A Florida flooding threat is building this weekend as tropical moisture pushes into the Southeast and sets off thunderstorms capable of dropping heavier rain than a typical summer shower. Millions of people across the region are seeing weekend outdoor plans threatened as the wet pattern takes hold.
The storm system is already feeding moisture into Florida and the Carolinas, and forecasters say that setup will drive thunderstorms with the potential for intense downpours. A level two out of four flash flood risk is in place to begin the weekend for coastal South Carolina near Charleston, while a broader level one out of four threat stretches from Miami to Wilmington, North Carolina. In areas where storms move slowly during the afternoon, rainfall totals of more than two to three inches are possible.
That raises the chance of flash flooding on Saturday across far northern Florida, southeast Georgia and the Carolinas. Through Sunday, rainfall totals of one to two inches are possible over central Florida and into coastal Georgia and South Carolina. The concern is not limited to isolated cells, either, because the tropical moisture is helping sustain a stormy pattern across much of the Southeast as the weekend gets underway.
For Florida, the rain carries a mixed message. The same moisture that may create pockets of street flooding can also bring some relief to parts of the state that have been stuck in a dry stretch since last summer. Southern Georgia faces a similar situation, with the weekend rain offering at least some help against lingering drought conditions after an unusually dry run.
