Flood warning issued as rain causes rivers to swell in the Midlands
A flood warning has been issued in the Midlands and hazardous weather is possible in the next few days, according to the National Weather Service.
All of the recent rainfall has caused the Congaree River to swell, the National Weather Service office in Columbia said on Twitter.
“Because of the rainfall some areas in the Saluda and Broad rivers got two inches of rain,” said Doug Anderson, a meteorological technician with the NWS office in Columbia. “That, along with discharges from reservoirs and streams is working toward an increased flow as those two rivers form the Congaree.”
This has created the potential for “minor and nuisance flooding,” and sections of the Riverwalk in Columbia have already been closed because of the rising waters, according to the tweet.
Richland, Lexington and Calhoun counties are all included in the flood warning that runs through 5 p.m. Thursday.
This is the product of a significant increase in rainfall in December.
More than nine inches of rain was recorded at the Columbia Metropolitan Airport in December, nearly triple the normal amount of rainfall for the last month of the year, Anderson said.
“Because there are higher flows than normal there’s a higher likelihood of flooding,” according to Anderson, who said 1.7 inches of rain has already been recorded in the first week of January. “This flooding is nothing that will cause great amounts of damage, but several areas could be covered by water.”
Hazardous weather is also a possibility, according to the NWS forecast. That includes a potential lake wind advisory on Tuesday, as gusts could be as powerful as 20-30 mph.
This is all the result of a cold front moving across South Carolina, and specifically the Midlands, according to the forecast.
Rain is expected Tuesday, and temperatures are predicted to drop close to freezing overnight and again on Wednesday, the NWS said.
Winter coats won’t be needed over the weekend, as temperatures could rise to the 70s Friday and Saturday, according to the forecast. But raincoats could be called for as there’s at least a 50 percent chance of precipitation both days.
This is a developing story, check back for updates.
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This story was originally published January 6, 2020 at 10:48 AM.
