Another Sluggish Cutoff Low Is Soaking Parts of the Rain-Weary East This Week

Locally heavy rain had been in place for portions of the Southeast coast since late last week when a front stalled in the area.

The second part of this wet setup was an upper-level swirl of low pressure which parked itself over the East. This low was expected to sit in place into late week since it was cut off from the steering winds of the jet stream. Meteorologists call this feature a "cutoff low."

This cutoff low induced the formation of a small low-pressure system off the Southeast coast, which later moved inland.

The upper-level low brought rain to portions of the mid-Atlantic on Wednesday, with the heaviest rainfall in parts of North Carolina and Virginia and more rain spreading northward.

Water rescues were reported early Wednesday near Spring Hope, North Carolina, due to flash flooding in the area.

Parts of the Carolinas saw several inches of rainfall from this wet setup. A location near Kiawah Island, South Carolina, measured 6.72 inches from Sunday morning to Monday morning, while just over 4 inches was reported near Folly Beach, South Carolina. Fayetteville, North Carolina, picked up just under 3.5 inches of rain on Monday and 3.83 inches fell near Cape Carteret, North Carolina on Tuesday evening.

A couple of strong thunderstorms were expected in parts of northeastern North Carolina and southeastern Virignia Wedensday, with damaging wind gusts the main threat.

Flash flooding was a threat in areas where heavy rain persists for a few hours, or repeatedly over multiple days.

This wet setup brought more than just rain: it also resulted in temperatures that are much cooler than average. Highs only reached the 60s for much of North Carolina, South Carolina and southern Virginia. Daily record cool high temperatures have been tied or broken in several locations this week, including in Raleigh, North Carolina; Fayetteville, North Carolina; Asheville, North Carolina; Charleston, South Carolina; and Columbia, South Carolina.

Heavy Rain Recap

Parts of central coastal Charleston County, South Carolina, picked up 2 to 4.5 inches of rain early Monday morning.

The upper low triggered serious flash flooding in Fayette County, West Virginia, on Sunday. Several roads were destroyed by floodwaters, and Gov. Jim Justice declared an emergency for the county, according to the Associated Press.

(LATEST NEWS: West Virginia Flooding Washes Out Roads and a Bridge, Damages Homes and Businesses)

On Friday, 3 to 5 inches of rain flooded numerous streets, trapping some vehicles in Savannah, Georgia. Flash flooding washed out a section of road near Folkston, Georgia, between Brunswick and Jacksonville, Florida.

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