeast.
The drought status had risen to moderate and even severe levels from northern Florida to southeastern North Carolina when the U.S. Drought Monitor released its latest update on June 6.
"While some showers and thunderstorms can linger in eastern North Carolina, some drier air will begin to sweep across more of the Southeast on Thursday," Pydynowski added.
"Finally by Friday, high pressure should build over the entire Southeast and bring dry conditions and plenty of sunshine to the region."
Much to the dismay of those headed to the attractions at Orlando, the dry air will stop short of pushing showers and thunderstorms out of central and southern Florida later this week.
Download the free AccuWeather app to stay alert of flood watches and warnings. Keep checking back for updates on AccuWeather.com and stay tuned to the AccuWeather Network on DirecTV, Frontier and Verizon Fios.
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