Flash Flood and Flooding in North Carolina, January 27 to 28, 1998

Name: Flash Flood and Flooding in North Carolina, January 27 to 28, 1998
Start: 1998-01-27T13:00
End: 1998-01-28T16:00
Location: North Carolina

January 27 to 28, 1998 · NWS RAH · 12 events in 11 counties and zones

A soaking rain fell over central North Carolina during January 27 into the early afternoon hours of January 28th. The rain became heavy in many locations during the 28th.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 12 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. Tap one for its entry below.

Tornadoes
Tropical storms and surge
Floods
Wind
Hail
Winter weather
Heat and drought
Cold
Fire, smoke and dust
Marine and coastal
Other

Open the live radar over this ground

The toll

Deaths: 0
Injuries: 0
Property damage: None recorded
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 12

Deaths and injuries are direct and indirect together, as the offices filed them. Damage is property and crops in the dollars of the year, not adjusted for inflation, and only where an office estimated it.

What happened

The episode as NWS RAH wrote it up.

A soaking rain fell over central North Carolina during January 27 into the early afternoon hours of January 28th. The rain became heavy in many locations during the 28th. Flooding caused many rural county roads to become impassable and many had to be closed. In Anson county, Highway 52 at the Anson/Stanly county line was closed. Many streams that feed the Rocky River came out of their banks flooding roads in Stanly and Anson counties. Some of the closed roads included High Rock Crusher Road, Brown Creek Church Road, and Union Church Road. In Moore, Montgomery, Davidson and Richmond counties, flooding closed roads around High Rock Lake, Lexington, Troy, Robbins and Carthage. These included: Hoggan's Farm Road, Seven Lakes Drive, Haywood Road, and Beck's Church Road. In Johnston, Edgecome, and Wilson counties, several roads also had to be closed as well. In addition to the rapid rises in streams and creeks in these counties, river flooding was well underway due to the excessive rainfall for the month of January. Continuous storm systems brought heavy precipitation to central North Carolina during the month, with a major storm ending the month with flooding and river flooding.

The radar

The Raleigh/Durham radar (KRAX), 52 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 18:01 UTC.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

11 flood, 1 flash flood. Local standard time, as filed.

Flash Flood, Wilson

When: January 27, 1:00 PM EST to January 28, 4:00 PM EST
Where: Wilson County, Lucama
Coordinates: 35.705, -77.919 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flood, Edgecombe

When: January 27, 1:00 PM EST to January 28, 4:00 PM EST
Where: Edgecombe forecast zone
Coordinates: 35.913, -77.597 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flood, Harnett

When: January 27, 1:00 PM EST to January 28, 4:00 PM EST
Where: Harnett forecast zone
Coordinates: 35.369, -78.869 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flood, Hoke

When: January 27, 1:00 PM EST to January 28, 4:00 PM EST
Where: Hoke forecast zone
Coordinates: 35.017, -79.237 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flood, Johnston

When: January 27, 1:00 PM EST to January 28, 4:00 PM EST
Where: Johnston forecast zone
Coordinates: 35.518, -78.366 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flood, Lee

When: January 27, 1:00 PM EST to January 28, 4:00 PM EST
Where: Lee forecast zone
Coordinates: 35.475, -79.171 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flood, Montgomery

When: January 27, 1:00 PM EST to January 28, 4:00 PM EST
Where: Montgomery forecast zone
Coordinates: 35.333, -79.905 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flood, Moore

When: January 27, 1:00 PM EST to January 28, 4:00 PM EST
Where: Moore forecast zone
Coordinates: 35.311, -79.481 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flood, Randolph

When: January 27, 1:00 PM EST to January 28, 4:00 PM EST
Where: Randolph forecast zone
Coordinates: 35.710, -79.806 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flood, Richmond

When: January 27, 1:00 PM EST to January 28, 4:00 PM EST
Where: Richmond forecast zone
Coordinates: 35.006, -79.748 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flood, Stanly

When: January 27, 1:00 PM EST to January 28, 4:00 PM EST
Where: Stanly forecast zone
Coordinates: 35.312, -80.251 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flood, Wilson

When: January 27, 1:00 PM EST to January 28, 4:00 PM EST
Where: Wilson forecast zone
Coordinates: 35.705, -77.919 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

What these are

Flash Flood: Flooding that begins within six hours of the rain that causes it, or of a dam or levee failure or ice jam release, often with deadly speed.
Flood: Flooding that develops more slowly than a flash flood: rivers leaving their banks, or water standing over land for an extended time.

After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.

The same day elsewhere

Every storm in North Carolina in 1998 Every state in 1998 This day in weather history Warnings in North Carolina, January 1998

Sources

NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database, compiled from the National Weather Service’s monthly Storm Data. Complete through 2026-06; NCEI adds each month about 75 days after it ends and revises past years a few times a year. Rebuilt 2026-10-01. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 5629573, 5629574, 5629575, 5629576, 5629577, 5629578, 5629579, 5629580, 5629581, 5629582, 5629583, 5629584.