Flood Threat Continues in the Carolinas, Virginia as East Coast System Moves North

Linda Lam
Published: April 24,2017
Flash flooding will remain a concern in the Carolinas and Virginia, despite a recent drought, as a low-pressure system slowly tracks up the East Coast.
Heavy rain, combined with high tide, triggered significant flooding of multiple streets in downtown Charleston, South Carolina, early Monday morning. Some water rescues were performed as occupants of a vehicle became trapped. For more details on flooding impacts, see the link below.
(LATEST NEWS: Flooding Hits the Carolinas, Virginia)

Latest Flood Reports and Heaviest Rainfall

The North Fork of the Holston River near Gate City, Virginia, crested Monday at 18.54 feet, making it the fourth-highest crest ever recorded, according to the National Weather Service in Morristown, Tennessee.
Pockets of heavy rain are also impacting other locations in the Carolinas and Virginia, and will spread through the mid-Atlantic into Tuesday. More than 5 inches of rain had fallen in parts of North Carolina, South Carolina and Tennessee as of late Monday afternoon. More than 6 inches of rain have been reported near Winston-Salem and Sparta in North Carolina.

Current Radar, Watches and Warnings

Flood watches continue from South Carolina to North Carolina and southwest Virginia. Flood warnings continue in parts of east Tennessee and eastern Kentucky even though the heaviest rain has ended, there.

Flood Alerts

The area of low pressure contributing to the heavy rain will slowly track just off the East Coast through Wednesday, spreading rain and some wind from the Southeast to New England. This slow-moving system may also bring some coastal concerns.
(MORE: 7 Interesting Things We've Seen With the Weather So Far in April)
Some areas in the mid-Atlantic and Northeast also continue to see drought conditions, and the expected wet weather may help to improve the drought status there.

Wet Forecast Details

Tuesday
As the low-pressure system continues to track northward near the East Coast, rain will extend from North Carolina into much of New England.
Locally heavy rain is possible in parts of the mid-Atlantic states.
Gusty winds are also expected along the mid-Atlantic and Northeast coasts. Depending on the exact track and strength of this system, coastal flooding and erosion may become concerns due to persistent onshore flow.
Much of the mid-Atlantic will begin to see drier conditions Tuesday night.
(FORECAST: Philadelphia | New York | Boston)

Tuesday's Forecast

Rain will likely linger in New England and Long Island into Wednesday, and gusty winds may persist in eastern New England.

Rainfall Forecast

A prolonged rain event is expected in the mid-Atlantic, which will result in moderate to heavy rainfall totals.
A swath of 3 to 5 inches of additional rainfall is possible in parts of central North Carolina. A few spots in this area could see up to 8 inches of total rainfall.

Rainfall Forecast

This is where additional flash flooding is most likely through early Tuesday.
Farther north, most areas along the coast from Delaware to Maine will see 1 to 3 inches of rainfall through Wednesday.

Additional Flooding Reports

Sunday and Sunday night, parts of the southern Appalachians were hardest hit.
Multiple roads were washed out in Scott County, Tennessee, prompting voluntary evacuations, reported WBIR-TV. Flooding was reported on the grounds of Bristol Motor Speedway.
Roads were flooded and closed in Surry and Wilkes Counties, North Carolina, requiring at least one water rescue, according to WXII 12 News. Numerous mudslides were reported to 911 in Buchanan County, Virginia. Several homes reportedly had water in basements in Dickenson County, Virginia.

Heavy Rain Recap (South Florida)

A weak area of low pressure moved across South Florida this weekend, moving from the Straits of Florida and the Gulf of Mexico to off the east coast of the Sunshine State by late Sunday. The good news is that this tropical moisture brought some desperately-needed rainfall to the parched state.
However, localized areas picked up 6-plus inches of rain in a short amount of time, leading to flooding in some spots. A portion of a roadway was washed out in Davie, Florida, on Sunday due to the heavy rains.
(RECAP: Heavy Rainfall Triggers Damaging Flooding, Causes Outages in Florida)

MORE: Severe Weather in the Midwest, Great Lakes April 10, 2017 (PHOTOS)

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