With more rain coming to the Midlands, will the Congaree River flood?
While the Midlands braces for more possible severe weather Wednesday afternoon after a day of thunderstorms and tornado warnings Tuesday, the Congaree River is filling up.
The water level was just over 14 feet as of roughly 10 a.m. Wednesday.
Congaree Riverkeeper Bill Stangler said it’s unlikely that the river itself will reach flood levels, which start at 19 feet. But that doesn’t mean the high water levels won’t have any impact.
The West Columbia riverwalk is closed due to flooding. Congaree National Park will almost certainly see some flooding as well, Stangler said.
The water level will likely continue to rise into Thursday, stopping at a predicted 15.9 feet, according to the National Weather Service. Water levels should return to more typical heights by Sunday.
You can watch the levels yourself at home thanks to cameras installed by the U.S. Geological Survey. The video linked here shows the river at the Blossom Street Bridge.
This story was originally published April 6, 2022 at 3:04 PM.
