Charleston, Southeast face flash flood threat as stubborn front drops torrential rains

CHARLESTON, S.C. – A slow-moving acold beforehand that helped support the Eastern Seaboard from a direct onslaught by Hurricane Erin is present acceptable to soak overmuch of the South and Southeast Friday, dampening the extremity of the week and bringing a hazard of flash flooding.

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(FOX Weather)

The beforehand has been dilatory cutting southbound crossed the East but is moving into an atmospheric roadblock connected Friday arsenic it reaches the Gulf Coast, according to the FOX Forecast Center. And portion Hurricane Erin is present racing distant from North America, beardown travel down the tempest is smashing into the frontal boundary, enhancing the disposable rainfall for Friday.

The top hazard of flash flooding volition agelong from astir Charleston, South Carolina, done that state's Low Country and into southeastern Georgia, including Savannah. 

Charleston Area Rainfall Forecast

NOAA's Weather Prediction Center (WPC) has issued a Level 2 retired of 4 flash flood hazard for the area, portion the National Weather Service has Flood Watches successful effect.

With storms lingering into Saturday, rainfall rates determination could scope 2-3 inches per hr successful heavier and slow-moving thunderstorms, with immoderate tempest totals reaching 3-5 inches by aboriginal Saturday.

But portion the flash flood hazard is little crossed the remainder of the Southeast and Gulf Coast, rainfall totals volition inactive apt scope 1-2 inches done the play arsenic the beforehand hangs around.

The WPC is maintaining a Level 1 hazard crossed overmuch of the country for Saturday, but whitethorn beryllium upgraded if moisture trends proceed to increase, according to the FOX Forecast Center

Cold beforehand led to Flash Flood Emergency successful Virginia

The beforehand has already near its flooding fingerprints successful the mid-Atlantic. On Thursday night, flash flooding deed parts of Southwest Virginia and Northern North Carolina wherever immoderate areas saw astir 5 inches of rainfall successful conscionable 3 hours.

Roanoke, Virginia, received a whopping 3.39 inches of rainfall successful conscionable 1 hour, triggering a Flash Flood Emergency. The NWS reported astir a twelve high-water rescues arsenic streets became submerged and vehicles stalled.  

The city's regular rainfall full of 4.27 inches, which fell successful conscionable 2 hours, was the third-wettest August time successful the city's past and the fourth-wettest day since 1980, the NWS said.

Forecasters determination said that corresponded to astir a 1-in-500-year flood event, oregon astir a 0.2% accidental of rainfall of that magnitude occurring successful immoderate fixed year.