Flash Flood — Alexander, North Carolina

2019-06-09 · near Bethlehem, Alexander, North Carolina

Event narrative

Fire department reported most roads in the Bethlehem area were flooded and closed after another round in a series of heavy rainfall episodes caused flash flooding to develop across the area during the morning of the 9th. Multiple water rescues had to be performed. Twenty four hour rainfall totals were in the 4 to 7 inch range, with much of that falling in relatively short bursts.

Wider weather episode

A moist upslope flow developing north of a stationary front resulted in widespread showers and thunderstorms developing across western North Carolina during the evening of the 8th into the overnight and early morning hours of the ninth. Four to seven inches of rain, with locally higher amounts of 10 inches or more falling over the northern foothills resulted in flash flooding in multiple areas. The widespread nature of the excessive rainfall within the Catawba River watershed caused the river to rise to levels not seen in almost 80 years in the western Piedmont, with flooding persisting in some areas through the 10th. Meanwhile, a brief, weak tornado developed across Rutherford County.

View location on OpenStreetMap → (35.8470, -81.3320)

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 841280. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.