Significant flood event for western north carolina...

[Dan]

It's has been a very active overnight for the areas along the eastern slopes of the Blue Ridge. Numerous Flood Warnings have been issued for counties in Western North Carolina. Here is a flood statement from the GSP office:

FLOOD STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
921 AM EST WED NOV 19 2003

...FLOOD WARNING CONTINUES UNTIL 1015 AM EST FOR AVERY AND MITCHELL
COUNTIES...UNTIL 1030 AM FOR CALDWELL COUNTY AND UNTIL 1045 AM FOR
BURKE...CENTRAL MCDOWELL...AND SOUTHERN YANCEY COUNTIES...

AT 921 AM...WEATHER RADAR SHOWED LIGHT TO MODERATE RAIN SHOWERS
CONTINUING OVER THE NORTHERN MOUNTAINS AND NORTHERN FOOTHILLS OF
NORTH CAROLINA. THE BACK EDGE OF THE RAIN WAS MOVING INTO THE REGION
FROM THE WEST...AND SIGNIFICANT RAINFALL IS EXPECTED TO END ACROSS
THE REGION BY LATE MORNING.

NUMEROUS FLOOD REPORTS HAVE BEEN RECEIVED BY LAW ENFORCEMENT AND THE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SINCE EARLY WEDNESDAY MORNING IN THE WAKE
OF TORRENTIAL RAINFALL THAT PRODUCED AS MUCH AS 5 INCHES OF RAIN IN
SOME AREAS OF NORTHWEST NORTH CAROLINA. THE FOLLOWING PARAGRAPHS
SUMMARIZE WHAT IS KNOWN THROUGH MID MORNING:

IN AVERY COUNTY...APPROXIMATELY 50 PEOPLE IN 10 TO 20 HOUSEHOLDS
HAVE BEEN EVACUATED FROM THE CROSSNORE AND GREEN VALLEY AREAS.
FLOODING HAD ENVELOPED THE BUCKHILL AND ELK RIVER CAMPGROUNDS.

MITCHELL COUNTY COMMUNICATIONS REPORTS FLOODING ONGOING IN SPRUCE
PINE...AND ESTATOE. EVACUATIONS OF UP TO 20 PEOPLE WERE ONGOING FOR
AT LEAST TWO SEPARATE AREAS...INCLUDING A TRAILER PARK ON CRABTREE
CREEK IN THE GRASSY CREEK AREA. COMMUNICATIONS CONFIRMED SEVERAL
BREACHES OF SMALL EARTHEN DAMS IN THE AREA AROUND ESTATOE.

IN CALDWELL COUNTY...SIGNIFICANT FLOODING WAS REPORTED FROM THE
COLLETTSVILLE...WHERE MOST STREAMS AND CREEKS WERE REPORTED ABOVE
BANKFULL.

DETAILS WERE SKETCHY FROM SOUTHERN YANCEY AND CENTRAL MCDOWELL
COUNTIES...BUT FLOODING WAS REPORTED FROM NUMEROUS LOCATIONS ALONG
THE SOUTH TOE RIVER. ARBUCKLE ROAD WAS COVERED WITH WATER FROM ONE
STREAM THAT HAD OVERRUN ITS BANKS...AND SEVERE PONDING WAS REPORTED
ON SEVERAL OTHER ROADS. NUMEROUS LOCATIONS REPORTED FLOODING IN
MCDOWELL COUNTY...WITH THE WORST FLOODING IN THE NORTHERN HALF OF
THE COUNTY.

DO NOT DRIVE YOUR VEHICLE INTO AREAS WHERE THE WATER COVERS THE
ROADWAY. THE WATER DEPTH MAY BE TOO GREAT TO ALLOW YOUR CAR TO CROSS
SAFELY. VEHICLES CAUGHT IN RISING WATER SHOULD BE ABANDONED QUICKLY.
MOVE TO HIGHER GROUND.

TO REPORT FLOODING HAVE THE NEAREST LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCY RELAY YOUR
REPORT TO THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FORECAST OFFICE IN
GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG.


A general 4-6 inch rain total has occured in these counties mentioned above, with some 8-10 inch areas just along the Eastern Escarpment...this is a classic example for upslope rains here in western north carolina.

I have heard a confrimed rainfall total of 9.31 inches in Newland North Carolina. Here in my hometown, we received 4.6 inches.

[JCT777]

Sounds like a very bad situation in western NC. I hope the rain is not that bad up here in eastern PA later today and tonight!