CHARLOTTE, N.C. – A large system of moisture brought showers and heavy rain to the Carolinas Wednesday morning, as well as the threat of flooding and downed trees.
First Warn Forecaster Larry Sprinkle says this system can produce storms and even flooding for some areas, as rainfall totals will range anywhere from a quarter-inch to nearly two inches by Wednesday night, with areas along I-40 expected to receive the most rain throughout the day.
“That rain really does include the entire region, even the mountains,” Sprinkle said. “That heavier rainfall is going to be around the middle part of the morning right into midday.”
The rain event started around 6 a.m. as light showers moved into the Charlotte area. Heavier rain began falling around 8:30 a.m. and is expected to last through the lunchtime hours. By the evening hours, Sprinkle expects most of the moisture to be out of our area.
And while the showers won’t be severe, there’s always a concern about downed trees and power lines in Myers Park, where many of the trees in the neighborhood are well over 100 years old. On Monday, a tree fell on Queens Road West, blocking all of the westbound lanes for several hours.
“When you’ve got old trees that are over 100 years old, then you can have an accident for no reason,” said Joe Cadieu, who owns a tree service in Charlotte. “We did have some rain and when the moisture gets in the ground, the root system gets slippery and slides out, which you never know when that’s going to happen.”