Flood threat rising across drought-stricken Southeast

Truckers heading to drought-stricken parts of the Southeast will run into frequent downpours the rest of this week.

While heavy thunderstorms are expected to produce beneficial rain, including in parts of Florida that have been dealing with recent wildfires, the storms will also bring the risk of flooding.

While some cities in the inland Southeast, such as Atlanta, experienced a fairly wet February with 5.29 inches of rain (slightly above average), those along the coasts have been much drier.

Most of Florida, southern Georgia, southern Alabama, as well as eastern portions of the Carolinas are either “abnormally dry” or under a “moderate drought,” according to the U.S. Drought Monitor.

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Places close to the Atlantic Ocean, such as Jacksonville, Florida, reported only two-thirds of its average rainfall for February and just a third of its normal in January. Savannah, Georgia, and Wilmington, North Carolina, each received just a little more than an inch of rain last month, which is less than 40% of their average precipitation totals for February.

Despite drier than normal conditions over the last month or so, localized flash flooding may still be a concern by the end of the week. Several rounds of rainfall could drench the region with 3 to 6 inches by Friday night. Another round of rain could arrive Saturday before dry weather returns Sunday. Localized flash flooding could lead to road and ramp closures from time to time.

The main reason for the repeated rain is a series of low-pressure systems traveling along a stationary front over the next few days. This type of setup typically keeps the atmosphere saturated and energized, resulting in periods of thunderstorms and heavy rain.

There’s also a chance that some of those storms will turn severe each day, spawning dangerous wind gusts and a few tornadoes.

Major lanes of concern

• Interstate 10 from New Orleans to Jacksonville.
• Interstate 16 in Georgia from Macon to Savannah.
• Interstate 26 in South Carolina from Charleston to Columbia.
• Interstate 75 from Atlanta to Tampa, Florida.
• Interstate 95 from Jacksonville to Fayetteville, North Carolina.

Click here for more FreightWaves articles by Nick Austin.

Flood threat rising across drought-stricken Southeast

Periodic road closures possible from Florida to Carolinas

Major lanes of concern

Freightwaves Author