Southeast Hit by 'Historic' Rainfall
A major storm that has already brought up to 11 inches of rain to parts of North and South Carolina is expected to bring more heavy rain in the next 24 hours. Some spots in South Carolina could receive an additional foot of rainfall this weekend.
The torrential rains, stretching from the Carolinas to New Jersey, have left five governors declaring a state of emergency.
This home on the New Jersey coast was swept away and destroyed Friday.
The risk of flooding will continue through Monday morning, with the possibility of roads being washed away and rivers and creeks rising rapidly.
Overnight, rescue teams scrambled to rescue more than 13 people from flooded homes in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. At least 50 homes were evacuated in the coastal town of Calabash, North Carolina.
South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley even emphasized the seriousness of the storm during a press conference Friday. "We're going see rainfall at historic levels. This will be a historic rainfall event that we've never seen before in South Carolina."
As of this morning, numerous flash flood watches and warnings are in effect for portions of central North Carolina and the Charleston area. Local law enforcement in Charleston, South Carolina, has shut down several roads on the peninsula, stopping traffic from entering the city.
The ground is already saturated in the Southeast due to ongoing rains this past week.
The storm has been linked to the death of a passenger whose vehicle was hit by a fallen tree near Fayetteville, North Carolina, as well as a drowning in Spartanburg, South Carolina, The Associated Press reported.
Outside of South Carolina, coastal flooding and heavy rains will persist along much of the East Coast this weekend.
Meanwhile, Hurricane Joaquin is strengthening, causing concern in Bermuda. Joaquin had sustained winds up to 155 miles per hour, which is just shy of a Category 5 hurricane.
Even with this strengthening, Joaquin was still expected to weaken significantly before reaching Bermuda, if it does.
Even as Joaquin is kept away from the East Coast, it will still bring tropical moisture to the rainstorm spanning Georgia to New England.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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