SOUTHEASTERN, UNITED STATES - After tearing through the Dominican Republic, Cuba, Jamaica, and Puerto Rico over the past week, the effects of Tropical Storm Erika finally made an appearance in the United States last weekend, bringing plenty of rain to states like Florida and South Carolina.
Starting Saturday morning and expected to continue through Tuesday, rain ranging from 2 to over 7 inches has been hitting the U.S.’s southeastern coast. Another 1-2 inches of rain are likely to fall in coastal areas of the Southeast states, with rainfall likely to focus along the West Coast of Florida and the Carolina coast.
"The remnants of Erika will produce spotty flooding over the coastal sections of the southeastern United States as it drifts northward and merges with a non-tropical low-pressure area," AccuWeather Hurricane Expert Dan Kottlowski said.
According to the Weather Channel, both strong winds and local thunderstorms may be a concern, with some communities be warned that flash flooding may still be somewhat of a concern. While the National Weather Service had originally issued a flash flood warning for the state, the organization has since called off the alert.
Rainfall Since Saturday Morning, August 29, 2015, according to AccuWeather:
- Charleston, South Carolina
- 7.39 inches
- Mount Pleasant, South Carolina
- 4.22 inches
- Miami, Florida
- 3.55 inches
- Vero Beach, Florida
- 3.30 inches
- Homestead AFB, Florida
- 2.56 inches
- Savannah, Georgia
- 3.75 inches
Slow-moving thunderstorms along the South Carolina coast on Monday morning resulted in flash flooding near the Charleston area, with reports of water rescues and road closures. The Charleston airport had seen 6.43 inches of rain so far today, the Weather Channel reported at 10 a.m. EST, making it the second wettest August day on record there.
The brunt of the storm, it seems, brought over 24 inches of rainfall in the Dominican Republic, and bands of locally heavy rain to Haiti, Cuba, Jamaica and the Bahamas, and Puerto Rico. The United States being relatively dry in comparison.
Stay tuned as we continue to update you on all relevant weather news.
