Hurricane Ian brings half a foot of rainfall to the Lowcountry
Over six inches of rain fell in Summerville, SC as Hurricane Ian hit South Carolina, according to the United States Geological Survey.
Columbia and Richland County were spared the worst of Ian’s rain, which fell mostly on the coast. Data from the USGS showed the majority of Ian’s rainfall in the eastern half of the state as the storm hit the coast and moved up the Pee Dee before settling in North Carolina.
The USGS station monitoring rainfall at the tributary to the Rocky Branch Creek at Gervais Street in Columbia measured 2.78 of rain in the last 24 hours. A monitoring station below the Lake Murray Dam recorded less than two inches of rainfall while in Edgefield only a quarter of an inch of rain was recorded.
Much of Ian’s effects were instead felt along the coast. The USGS recorded 6.23 inches falling in Summerville and 5.23 inches in Kingstree. Two reporting stations in Conway recorded an average of 4.62 inches of rain, according to the USGS.
But even as Myrtle Beach, Charleston, and Georgetown saw flooding from the storm surge, they were spared the ferocious rains that lashed Florida. The Sun Sentinel of Fort Lauderdale reported that even some inland towns in western Florida received over a foot of rain and a torrential 17 inches fell on Lake Wales, about midway between Sebring and Orlando.
This story was originally published October 1, 2022 at 9:37 AM.