UNION COUNTY — A low pressure system cut off from the jet stream brought heavy rains to the Upstate that resulted in a flood warning for the Whitmire area along the Enoree River and the closing of some roads in Union County due to flooding.
The system that brought 2 3/4 inches of rain to Union County brought even heavier rains upstream above Spartanburg according to Doug Outlaw, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Greer. Outlaw said Tuesday that the heavy rain that fell north of Spartanburg made its way down the Enoree River to the Whitmire area. This caused the river to swell beyond its flood stage of 25 feet resulting in the National Weather Service issuing a river flood warning for Union County.
As of noon Tuesday, the Enoree River has risen to 26.9 feet causing minor flooding on river bottom land near and downstream from Whitmire. The river later crested at 27.01 feet, but had gone back down to 26.8 feet by 4:30 p.m. Outlaw said Tuesday that while the river was receding it would not be below flood stage until late this afternoon.
The heavy rain also caused some roads in Union County to be closed due to flooding.
One of those roads was the River Road in the eastern part of the county near the Broad River which was closed by the S.C. Department of Transportation after Union County Engineer Jerry Brannon found water crossing the road and getting ready to cover the bridge. Brannon said that earlier in the day SCDOT personnel had closed off the adjacent Boat Landing Road. He said after he saw the water crossing River Road he called 911 which in turn notified the SCDOT of the situation. Brannon said that as of Tuesday afternoon the water on that section of the River Road was two-three feet deep.
The heavy rain was caused by a “cutoff low,” a low pressure system that is cut off from the jet stream and remains over a particular area for a long period of time before finally moving on. Outlaw said Tuesday that the system had moved away from Union County and was now over Charlotte, N.C. moving northeast. He said the system’s leaving the area meant that shower activity was rapidly diminishing and that late Tuesday night dry conditions should prevail.
Editor Charles Warner can be reached at 864-427-1234, ext. 14, or by email at cwarner@civitasmedia.com.
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