Flash flood watch issued for the Midlands as Claudette tracks across the area
Although Claudette has been downgraded to a tropical depression, the storm is still capable of bringing severe weather to the Midlands as it tracks across the area on Sunday.
A flash flood watch has been issued for Richland and Lexington counties along with other parts of South Carolina’s Midlands, according to the National Weather Service. The watch is in effect through Monday morning.
Claudette is expected to move through the Columbia area in the afternoon and early evening, National Weather Service meteorologists said in a Sunday morning briefing.
Widespread and heavy rainfall is possible, along with some severe thunderstorms, according to the briefing.
Between 1 and 3 inches of rain could fall in Columbia by Monday morning, as there is a 90% chance of precipitation, according to the forecast. Higher amounts of rainfall are possible in certain areas affected by thunderstorms.
In addition to the threat of flash floods, the potential for river flooding will continue through this week because of associated runoff, according to the briefing.
The chance of the Midlands being impacted by powerful wind has reduced from previous forecasts, but an isolated tornado cannot be ruled out, forecasters said in the briefing.
In the case of a tornado, FEMA has guidelines for taking shelter. The best options for places to immediately find refuge are an above- or below-ground tornado storm shelter, the interior room of a well-constructed home or building, and a basement. FEMA warned to avoid large open rooms like gyms or manufactured housing as a shelter, and said the worst places to go are mobile homes, vehicles, and underneath a highway overpass.
Damaging winds could cause considerable damage to trees and branches, which creates the possibility of downed power lines and outages.
Temperatures are expected to approach a high of 82 degrees before dropping to the low 70s at night, according to the forecast. After a possible high in the 90s on Monday, temperatures are forecast to be in the 80s through the rest of the week, and more rain and thunderstorms are possible in the Columbia area.
This is a developing story, check back for updates.
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This story was originally published June 20, 2021 at 10:57 AM.
