Florence's Heavy Rain Threat Spreads to the Northeast as Major to Record River Flooding Continues in Carolinas

Florence's rain is lingering in parts of the Northeast as major to record river flooding continues in the Carolinas.

Heavy rain overnight Monday night and into Tuesday triggered significant flash flooding in parts of Maryland, New York and Pennsylvania.

Basement flooding was reported in Elk Creek, Elmira, Richmondville and West End, New York, early Tuesday. In Itaska and Lowman, New York, an evacuation of a home was needed due to flooding. Evacuations were also necessary in Ridgebury Township, Pennsylvania.

Heavy rain Tuesday morning flooded underpasses in Fitchburg, Massachusetts, and flooded a basement in Lunenburg, Massachusetts. Streets were also flooded in the Boston area late Tuesday morning.

Significant damage was reported in parts of the Richmond, Virginia, area Monday afternoon, when at least 13 reports of tornadoes were tallied by the National Weather Service.

The NWS surveyed the damage Tuesday afternoon and assigned the deadly Midlothian, Virginia, tornado a rating of EF2 on the Enhanced Fujita scale. The NWS said the twister packed estimated maximum winds of 115 to 125 mph. It was on the ground for 7.5 miles and caused damage in a 350-yard-wide path.

(LATEST NEWS: Virginia Tornadoes Spawned by Florence's Remnants Kill 1)

Several locations have preliminarily topped North Carolina's tropical cyclone rainfall record, including a report of 35.93 inches near Elizabethtown, North Carolina. The previous record was 24.06 inches from Hurricane Floyd in 1999.

Florence also appears to have set a preliminary tropical cyclone rainfall record in South Carolina. Loris reported a storm total of 23.63 inches of rain through Monday morning. The previous record was 17.45 inches from Tropical Storm Beryl in 1994.

(MORE: Florence Sets Preliminary North Carolina, South Carolina Tropical Cyclone Rain Records)

After receiving such extreme amounts of rain, major to record river flooding will continue for days in the Carolinas after the heaviest rain has departed.

Rivers are running high in eastern North Carolina, as seen in the red and purple dots signifying moderate to major flood stage. Five locations have already set a new record crest.

(LATEST NEWS: Disastrous Carolina Flooding)

Here are some notable locations where significant river flooding is ongoing or forecast.

- N.E. Cape Fear River at Chinquapin, North Carolina: This location set a new record flood level on Sunday, topping the previous record of 23.5 feet from Hurricane Floyd in 1999. "Devastating flooding" occurs across the county once the river reaches 23 feet, according to the National Weather Service. The river gauge in this spot is no longer working, but serious flooding should continue into this weekend.

- N.E. Cape Fear River at Burgaw, North Carolina: The river topped 23.7 feet Monday, breaking the previous record at this location, set by Hurricane Floyd in 1999. The National Weather Service noted that homes are flooded when the river reaches 16 feet. The river will only slowly fall through the weekend.

- Trent River at Trenton, North Carolina: A new record crest was set on Sunday, surpassing Hurricane Floyd's flood level of 28.42 feet. The entire town of Trenton is flooded at this level. The river will only slowly fall through the rest of the week.

- Little River at Manchester, North Carolina: Record flooding is ongoing, crushing Hurricane Matthew's previous record flood level of 32.19 feet. River levels will fall after a Tuesday crest, but may remain above flood stage into the weekend.

- Black River near Tomahawk, North Carolina: Record flooding was ongoing as early Monday morning, topping Matthew's flood level of 27.92 feet. The gauge has since stopped reporting.

​​​​​​- Neuse River at Kinston, North Carolina: Major flooding (21 feet) is ongoing, and it may rise to near 25 feet this weekend. Many homes and businesses southeast of Kinston flood when the river reaches 23 feet.

