Headline:
Flood Warning issued September 25 at 4:33PM EDT until September 28 at 8:00PM EDT by NWS Greenville-Spartanburg SC
Event:
Flood Warning
Urgency:
Expected
Effective:
September 25, 2024 - 1:33pm
Expires:
September 28, 2024 - 5:00pm
Description:
...The National Weather Service in Greenville-Spartanburg SC has
issued a Flood Warning for the Saluda River in South Carolina...
Above Old Easley Rd, 5 W Greenville affecting Greenville and
Pickens Counties.
At West Pelzer affecting Greenville and Anderson Counties.
.Two unique rounds of rainfall, one beginning tonight and lasting
through early Thursday afternoon resulting from tropical moisture
interacting with a stationary front, and another beginning Thursday
night and lasting through Friday morning associated with Hurricane
Helene, are expected to result in considerable to catastrophic
Moderate to Major flooding across the upper Saluda River Valley.
This flooding has the potential to be the worst flooding observed in
the modern era, exceeding even the flooding which occurred on
February 6-7, 2020.
This flooding may shutdown several roadways. especially above
Piedmont Dam to the Saluda River headwaters above Saluda Lake. A
few roadways may experience strong and damaging streamflows,
possibly causing damage to roadway infrastructure including culverts
and bridges. Several structures, including homes and businesses,
are likely to be inundated as a result of Major flooding. A few
structures may become uninhabitable and some structures may become
completely destroyed due to ruinous flooding.
There is a potential for crests to exceed the current forecast
crests. Confidence in significant rainfall is high, but small
reductions or increases in storm-total rainfall may result in
notable changes to the forecast crests. It is absolutely imperative
that you maintain awareness of the latest forecasts and plan NOW to
respond to the worst-case scenario for your area.
* WHAT...Major flooding is forecast. IMPORTANT: This approaches the
flood of record, which was 19.38 feet on October 7, 1949.
* WHERE...Saluda River above Old Easley Rd, 5 W Greenville.
* WHEN...From Thursday evening to Saturday evening.
* IMPACTS...At 16.1 feet, Major Flood Stage continues. The Saluda
River has reached the highest levels seen in the modern era. The
Saluda River crested at 16.13 ft on February 6, 2020. Floodwaters
of 1-3 feet deep may be inundating buildings closest to the river
on Shop Ct. Floodwaters of at least 1 foot deep are inundating
the lowest elevations of Riverview Dr near the intersection with
Knollview Dr and the lowest elevations of adjacent residential
yards with several feet of water. Floodwaters may be entering the
first-floor elevation at 24 Riverview Cir. 19 Riverview Cir may
have 1-2 feet of floodwaters in its crawl space. Extensive
floodwaters are surrounding other homes on Riverview Cir, reaching
1-2 feet deep in adjacents garages and outbuildings. Riverview
Cir will also be flooded with up to 1-3 feet of floodwaters.
Floodwaters have likely submerged the crawl spaces of mobile homes
closest to the Saluda River near the intersection of Shady Acres
Cir and Old Easley Bridge Rd. Floodwaters are likely impacting
basements, mobile homes, and permanent RVs along the 3900-4200
block of Old Easley Bridge Rd. Floodwaters approximately 2-4 feet
deep are inundating River Rd near Myers Ln. Significant
residential yard flooding is occurring on Lakeview Dr and Birch
River Rd.
* ADDITIONAL DETAILS...
- At 2:45 PM EDT Wednesday the stage was 4.2 feet and nearly
steady.
- Action/Advisory Stage is 8.0 feet.
- Forecast...The river is expected to rise above Minor Flood
Stage early Friday morning to Major Flood Stage by late
Friday morning to a crest of 17.7 feet Friday evening. It
will then fall below Minor Flood Stage late Saturday morning.
NOTE: There is the potential for the crest to approach 19
feet.
- Minor Flood Stage is 9.5 feet.
Moderate Flood Stage is 13.0 feet.
Major Flood Stage is 15.0 feet.
- Flood History...This crest compares to a previous crest of
18.1 feet on 10/05/1964. This flood has the potential to be
the most significant in the modern era. The Saluda River
reached 16.13 feet on February 7, 2020, which is the most
significant flood this century.
- Http://www.weather.gov/safety/flood
Instruction:
This is an incredibly dangerous situation. Rainfall and resultant
flooding has the potential to be a once-in-a-lifetime event,
especially upstream of Piedmont, SC. If you live or own a business
adjacent to the Saluda River, assume floodwaters WILL impact your
structures and take precautions to protect property now. Have a
plan in place to seek higher ground before the heavy rain begins.
Consider temporarily relocating to another location if you live
along the Saluda River.
Turn around, don't drown when encountering flooded roads. Most flood
deaths occur in vehicles.
To escape rising water, take the shortest path to higher ground.
This warning will be in effect until the river falls below its
Action/Advisory Stage.
When it is safe to do so, please report flooding or landslides
threatening roads or property to the National Weather Service
Greenville-Spartanburg by calling toll free, 1, 800, 2 6 7, 8 1 0 1,
by posting on our Facebook page, or via X using hashtag NWSGSP. Your
message should describe the specific location where impacts occurred
and the depth of flooding observed.
For detailed information including observed and forecast stages,
flood impacts, flood history, FEMA Flood Hazard Layers, and more,
please visit: https://water.noaa.gov/wfo/GSP
The next statement will be issued before Saturday evening at 800 PM
EDT.
Area Description:
Greenville, SC; Pickens, SC
Forcast Office:
NWS Greenville-Spartanburg SC