Historic flooding in South Carolina and surrounding areas prompt state of emergency declarations in the Carolinas, Virginia, and New Jersey. The weather service issued flood watches from Georgia all the way to Delaware earlier this week, after the Southeast was hit with heavy rain and winds fueled by Hurricane Joaquin.
The once category four hurricane turned toward the Atlantic Ocean, avoiding landfall in the United States. But combined with other storm systems, it left a mess of wet weather in the southern states. South Carolina saw the worst of the storm, with parts of the Palmetto State receiving more rain in a few days than they usually see in an entire year.
Hundreds of roads and highways remain closed statewide, while officials are calling this a once in a thousand years type of storm. Hundreds of National Guardsmen and air and water rescue teams are working to help get residents to safety. Unfortunately, 13 weather related deaths have been reported as of Tuesday.
Officials across South Carolina are urging people to stay off the roads.
Instructional Links
Interactive Map: National Weather Service, Flood Information Map
http://www.floodsafety.noaa.gov/map.shtml
Video: National Weather Service, Turn Around Don't Drown
http://www.nws.noaa.gov/os/water/tadd/
Website: American Red Cross, Flood Safety