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Flash Flood in Pickens County, South Carolina

Flash Flood January 7, 1998 – January 8, 1998 · Pickens County, South Carolina

1
Death
3
Injuries
$50K
Damage as recorded

What the National Weather Service wrote

Excessive rain fell just north of Pickens causing raging water flowing into a lake to wash out a road. Two cars drove into this washout around 2300 EST and then were swept into the lake, killing one young man and injuring three other people.

The wider storm

A powerful winter storm brought flooding rain, high winds, and a tornado to the Upstate from the evening of the 7th into the early morning of the 8th. Rainfall between 4 and 7 inches during a 2-day period across the mountains and foothills resulted in significant flooding. Many roads and bridges were covered or washed out. A wash out in Pickens county resulted in one fatality. Thunderstorms raced north through the area adding to the deluge as well as creating or enhancing strong to damaging winds. An F2 tornado touched down near Easley. Meso-scale high winds behind the complex of thunderstorms moved across the northern half of Greenville county and blew down trees and power lines. Severe thunderstorm winds combined with strong gradient winds to down trees and power lines in York county as well.

Other tornadoes from the same storm system

1 more tornado the National Weather Service filed under this storm episode.

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event 5627426. Narratives are written by the National Weather Service forecast office that issued the report.

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