Hurricane Safety and Preparedness

Florence Likely to Be Carolinas' Third Hurricane-Related Flood Event in Four Years

At a Glance

Florence is likely to cause serious rainfall flooding in the Carolinas.
This would be the third time in four years where a hurricane contributed to flooding in the region.

Hurricane Florence is likely to be the third major flood event with a tropical connection to strike the Carolinas in just four years.

Widespread double-digit rainfall totals are expected in North Carolina and South Carolina from Florence, particularly near the coast. This will likely cause destructive flash flooding and river flooding.

The Northeast Cape Fear River near Burgaw and Chinquapin, North Carolina, is just one river that could rise to near or over record flood stage this weekend into early next week.

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After Hurricane Matthew in 2016 and Hurricane Joaquin in 2015, residents in this region of the country are familiar with the devastating flooding that can occur from storms loaded with tropical moisture.

Estimated rainfall from Matthew in the 36 hours ending at 8 a.m. EDT Oct. 9, 2016.

Matthew drenched eastern North Carolina with 6 to 18 inches of rain in a couple days during October 2016 as its moisture interacted with a frontal boundary. Portions of coastal South Carolina saw 10 to 16 inches of rain.

Evergreen, North Carolina, had the most: 18.95 inches.

Record flooding occurred in at least six river gauge locations in eastern North Carolina and one spot in northeast South Carolina. In some cases, river flood levels exceeded what occurred during Hurricane Floyd in 1999.

A large loss of life was caused by Matthew's flooding.

In North Carolina, 24 people were killed by flooding from rainfall, according to the National Hurricane Center. Four flooding fatalities occurred in South Carolina.

About a year before Matthew, Hurricane Joaquin played a role in wringing out extreme rain totals in the Carolinas.

A car sinks in floodwaters in Columbia, S.C. on Tuesday, Oct. 6, 2015. (Crush Rush/weather.com) — floodwaters

Joaquin never came close to making a direct strike on the United States in early October 2015, but it fed another area of low pressure over the southeastern United States with tropical moisture.

Parts of South Carolina saw more than 20 inches of rain, led by Mount Pleasant which had 26.88 inches. Southern North Carolina also received heavy rain with 18.79 inches reported near Sunset Beach.

Columbia, the state capital, was hard hit by destructive flooding. Record flooding occurred on the Smith Branch and a near-record crest was observed on the Rocky Branch.

Flooding from the low-pressure system and Joaquin's moisture killed 25 people and caused $2 billion in damage, according to NOAA.

Residents in the Carolinas should be on alert for rapidly-rising floodwaters from Florence. Most importantly, if you are in a vehicle, do not attempt to drive through a flooded roadway.