​​​​​​- Lumber River at Lumberton, North Carolina: Major flooding (19 feet) is ongoing, and the level was close to Hurricane Matthew's record of 24.39 feet at its last observation this past weekend. Flooding of homes can begin once the river reaches 17 feet. Interstate 95 has been closed between mile markers 13 and 22. The river gauge in this spot is no longer working, but serious flooding should continue this week.

- Cape Fear River at Fayetteville, North Carolina: Major flooding is occurring, and a crest is forecast by early Wednesday just over 2 feet higher than the crest during Matthew, the highest level there since the record flood from September 1945. Evacuations have been ordered in parts of this area.

- Waccamaw River near Conway, South Carolina: Major flooding (14 feet) is ongoing, and record flooding is possible this weekend. The current flood of record is 17.87 feet from Hurricane Matthew in 2016. Water begins to surround homes when the river reaches 13 feet. Records here date to at least 1894.

- Major flooding is also forecast or ongoing on the Little Pee Dee River at Galivants Ferry, South Carolina, affecting homes near Nichols, and the Neuse River near Goldsboro, North Carolina.

Double-digit rainfall totals were widespread in eastern North Carolina and northeastern South Carolina. The graphic below shows some of the storm totals from Florence.

Florence's rain vaulted Wilmington, North Carolina, to its wettest year on record, topping the previous record-wet year set in 1877, with still over three months to go in 2018.

Florence's Recap

Tropical Depression Six formed late on Aug. 31, then was named Tropical Storm Florence the next day in the far eastern Atlantic Ocean.

On Sept. 5, Florence became a Category 4 hurricane after rapidly intensifying over the open Atlantic Ocean.

Wind shear then weakened Florence back to a tropical storm late on Sept. 6.

Florence underwent rapid intensification a second time when its winds jumped up from 75 mph to 130 mph in just 25 hours ending 12 p.m. EDT Sept. 10.

Florence made landfall near Wrightsville, North Carolina, at 7:15 a.m. EDT Sept. 14 with maximum sustained winds around 90 mph.

Wind Reports

Wind gusts reached as high as 106 mph at Cape Lookout, North Carolina, late Thursday evening while a 105-mph gust was reported at Fort Macon, North Carolina.

Friday morning, Wilmington, North Carolina, recorded a wind gust to 105 mph, the second-strongest wind on record there. A wind gust to 100 mph was reported at Cape Fear, North Carolina, earlier Friday, and a buoy about 50 miles to the east of the center of Florence's eye reported a wind gust to 112 mph.

Winds were gusting as high as 99 mph at Fort Macon, North Carolina, and sustained winds were blowing at 73 mph early Friday.

Sustained winds of 79 mph were reported in Davis, North Carolina, while a 77-mph sustained wind was recorded at Fort Macon, North Carolina.

A gust of 72 mph was reported at Wrightsville Beach, North Carolina, Friday evening.

In South Carolina, Charleston measured a 53-mph gust Friday evening, and there was a gust to 55 mph at Fort Sumter.

A complete list of wind gusts compiled by the National Weather Service can be found here. 

Surge Reports

Overwash of the dunes at the "S" curves on Highway 12 near Rodanthe in the Outer Banks began on Thursday.

On Thursday night, a storm surge of 10 feet above normal levels was reported by the National Weather Service office in Morehead City, North Carolina, at the Cherry Branch Ferry Terminal on the Neuse River, courtesy of the North Carolina Department of Transportation.

A gauge at Oriental, North Carolina, on the Neuse River recorded a water height of about 6 feet above normal tide levels late Thursday.

A 10.1-foot storm surge was recorded very early Friday in New Bern.

A record tide level was set at Beaufort, North Carolina, very early Friday, topping levels seen during Hazel (1954) and Floyd (1999), among others, with a reading of 7.28 feet. 

In nearby Wrightsville Beach, the record tide level set during the 2015 flood event was topped.

(MORE: Florence Breaks Surge Records in Two Cities)

Florence helped push water up against the coast as far north as the Chesapeake Bay Friday evening. Minor flooding had been reported in Maryland, which reported water levels 2.7 feet above normal.