Here is the latest 7-day rainfall total derived from radar for the Southeast, counting rain received through this morning. Note how much of South Carolina has been covered by 20 or more inches of rain in the last week, and in fact most of that in the last three days. And today we are still getting streamers of rain from this system well into Georgia, although thankfully at a lower rate than what we saw on the weekend.
The news is filled with stories of rescues, damage, and tragically, several deaths associated with the storm, mostly with automobile accidents associated with the rainy conditions or driving into floodwaters. Remember, if you see water covering the road and you can’t see the road or if the water is moving or more than a few inches deep, turn around and find another way. Don’t drown doing something stupid like driving past a flood barrier. Driving an SUV or truck does not make you immune to the dangers, either, as witnessed by some incredible video of a white pickup that got washed away by the flood. Fortunately, that driver was rescued, but he may not be happy once he gets the bill for the rescue efforts (and they do charge in that community).
If you are interested in reading a little more about how this rainfall event was set up, you might enjoy reading this post from John Feltz of Blue Water Outlook here. He has a couple of very helpful diagrams which show how the system got “juiced” by streams of super-moist air from two cyclones, including Hurricane Joaquin.
