Wettest winter recorded in Columbia has more rain and flooding in forecast
When severe weather hit the Midlands last week it made this the wettest winter ever recorded in Columbia, according to the National Weather Service.
The forecast for this week calls for — what else? — more rain in the Midlands.
There have been reports of flooding across the region, and all of South Carolina, since Thursday’s powerful storms. In spite of moderate dry weather Sunday, the possibility of more flooding remains a threat.
“Most rivers in the Midlands have been in the flood stage the last couple of days because of the scale of extensive rain we experienced,” said Al Moore, a meteorologist at the National Weather Service office in Columbia. “It’s dropping currently, but with more showers, there is the potential for flooding because of how saturated the ground is.”
The forecast shows rain is predicted to return to the Midlands Monday night, but Moore said showers could begin in the afternoon.
The rain is expected to continue through Tuesday, and after a lull on Wednesday, more storms are forecast on Thursday. There is the threat of continued river flooding in addition to flash floods during the showers, according to Moore.
It’s too early to accurately predict how much rain the new showers will bring, but Moore said close to an inch is expected in the Midlands.
Rainfall averaging between 2.5 to 3.5 inches was recorded in Columbia Thursday, according to Moore. That drove this winter’s total to a record amount of 17.67 inches of rain, the Southeast Regional Climate Center said on Twitter.
The previous record was set in 1997-98, when 17.54 inches fell at Columbia Metropolitan Airport. These totals include wet winters in 1924-25 (17.48 inches) and 1911-12 (15.63 inches).
Most of the current winter’s precipitation was recorded in December (9.31 inches), according to the tweet. January saw 5.84 inches of rain fall in Columbia, nearly two more than the average January. With more than half of the month remaining 2.52 inches of rain has been recorded at the airport, the Southeast Regional Climate Center said.
“(Midlands) Flooding has been significant on the Wateree and Congaree rivers,” Moore said. “They have taken in a lot of water from upstream basins, and all of the area rivers have had moderate to major flooding.”
The Wateree is at levels it has not reached since Hurricane Hugo slammed the Carolinas in 1989. The lake level was recorded at 106 feet Saturday, one less than Hugo’s aftermath and beyond the 100-foot flood stage, according to the NWS.
The water level in the Congaree River rose to 28 feet along the Riverwalk in Cayce, NWS tweeted.
In addition to flooding, the high water levels are responsible for sewage overflowing.
The City of Columbia reported multiple instances of sewage overflows, and the issue continues to persist in Richland County where it is flowing into the Saluda River because “the intense wet weather conditions experienced ... saturated ground conditions.”
Even with overflows, and flooding reported in homes along the river, Moore said the greatest threat is for drivers. Roadway flooding could be a danger with more rain this week, according to the meteorologist.
Warmer temperatures are expected to accompany the rain, with possible highs in the 70-degree range Monday through Thursday, according to the forecast.
