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Flooding in North Carolina, Tropical Depression Gordon Path
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Flooding in North Carolina, Tropical Depression Gordon Path

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A potential tropical system dumped rainfall levels not seen in hundreds of years on parts of southeastern North Carolina on Monday, weather officials said, along with “life-threatening flash flooding.”

The cities of Carolina Beach, Boiling Springs Lakes and Southport received more than a foot of rain in the first 12 hours of Monday. According to the National Weather Service office in Wilmington, North Carolina, this type of weather occurs on average once every 200 years.

The snowfall of over 18 inches that occurred in half a day at Carolina Beach is a “once in a 1,000 year event!” the agency said.

The North Carolina Department of Transportation on Monday urged people in affected areas to avoid driving if possible. The department posted a photo of a collapsed and largely submerged section of a street in Southport as the storm flooded dozens of roads.

According to the NWS, the system, known as Potential Tropical Cyclone Eight, will move northward across the Carolinas toward the Mid-Atlantic over the next day or so. “Persistent showers and thunderstorms” are expected Tuesday across parts of North Carolina and the southern Mid-Atlantic. Locally, heavy rain could lead to “isolated to scattered flash flooding.”

A flood warning is in effect for parts of southeastern Virginia and North Carolina on Tuesday, with precipitation amounts and densities expected to decrease on Wednesday.

“On Thursday, this system will move into the Atlantic Ocean and high pressure will develop behind it,” the NWS said Tuesday morning.

Rare meteorological achievement: In a once-in-200-year event, North Carolina cities get a foot of rain in 12 hours

National Hurricane Center monitoring Tropical Depression Gordon and three additional tropical waves

The National Hurricane Center reported Tuesday morning that it is still monitoring Tropical Depression Gordon, which is currently about 925 miles east of the northern Leeward Islands.

According to the NHC, the depression is moving west, but is expected to turn north on Tuesday, followed by a turn to the north-northeast on Wednesday.

Gordon currently has sustained winds of about 35 mph (56 km/h), with higher gusts, and could gradually strengthen to a tropical storm again later this week, the NHC said.

The hurricane center is also monitoring three tropical waves in the Atlantic Ocean, meteorologists reported Tuesday morning.

An eastern Atlantic tropical wave is located along 27W, south of 20N, and is moving westward at 5-10 knots, the NHC said. Additionally, a central Caribbean tropical wave is “enhancing scattered showers and thunderstorms” over northern Colombia and south-central portions of the Caribbean Sea, the NHC said.

Finally, a tropical wave extends from southern Yucatan to Guatemala and the eastern Pacific. The NHC reports a few showers near this system.

Tropical Depression Gordon tracker

Tropical Depression Gordon Spaghetti Models

Spaghetti model illustrations include a variety of forecasting tools and models, and not all are created equal. The Hurricane Center uses only the four or five best performing models to create its forecasts.

Gabe Hauari is a national trending news reporter at USA TODAY. You can follow him on X @GabeHauari or email him at [email protected].