Flood Warnings Issued Across Western Carolinas, NE Georgia

GREENVILLE -- A tornado watch has expanded as a flood watch continues across the entire state of South Carolina, as well as northeast Georgia and the western N.C. mountains as the remnants of Hurricane Frances moves slowly through Georgia.

The National Weather Service said upper level winds are going to shift Tuesday afternoon over the Upstate, increasing the possibility of tornadoes across the region through early evening.

Flood warnings have been issued for Oconee County and Pickens County in South Carolina, Rabun and Habersham counties in Georgia and Transylvania, Macon and Jackson counties in North Carolina until at least 7:15 p.m.

Rain gauges indicate that at 4:30 p.m. Walhalla has received 4.1 inches of rain, Belton has received 3.1 inches, and Berea has had 3 inches. Areas of western North Carolina have already received almost 6 inches of rain.

WYFF News 4 Chief Meteorologist John Cessarich said that the storm could bring the worst flooding in decades, especially to areas along and north of Interstate 85.

River flood warnings have been issued for several rivers, including the Saluda River at West Pelzer, which is forecast to crest 3 feet above flood stage at about 8 a.m. Wednesday.

Scattered reports of trees down and power outages have been reported across the Upstate. Duke Power reported 2,800 homes without power across the region at 3:30 p.m.

The National Weather Service is continuing a flood watch for the Upstate and N.C. mountains until 6 p.m. Wednesday.

Severe weather is also a possibility as the storm moves north. A tornado watch has been issued for the Upstate, except Oconee County, until 7 p.m. Tuesday, and several tornado warnings have been issued along the Interstate 77 corridor between Charlotte and Columbia.

More than two dozen tornado warnings have been issed statewide so far. It will likely be one of the biggest tornado outbreaks in South Carolina history. The last big outbreak came in August 1994 when 22 twisters struck the state as the remnants of Tropical Storm Beryl passed through.

Strong winds in Richland County Tuesday morning damaged two mobile homes and injured three people. High winds also caused tree and building damage at Fort Jackson. More than two dozen homes were reported destroyed in Sumter County.

Forecasters advise that people living in flood-prone areas, especially those near rivers and streams, should begin to take precautions now to protect property, as well as make plans to leave their homes if needed.

Stay tuned to TheCarolinaChannel.com and WYFF News 4 for the latest information as it becomes available.

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