Storms to pack a punch in Florence-ravaged areas of the Southeastern US on Thursday
Thunderstorms may pack a punch in part of the southeastern United States with the risk of isolated torrential downpours and strong wind gusts during Thursday afternoon and evening.
The storms and the potential for downed trees, power outages and flash flooding will overlap an area that was hit by power outages and flood damage from Florence earlier in September.
Strong wind gusts in some of the storms may knock down trees, especially in areas with soggy soil.
The area that is being monitored for strong to locally severe storms extends from central Georgia to southeastern Virginia and includes a large swath of North and South Carolina.
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Downpours and gusty thunderstorms may be enough to cause travel delays in the Interstate 77, 85 and 95 corridors from Georgia to Virginia.
The storm risk is not associated with the tropical feature fluttering just off the shore of the Outer Banks, but rather a press of cooler and less humid air that is projected to stall before reaching the Southeast states.
North and west of the thunderstorm threat zone will be a swath of drenching rain that focuses on the southern Appalachians from northern Georgia to along the borders of Virginia and West Virginia. Motorists should be prepared for a wet ride on I-81 in the region.
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A general 1-2 inches of rain is forecast with 3 inches possible in a few locations. This is enough rain to bring small streams to bank full and perhaps cause isolated flash and urban flooding.
Not enough rain is expected to fall to have a significant impact on the major rivers in the region. However, some minor rises can be expected on the rivers in western North Carolina and Virginia.
Farther north, after a lull in the rain on Thursday, downpours may disrupt travel by way of urban flooding in the I-95 corridor of the Northeast from Washington, D.C., to Philadelphia, New York City and Boston spanning Thursday night to Friday.
