A coastal storm, combined with King Tides are causing flooding problems for the Carolinas heading into the weekend. The rain event is also bringing the first substantial rainfall to western North Carolina since Hurricane Helene.
ASHEVILLE, N.C. – Heavy rain fell across parts of western North Carolina on Thursday for the first time since Hurricane Helene‘s devastating flooding, as many continued to rebuild their homes.
A developing coastal storm causing flooding in eastern South and North Carolina is bringing the first substantial rain to western North Carolina in over a month.
The National Weather Service in Greenville-Spartanburg, South Carolina, described Thursday’s forecast as “kind of miserable” with cooler temperatures, breezy conditions and rain across the region.
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(FOX Weather)
Asheville, an area with widespread destruction from Helene’s flooding, has received just a half-inch of rain since Sept. 28. On Thursday morning, more than a half-inch had already fallen, marking the wettest day for Asheville since Helene.
The good news is that Friday and Saturday are forecast to be dry again. Sunshine and temperatures between 5 and 10 degrees warmer will offer some reprieve for ongoing recovery efforts.
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An American flag is reflected in floodwaters remaining from Hurricane Helene on October 4, 2024 in Swannan, North Carolina. (Mario Tama/Getty Images)
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A local police car is seen half engulfed in mud, in a flooded area of Lake Lure, North Carolina, October 2, 2024, after the passage of Hurricane Helene. (ALLISON JOYCE/AFP)
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Volunteers with Operation Allies Refuge Foundation shovel debris and mud out of Whitson Furniture and General Store in Green Mountain, North Carolina, October 6, 2024, in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene. (ALLISON JOYCE/AFP)
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A street sign is buried in mud in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene flooding on October 4, 2024 in Swannanoa, North Carolina. (Mario Tama)
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In an aerial view, flood damage, including mangled railroad tracks, wrought by Hurricane Helene is seen along the French Broad River on October 3, 2024 in Marshall, North Carolina. (Mario Tama)
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Destroyed train tracks are seen from a Main Street bridge in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene on September 30, 2024 in Old Fort, North Carolina. (Melissa Sue Gerrits)
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This aerial view shows destruction in Chimney Rock, North Carolina, on October 7, 2024 after the passage of Hurricane Helene. More than 230 people are now confirmed dead after Hurricane Helene carved a path of destruction through several US states, officials said, making it the second deadliest storm to hit the US mainland in more than half a century. (Photo by ALLISON JOYCE/AFP via Getty Images) ( )
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A rescue team paddles down the Swannanoa River on Sunday, Sept. 29, 2024. (Travis Long/The News & Observer/Tribune News Service)
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CHIMNEY ROCK, NORTH CAROLINA – OCTOBER 2: A damaged property stands in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene on October 2, 2024 in Chimney Rock, North Carolina. The death toll has topped 140 people across the southeastern U.S. due to the storm, according to published reports, which made landfall as a category 4 storm on Thursday. Millions are without power and the federal government has declared major disasters in areas of North Carolina, Florida, South Carolina, Tennessee, Georgia, Virginia and Alabama, freeing up federal emergency management money and resources for those states, according to the reports. (Photo by Sean Rayford/Getty Images) ( )
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Damage left behind in Keaton Beach, Florida on Sept. 28, 2024 in the wake of Hurricane Helene. (Robert Ray)
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ASHEVILLE, NORTH CAROLINA – OCTOBER 04: Members of the FEMA Urban Search and Rescue Task Force search a flood damaged area with a search canine in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene along the Swannanoa River on October 4, 2024 in Asheville, North Carolina. (Photo by Mario Tama/Getty Images) (Mario Tama)
Meanwhile, rainfall across coastal North Carolina and South Carolina is forecast to be much higher, with between 5 and 8 inches falling where flood advisories are in place. Flooding from high tides and rain have inundated areas such as Mount Pleasant and Charleston in South Carolina.
Astronomical king tides will keep water levels several feet above normal for an extended period with the full Moon on Friday.
(FOX Weather)