Weather service: Wednesday’s record rainfall triggered 61 flash floods in Charlotte area

Charlotte set a daily record for Dec. 30 when 2.03 inches of rain fell Wednesday at Charlotte Douglas International Airport.

“It smashed the record,” said Danny Gant, meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Greer, S.C. The previous mark for Dec. 30 was set in 2007, when 1.2 inches of rain fell, Gant said.

For the month, this December ranks third all-time for rainfall, with 8.53 inches at the airport, Gant said.

The all-time record for December was set in 1931, when 11.24 inches fell, the meteorologist said. December 1927 ranks second at 9.52 inches, he said.

The weather service recorded 61 flash floods on Wednesday, including in Charlotte, Concord, Denver, Gastonia, Harrisburg, Huntersville, Kannapolis, Kings Mountain, Lincolnton, Monroe, Mooresville, Mount Pleasant, Fort Mill, S.C., and Rock Hill.

Over the past three days, Mooresville saw the most rain in the Charlotte region with 6.64 inches, according to three-day rainfall totals released by the weather service on Thursday morning.

Mount Holly followed with 5.22 inches, Huntersville with 4.94 inches and Bessemer City with 4.55 inches.

Flooding remained a concern in some parts of the region Thursday morning.

A flood warning remains until at least mid-afternoon for the South Fork Catawba River in Lowell, Gaston County, due to runoff from Wednesday’s heavy rains. The river was at 12 1/2 feet at 8:30 a.m. Thursday – 2 1/2 feet above flood stage, weather service meteorologist Scott Krentz said.

A warning also remains until about 12:30 p.m. for the Rocky River in northeastern Union County and southern Cabarrus County. The river was at 21.3 feet Thursday morning, or about 5 feet above flood stage, Krentz said.

In Waxhaw, the town said Thursday that Town Creek Park on Waxhaw-Marvin Road is closed because of overnight flooding from 12 Mile Creek. And in Midland, the intersection of Highway 200 and Mount Pleasant Road is impassable because of flooding from the Rocky River.

Rain ending

A 50-percent chance of showers remains for the Charlotte region until about 1 p.m. Thursday, so rainfall totals could inch up a bit.

Any rain should move out by Thursday night.

Thursday will remain warm, with a forecast high of 65. New Year’s Day should be mostly cloudy, with a more seasonable high of 53.

Saturday and Sunday should be sunny, with respective highs of 50 and 52.

Staff Writer Adam Bell and correspondent Steve Lyttle contributed.

This story was originally published December 31, 2015 at 6:14 AM with the headline "Weather service: Wednesday’s record rainfall triggered 61 flash floods in Charlotte area."