Flash flood risk from Florida to the Carolinas

AccuWeather

AccuWeather flooding expert Alex Sosnowski was live on the AccuWeather Network on Aug. 5 to discuss the flash flooding risk in the southeastern U.S.

Transcript

00:00We're going to take you now to Kiowa Island, South Carolina, because we are talking rain.

00:06Not necessarily active rainfall at this location at this time, but we have seen plenty of it and

00:11there's plenty more to come, Ari. Yeah, and I mean this region, anywhere from coastal zones to

00:15closer to mountainous terrain, can bring a lot of different impacts and both can bring some flooding.

00:21So joining us right now is actually the flooding expert, Alex Zazowski. Alex, thank you so much

00:24for being with us this morning. And let's start with a lot of the rain that has fallen. You guys

00:29drew a map from the Friday rainfall to end today and we just look back over the last 72 hours and

00:35what jumps out at you there? Well, you can see there's like a plume that's kind of extending from

00:40southern Georgia up into South Carolina, upstate South Carolina. And that's where the plume continues

00:47to wring out the moisture today, if you will. This is our prime concern and actually kind of goes up

00:53into south central Virginia as well. What we're going to see in the next 12 hours or so, really

00:59going to wring out quite a bit of rain here. We're probably looking at four to six inches of rain

01:03total. Past so far, probably another one to three inches of rain coming today and a good chunk of

01:09that yellow and red zone, unfortunately. Yeah, those numbers are helpful, right? Because we put out that

01:13map, right? And we're at the end of it. But the fact that some people could get additional rainfall

01:17certainly will be a problem. And that's why we're watching it. Of course, the National Weather Service,

01:21they issue the watches and warnings and maybe a good time to remind people of the difference of the two.

01:28Now, when a watch is issued by the National Weather Service, we pass those along and the same for

01:34warnings. A watch means conditions, there's a potential for flooding in your area. When a warning

01:40is issued, flooding is imminent or has begun to occur. And that's where you need to take action.

01:46When a watch is issued, you need to be thinking about your plan, your drive to work may be altered.

01:50And when there's a flood warning, you need to take evasive action. You really want to think really hard

01:57about driving through low-lying areas on your way home or to work because there's a good chance those

02:02areas may be flooded. And I like how you reminded everyone that we pass those alerts along as well,

02:06whether that's on our website, AccuWeather.com, or on the free AccuWeather app. So what is bringing

02:12all this heavy rainfall, Alex? Well, the thing that started at all was a front that kind of moved down

02:17from the northeast. They're enjoying some delightful weather the past several days. But the front is

02:23installed in the southeast. And as you can see there by this moisture panel, the dark shades of red,

02:27that's where all the moisture is. That's where the bulk of the rain has been getting wrung out.

02:31And this is going to continue to hang out in the area here really into the end of the week and

02:36possibly the weekend. And there's a tropical connection to go along with this. Yeah, and that's

02:41what our pattern map does show here. So, I mean, we've really been focusing on that first area from

02:47Friday to today, but it doesn't end here. Are there any spots that are kind of shifting of where

02:52you think the problems may end up by the end of the week? Yeah, I think in the short term here,

02:58we're going to get some very heavy rainfall in the Piedmont areas of the Carolinas to Georgia today

03:04into this evening. Then it's going to kind of dry out, but it may come back. And there's some concern

03:10that some of that downpours may kind of grow back toward the Appalachians during the midday and

03:15afternoon hours. But I think where we're seeing the plume now extending up from central Georgia

03:20up into south central Virginia is where the problems are going to be today. Charlotte,

03:25Greenville, Columbia, I think they're all standing to some flooding downpours today. Be careful out

03:30there, please. Then beyond, you get toward the end of the week here, we're going to see that darker

03:35green then start to build along the coast. That's associated with this tropical thing Alex De Silva's

03:41been telling you about. That looks like a slow mover. The potential is there to ring out six,

03:46maybe 12 inches of rain along the coast starting late this week, lasting into the weekend. That

03:51system, unlike Dexter, is not going to head away from the coast. It's going to hang out here for

03:56several days. Rain is going to be a big problem. Accular flooding expert Alex Zazowski,

04:00we thank you so much for your expertise this morning. My pleasure.

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