Flash Flood — Polk, North Carolina

2024-01-09 · near Saluda, Polk, North Carolina

Event narrative

County comms and newspaper reported flash flooding developed across Polk County after 3 to 5 inches of rain fell across much of the county in around 12 hours. Multiple roads throughout the county were inundated and closed due to either small stream flooding or poor drainage. These included Hunting Country Rd at Carriage Row Rd, Abrams Moore Rd, Coxe Rd at Phillips Dairy Rd, and the intersection of River Rd, Hooker Rd and Scriven Rd.

Wider weather episode

A major/complex frontal system brought widespread rain with embedded thunderstorms to western North Carolina, mainly during the afternoon of the 9th. Widespread rainfall amounts of 3 to 5 inches (with locally higher amounts) in around 12 hours resulted in numerous reports of flooding. Isolated severe thunderstorms also resulted in a number of damaging wind gusts reports over the Piedmont, along with an EF1 tornado that impacted portions of Catawba and Iredell Counties.

View location on OpenStreetMap → (35.2500, -82.3320)

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 1159551. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.