Flash Flood — Madison, North Carolina

2001-08-04 · near Marshall, Madison, North Carolina

Event narrative

The most severe of the recent flash floods to affect Madison County during the summer season developed rapidly Saturday morning. Flooding was swift and extensive, destroying highway bridges, private bridges and sweeping away structures and causing a large amount of property and crop damage. A state of emergency was declared for Madison County as a result of the flash flooding, the sixth major flash flood in Madison County in two months. Flooding lingered into the afternoon, damaging or destroying businesses, churches, homes and outside wells.

Wider weather episode

Abundant tropical moisture, with a direct trajectory off the Atlantic Ocean, was lifted up the higher terrain of northwest Madison County, resulting in potent precipitation-producing showers and thunderstorms that became anchored because of a light mean wind flow aloft. Rain gages in the flood area recorded upwards of 4 inches of rain in just a couple of hours.

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 5265962. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.