Headline:
Flood Warning issued September 26 at 9:48PM EDT until September 29 at 2:30AM EDT by NWS Greenville-Spartanburg SC
Event:
Flood Warning
Urgency:
Immediate
Effective:
September 26, 2024 - 6:48pm
Expires:
September 27, 2024 - 7:00am
Description:
...The Flood Warning continues for the following rivers in North
Carolina...
French Broad River At Marshall affecting Madison County.
French Broad River Near Hot Springs affecting Madison County.
French Broad River At Blantyre affecting Transylvania and
Henderson Counties.
French Broad River At Asheville affecting Buncombe County.
French Broad River Near Fletcher affecting Henderson and Buncombe
Counties.
Swannanoa River At Biltmore affecting Buncombe County.
.Ongoing rain associated with Helene will continue overnight tonight
into Friday morning. Considerable to catastrophic Moderate to Major
flooding across much of the French Broad River and Swannanoa River
valleys is expected as a result of this extremely rare high
rainfall. This flooding has the potential to rival the Major,
catastrophic flooding observed in September 2004 from Hurricanes
Frances and Ivan, especially from the French Broad River headwaters
near Rosman and Blantyre to Asheville.
This flooding will shutdown numerous roadways. Several roadways
will experience strong and damaging streamflows, likely causing
damage to roadway infrastructure including culverts and bridges.
Primary roadways that do not typically flood will likely flood,
resulting in very significant impacts to travel. Travel may become
very difficult and dangerous. Numerous structures, including homes
and businesses, are likely to be inundated as a result of Major
flooding. Many 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 very 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. This approaches the flood of
record.
* WHERE...Swannanoa River at Biltmore.
* WHEN...Until early Sunday morning.
* IMPACTS...At 19.0 feet, Major Flooding continues. Significant
flooding around Biltmore Village continues including Brook St.,
Lodge St., Swan St., Angle St., and Boston Way. Floodwater levels
are similar to those which occurred during Hurricane Frances in
early September 2004.
At 21.0 feet, Major Flooding continues. Devastating flooding of
the Swannanoa River Valley is likely. Biltmore Village and
surrounding areas in the Swannanoa River Valley are experiencing
the worst flooding since measurements began in 1920.
* ADDITIONAL DETAILS...
- At 8:00 PM EDT Thursday the stage was 7.5 feet.
- Bankfull stage is 8.5 feet.
- Forecast...The river is expected to rise above flood stage
late this evening to a crest of 21.0 feet early tomorrow
afternoon. It will then fall below flood stage early Saturday
afternoon.
- Flood stage is 10.0 feet.
- Flood History...This crest compares to a previous crest of
20.7 feet on 07/16/1916.
- http://www.weather.gov/safety/flood
Instruction:
Motorists should not attempt to drive around barricades or drive
cars through flooded areas.
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.
To escape rising water, take the shortest path to higher ground.
Stay tuned to NOAA Weather Radio or your favorite source of weather
information for the latest updates. Additional details can be found
at www.weather.gov/gsp.
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 Friday morning at 1000 AM EDT.
Area Description:
Buncombe, NC
Forcast Office:
NWS Greenville-Spartanburg SC