Tropical Storm — Lee, South Carolina

2018-09-14 to 2018-09-15 · Lee, South Carolina

Event narrative

Numerous downed trees and power lines throughout the county from the evening of Friday, September 14th through Saturday morning, September 15th.

Wider weather episode

Hurricane Florence began as an area of disturbed weather that moved west off the African coast around August 29-30, 2018. It gradually developed into a tropical cyclone on August 31, 2018 while just south of the Cape Verde islands. The cyclone continued to move to the WNW across the Atlantic Ocean in the ensuing two weeks, undergoing fluctuations in intensity. The cyclone reorganized and strengthened into a category 4 hurricane on Monday, September 10 while centered around 1200 miles SE of the coast of the Carolinas. High pressure located north of the cyclone steered the hurricane to the NW. After undergoing some weakening due to some upper shear, Florence made landfall as a category 1 hurricane on the southern coast of NC near Wilmington Friday morning Sept. 14. The center of the cyclone then moved slowly west across eastern and central SC while weakening into a tropical storm through Saturday night Sept 15. Florence weakened into a tropical depression Sunday morning Sept 16 and began to turn to the north and accelerate, moving across the Upstate of SC and western NC through Sunday night.

The strongest wind gust in the Midlands of SC was 54 MPH at Shaw AFB near Sumter on the night of Friday September 14th. Reports of downed trees and power lines were received across the central and eastern Midlands due to strong wind gusts.

The greatest impact to the region from Florence was flooding due to very heavy rainfall. Rain began late day Friday Sept 14th and continued through early Monday morning Sept 17th. The heaviest rain occurred on the north and east side of Florence, across much of NC, as well as over eastern and northeastern SC. The greatest total rainfall amount in the Midlands of SC was 22.58 inches at the water plant in Cheraw, SC. Major flooding was reported in Chesterfield County SC, where numerous roads and bridges were flooded and washed out. Significant flooding was also reported in Lancaster County, SC.

The Great Pee Dee River at Cheraw experienced major flooding, peaking at 46.6 feet (flood stage 30.0 ft) on Tuesday morning Sept. 18th. This was the 3rd highest crest on record at that location, and the highest crest there since 1945.

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 780211. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.