Tropical rainstorm bringing flooding to Carolinas, Mid-Atlantic
Posted on 09/16/2024
A sneaky ocean rainstorm lashed the Carolinas on Monday, bringing ashore strong gusts and coastal and inland flooding to the Mid-Atlantic.
The system brought serious flash flooding to parts of North Carolina through Monday afternoon. In Carolina Beach, N.C., just to the south of Wilmington, water filled the streets and three feet of standing water covered roads in places as the National Weather Service warned of ?life-threatening flash flooding.? The Weather Service said more than 18 inches of rain had fallen there and described ?extremely difficult? travel conditions.
Tropical storm warnings were in effect from South Santee River, north of Charleston, S.C., to Ocracoke Inlet, N.C. Wind advisories and flood watches were in effect inland. Numerous locations along the coast had clocked peak gusts between 50 and 70 mph.
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As it was approaching the coast, the National Hurricane Center said a minor storm surge, or rise in ocean water above normally dry land, of 1 to 3 feet was possible northeast of the center. The Hurricane Center also warned that the storm will produce life-threatening surf and rip-current conditions.
Looking ahead, the storm?s biggest hazard will be flooding from heavy rains, which could spread northwestward over parts of the Mid-Atlantic as the fleeting system?s remnants work inland through midweek.
Where is the storm?
As of 5 p.m. Eastern Monday, the disturbance was centered 45 miles west of Cape Fear, N.C. It was moving to the north-northwest at just 7 mph. Its heaviest rains traced an arc to the north and west of the center. That?s why much of North Carolina will experience the heaviest rain Monday night.
What areas will receive the most significant rain?
Most of North Carolina will get drenched, with several more inches of additional rain possible across the state ? except close to the Virginia border, where 1 to 2 inches are expected.
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The northern half of South Carolina should see 1 to 3 inches of rain, but the southern edge of the rainfall will have a sharp cutoff. That?s because dry air will invade the storm?s lopsided circulation from the south and west.
Rains will creep north Tuesday, and Washington, D.C., and Baltimore could see a half-inch or an inch through Wednesday as periodic showers push through.
How serious is the coastal flood threat?
Onshore easterly winds north of the storm?s center could push a couple of feet of water ashore. Erosion will also be a concern. Any minor coastal flooding will be exacerbated by high astronomical tides, since Tuesday night marks a full moon.
What will this storm mean for the D.C. area?
Off-and-on showers are possible anytime Tuesday into the weekend. It won?t be a washout, but instead a general dreary time frame.
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Weather models have generally backed off on their projections for rainfall around D.C., now indicating a half-inch or less. Totals will ultimately be variable depending on whether any areas are the repeat target of showers, but high pressure to the north should help suppress the heavier elements of the storm to the south.
When will this system finally move away?
It won?t exactly ?move away.? Instead, it will move inland and disintegrate over western North Carolina into Wednesday or Thursday.
Are there any other areas to watch in the tropics?
Only Tropical Depression Gordon ? the leftovers of a tropical storm midway between Africa and the Leeward Islands, which mark the divide between the Atlantic Ocean and the Caribbean Sea. It could redevelop into a tropical storm, though, as it meanders northward into the central Atlantic. It?s mainly a ?fish storm,? meaning it shouldn?t bother land.
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Otherwise there are no immediate concerns. However, over the next two weeks, it may be prudent to monitor for possible development in the Caribbean. We?re nearing the time of year where the CAG, or Central American Gyre ? a broad counterclockwise flow pattern ? begins to manifest. On occasion, lobes of vorticity, or spin, can tighten up into named storms. Long-range weather models indicate some potential for a disturbance in the Caribbean to get drawn north toward Cuba and Florida in nine or 10 days.
The system brought serious flash flooding to parts of North Carolina through Monday afternoon. In Carolina Beach, N.C., just to the south of Wilmington, water filled the streets and three feet of standing water covered roads in places as the National Weather Service warned of ?life-threatening flash flooding.? The Weather Service said more than 18 inches of rain had fallen there and described ?extremely difficult? travel conditions.
Tropical storm warnings were in effect from South Santee River, north of Charleston, S.C., to Ocracoke Inlet, N.C. Wind advisories and flood watches were in effect inland. Numerous locations along the coast had clocked peak gusts between 50 and 70 mph.
Advertisement
As it was approaching the coast, the National Hurricane Center said a minor storm surge, or rise in ocean water above normally dry land, of 1 to 3 feet was possible northeast of the center. The Hurricane Center also warned that the storm will produce life-threatening surf and rip-current conditions.
Looking ahead, the storm?s biggest hazard will be flooding from heavy rains, which could spread northwestward over parts of the Mid-Atlantic as the fleeting system?s remnants work inland through midweek.
Where is the storm?
As of 5 p.m. Eastern Monday, the disturbance was centered 45 miles west of Cape Fear, N.C. It was moving to the north-northwest at just 7 mph. Its heaviest rains traced an arc to the north and west of the center. That?s why much of North Carolina will experience the heaviest rain Monday night.
What areas will receive the most significant rain?
Most of North Carolina will get drenched, with several more inches of additional rain possible across the state ? except close to the Virginia border, where 1 to 2 inches are expected.
Advertisement
The northern half of South Carolina should see 1 to 3 inches of rain, but the southern edge of the rainfall will have a sharp cutoff. That?s because dry air will invade the storm?s lopsided circulation from the south and west.
Rains will creep north Tuesday, and Washington, D.C., and Baltimore could see a half-inch or an inch through Wednesday as periodic showers push through.
How serious is the coastal flood threat?
Onshore easterly winds north of the storm?s center could push a couple of feet of water ashore. Erosion will also be a concern. Any minor coastal flooding will be exacerbated by high astronomical tides, since Tuesday night marks a full moon.
What will this storm mean for the D.C. area?
Off-and-on showers are possible anytime Tuesday into the weekend. It won?t be a washout, but instead a general dreary time frame.
Advertisement
Weather models have generally backed off on their projections for rainfall around D.C., now indicating a half-inch or less. Totals will ultimately be variable depending on whether any areas are the repeat target of showers, but high pressure to the north should help suppress the heavier elements of the storm to the south.
When will this system finally move away?
It won?t exactly ?move away.? Instead, it will move inland and disintegrate over western North Carolina into Wednesday or Thursday.
Are there any other areas to watch in the tropics?
Only Tropical Depression Gordon ? the leftovers of a tropical storm midway between Africa and the Leeward Islands, which mark the divide between the Atlantic Ocean and the Caribbean Sea. It could redevelop into a tropical storm, though, as it meanders northward into the central Atlantic. It?s mainly a ?fish storm,? meaning it shouldn?t bother land.
Advertisement
Otherwise there are no immediate concerns. However, over the next two weeks, it may be prudent to monitor for possible development in the Caribbean. We?re nearing the time of year where the CAG, or Central American Gyre ? a broad counterclockwise flow pattern ? begins to manifest. On occasion, lobes of vorticity, or spin, can tighten up into named storms. Long-range weather models indicate some potential for a disturbance in the Caribbean to get drawn north toward Cuba and Florida in nine or 10 days.
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