Flash Flood Risk Continues Into Thursday After Record Storms

The flash flooding that prompted a state of emergency in West Virginia on Tuesday is going to continue into the Southeast on Thursday as dangerous storms continue to roam much of the eastern U.S. Read on for what you can expect on Thursday.

Thursday's Storms to Zero in on Carolinas and Rest of the Southeast

The chance of high winds, flash flooding, and tornadoes will persist on Thursday as thunderstorm activity churns across the mid-Atlantic and into the Southeast. The severe weather is moving to the south on Thursday, impacting portions of Virginia, the Carolinas, and beyond. Cities in the crosshairs of Thursday's potential impacts include Virginia Beach, Charlotte, Raleigh, , with the threat expanding toward Atlanta as soon as Friday.

Forecasters are warning that the greatest danger of flash flooding will set up over the zone from southeastern Virginia down into the North Carolina coast on Thursday, with that threat expanding farther south into northern Georgia and Alabama by Friday. Moving farther south, the surge of moisture associated with Tropical Storm Bertha will raise the threat of isolated flash flooding along the Gulf Coast. Bertha made landfall near New Orleans on Wednesday and was tracking toward the upper Texas coast early Thursday, where a second landfall is expected before the storm dissipates.

Rainfall rates of up to 2 inches per hour are possible with some of the strongest storm cells. This is a good time to remember never to attempt to drive through a flooded roadway. Standing water is often deeper than it may appear as you approach the road. It only takes 1 to 2 feet of moving water to wash a vehicle away, putting motorists in a life-threatening situation.

It has been a rough stretch of weather for much of the eastern half of the country. Nearly a dozen tornadoes were reported in the Midwest to the East Coast on Tuesday. High winds also impacted a zone from Kentucky into New York as the storms raced along at a quick clip.

West Virginia was ground zero for the heaviest rain on Tuesday. Gov. Patrick Morrisey declared a state of emergency for all of the state's 55 counties on Tuesday night after floodwaters inundated several communities. Widespread rainfall totaling 3 to 6 inches was notched in north-central West Virginia over a period of just 12 hours.

Water levels climbed to 10.63 feet along Sand Run Creek in Buckhannon, West Virginia. This easily smashed the previous record crest of 8.3 feet. . The Tygart Valley River at Philippi had been forecast to reach major flood stage at 25 feet, but it ultimately crested lower, around 22.2 feet — moderate flood stage — by midday Wednesday, and has since receded below flood stage.

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