Historic Flooding For SE North Carolina

See this statement issued tonight by the NWS in Wilmington, North Carolina…

AS OF 9 PM WEDNESDAY…AN EPIC AND HISTORIC FLOODING EVENT IS
ONGOING ACROSS THE CAPE FEAR REGION. RAINFALL RECORDS THAT WERE
SET DURING 1999`S HURRICANE FLOYD…A ONCE IN 500 YEAR STORM…ARE
GOING TO BE THREATENED OVER THE NEXT FEW HOURS AS A TREMENDOUS
STREAM OF DEEP TROPICAL MOISTURE CONTINUES TO SLAM ONSHORE.
REPORTS OF ROAD CLOSURES ARE PILING UP ACROSS SOUTHEAST NORTH
CAROLINA AND TRAVEL IS STRONGLY DISCOURAGED TONIGHT.

AN UNSEASONABLY STRONG UPPER LOW OVER NORTH ALABAMA IS DIRECTING
DEEP TROPICAL MOISTURE NORTH OUT OF THE CARIBBEAN AND INTO THE
CAROLINAS AND MID-ATLANTIC STATES. POES TOTAL PRECIPITABLE WATER
IMAGERY CONFIRMS MODEL PROJECTIONS OF PW`S IN THE 2.5 INCH RANGE.
A SURFACE FRONT STALLED JUST OFF THE COAST IS ENHANCING LIFT AND
LOW-LEVEL CONVERGENCE…INCREASING PRECIPITATION EFFICIENCY. THE
REMNANT CIRCULATION OF FORMER TROPICAL STORM NICOLE WILL NOT
DIRECTLY AFFECT THE REGION TONIGHT…BUT A NEW BAROCLINIC LOW
IS DEVELOPING ALONG THE FRONT ALONG THE GEORGIA COAST AND WILL
MOVE NORTH THROUGH THE AREA OVERNIGHT. THIS LOW WILL DEEPEN
RAPIDLY…AND SHOULD DRAG THE SURFACE FRONT BACK INTO THE CAPE
FEAR COUNTIES AFTER MIDNIGHT.

AN ADDITIONAL SIX INCHES OF RAIN IS EXPECTED ACROSS BURGAW…
WILMINGTON…BOLIVIA…AND ELIZABETHTOWN WITH ISOLATED HIGHER
AMOUNTS THROUGH THURSDAY MORNING. THIS WILL BRING STORM TOTALS AT
WILMINGTON TO AT LEAST 21-22 INCHES AND MAY ECLIPSE THE 3 AND 4 DAY
HURRICANE FLOYD TOTAL THAT IS THE RAINFALL EVENT OF RECORD FOR
THIS AREA. FARTHER INLAND RAINFALL AMOUNTS WILL BE LOWER…BUT
STILL SIGNIFICANT WITH AN ADDITIONAL 2-4 INCHES EXPECTED
OVERNIGHT.

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