Wednesday’s rainfall set record in Charlotte

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

“It smashed the record,” said Danny Gant, a 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.

Flash flood warnings remained in effect Thursday along rivers in Cabarrus, Gaston and Union counties after Wednesday’s record rainfall across the Charlotte region.

A flood warning remained for the South Fork Catawba River in Lowell, Gaston County, because of runoff from the heavy rains. The river was at 12 1/2 feet on Thursday – 2 1/2 feet above flood stage, said Scott Krentz, also a meteorologist with the National Weather Service.

A warning also remained for the Rocky River in northeastern Union County and southern Cabarrus County. The river was at 21.3 feet on Thursday, or about 5 feet above flood stage, Krentz said.

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

The weather service recorded 61 flash floods on Wednesday, including in Charlotte, Concord, Denver, N.C., 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.

This story was originally published December 31, 2015 at 3:09 PM with the headline "Wednesday’s rainfall set record in Charlotte."