Southeast Hit by 'Historic' Rainfall

By DANIEL MANZO, DAVID CHIU & DAN PECK. Oct 3, 2015, 7:29 PM ET

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WATCH Historic Rainfall, Flooding to Hit the East Coast

A major storm that has already brought over a foot of rain to parts of South Carolina is expected to bring more heavy rain over the next 24 hours. Some spots in South Carolina could receive over a half foot of additional rainfall this weekend.

The torrential rains, stretching from the Carolinas to New Jersey, have left five governors declaring a state of emergency.

This home on the New Jersey coast was swept away and destroyed Friday.

Courtesy Audrey Snow

This home in North Wildwood, New Jersey, was destroyed from flooding Oct. 2, 2015.

Tom Mihalek/Reuters

A man walks through knee-deep water along a flooded West Avenue as a nor-easter comes on shore in Ocean City, N.J., Oct. 2, 2015.more +

The risk of flooding will continue through Monday morning, with the possibility of roads being washed away and rivers and creeks rising rapidly.

Overnight, rescue teams scrambled to rescue more than 13 people from flooded homes in Myrtle Beach, South Carolina. At least 50 homes were evacuated in the coastal town of Calabash, North Carolina.

South Carolina Gov. Nikki Haley even emphasized the seriousness of the storm during a press conference Friday. "We're going see rainfall at historic levels. This will be a historic rainfall event that we've never seen before in South Carolina."

Jay Diem/The Daily Times via AP

Quinn Hurt looks across Atlantic Avenue as he attempts to cross the flooded street in Wachapreague, Va., Oct. 2, 2015.

As of this evening, numerous flash flood watches and warnings are in effect for portions of North and South Carolina, including a Flash flood warning in the Charleston area. Local law enforcement in Charleston, South Carolina, has shut down several roads on the peninsula, stopping traffic from entering the city.

The ground is already saturated in the Southeast due to ongoing rains this past week.

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On Saturday evening, rounds of heavy rain will continue across much of South Carolina with unsettled weather expected across much of the mid-Atlantic region.more +

The storm has been linked to the death of a passenger whose vehicle was hit by a fallen tree near Fayetteville, North Carolina, as well as a drowning in Spartanburg, South Carolina, The Associated Press reported.

Outside of South Carolina, coastal flooding and heavy rains will persist along much of the East Coast this weekend.

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@somerr_cronley posted this photo to Instagram on Oct. 2, 2015.

Throughout Saturday evening, rounds of heavy rain will continue to move through parts of the Carolinas, with southern South Carolina of particular concern.

Meanwhile, Hurricane Joaquin is beginning to slowly weaken once again. As of Saturday evening, Joaquin was a category 4 storm with sustained winds of 150 mph.

Even with this strengthening, Joaquin was still expected to weaken significantly before reaching Bermuda, if it does.

Even as Joaquin is kept away from the East Coast, it will still bring tropical moisture to the rainstorm spanning Georgia to New England. 

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