Flash Flood — Pickens, South Carolina

2020-02-06 · near Sunset, Pickens, South Carolina

Event narrative

Emergency manager and automated stream gauges reported significant flash flooding developed across Pickens County after 4 to 7 inches of rain, with locally higher amounts fell in about an 18-hour period. More than half of that rain fell in less than 6 hours from daybreak through late morning of the 6th. The main impact was within the Twelvemile Creek basin. A stream gauge on the creek near Liberty exceeded major flood stage by the evening of the 6th. At this level, significant flooding occurs to the Pickens County Flea Market on Highway 183, and most of the bridges over Twelvemile Creek become inundated. One home on Williams Dr was rendered uninhabitable due to water damage. Flash flooding of the Saluda River also occurred on the Pickens County side of west Greenville, where water was beginning to inundate some houses by late evening. Town Creek overflowed its banks in the city of Pickens and inundated and caused significant damage to an industrial park that was in the process of being converted to new business sites. Two people had to be rescued from this location. Other roads were flooded and closed throughout the county due to a combination of drainage and small stream flooding. Dozens of roads were closed at the height of the event.

Wider weather episode

Unusually high levels of moisture for early February combined with a slow-moving frontal system to produce an extended period of moderate to heavy rainfall across Upstate South Carolina from the morning of the 5th until the early morning hours of the 7th. Intense rain rates associated with bands of heavy rain showers and embedded thunderstorms developing along the front during the morning and afternoon of the 7th resulted in rather widespread flash flooding. A tornado also developed during this time in the Spartanburg area. Total rainfall of 3 to 6 inches resulted in flooding persisting along some main stem rivers and larger streams well into the 7th.

View location on OpenStreetMap → (34.9870, -82.7540)

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 874601. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.