Flash Flooding and Flood in North Carolina, January 7 to 9, 1998

Name: Flash Flooding and Flood in North Carolina, January 7 to 9, 1998
Start: 1998-01-07T12:00
End: 1998-01-09T12:00
Location: North Carolina

January 7 to 9, 1998 · NWS GSP · 26 events in 17 counties and zones

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 25 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: 11
Property damage: $14 million
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 26

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 GSP wrote it up.

A powerful winter storm pumped abundant moisture on very strong southerly winds into western North Carolina. The result was nearly 15 million dollars in damage across the mountains and foothills as up to 15 inches of rain fell on the higher terrain, causing significant to major flooding and flash flooding. The Asheville Airport set a new record for 24 hour rainfall in the month of January with 4.42 inches. Where not specified above, the excessive rain caused creeks and streams to rise well out of their banks. This combined with the enormous amounts of run-off to cause numerous roads and bridges to be covered in water or washed out. The Blue Ridge Parkway in Haywood county sustained considerable damage. A few counties experienced widespread flooding for several hours before convective rain pushed north across the mountains, overwhelming already saturated ground and raging water basins. People in Avery , Mitchell and Yancey counties reported "a wall of water" that ripped through several communities. Rock and/or mudslides also occurred in Swain and Transylvania counties, adding to the work of clean-up crews. In addition, high gradient winds of at least 55 mph blew numerous trees and power lines down. Especially hard hit was Transylvania county where hundreds of trees fell, some on homes, and power was out for much of the population until well into the the next day.

The radar

The Greer radar (KGSP), 63 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 17:02 UTC.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

18 flash flood, 7 high wind, 1 flood. Local standard time, as filed.

Flash Flood, Transylvania

When: January 7, 12:00 PM EST to 7:00 PM EST
Where: Transylvania County, Countywide
Coordinates: 35.202, -82.798 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flash Flood, Henderson

When: January 7, 1:00 PM EST to January 8, 12:00 PM EST
Where: Henderson County, Countywide
Property damage: $500,000
Coordinates: 35.336, -82.480 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Several roads and bridges were washed out. The French Broad River rose significantly out of its banks on the 8th, causing damage to homes and businesses along the river.

Flash Flood, Macon

When: January 7, 2:00 PM EST to January 8, 12:00 AM EST
Where: Macon County, Franklin
Coordinates: 35.150, -83.422 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Buncombe

When: January 7, 4:00 PM EST to January 8, 3:00 AM EST
Where: Buncombe forecast zone
Measured: 50 kt (58 mph)
Coordinates: 35.611, -82.530 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flash Flood, Buncombe

When: January 7, 4:00 PM EST to January 8, 12:00 PM EST
Where: Buncombe County, Countywide
Property damage: $1.0 million
Coordinates: 35.611, -82.530 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Sweeten Creek backed up and flooded, causing significant property damage in the Barnardsville and Biltmore Village areas.

Flash Flood, Haywood

When: January 7, 4:00 PM EST to January 8, 12:00 PM EST
Where: Haywood County, Waynesville
Property damage: $500,000
Coordinates: 35.556, -82.982 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flash Flood, Swain

When: January 7, 4:30 PM EST to 10:00 PM EST
Where: Swain County, Countywide
Coordinates: 35.487, -83.493 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Macon

When: January 7, 7:00 PM EST to January 8, 12:00 AM EST
Where: Macon forecast zone
Measured: 50 kt (58 mph)
Coordinates: 35.150, -83.422 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flash Flood, Transylvania

When: January 7, 7:00 PM EST to January 8, 12:00 PM EST
Where: Transylvania County, Rosman
Injuries: 10 direct, 0 indirect
Property damage: $1.5 million
Coordinates: 35.202, -82.798 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Excessive rain in conjunction with significant flooding of the French Broad and North Transylvania Rivers resulted in 40 to 50 mobile homes and 2 bridges destroyed. In addition, 34 roads were under water through noon on the 8th.

High Wind, Graham

When: January 7, 7:00 PM EST to January 8, 12:00 AM EST
Where: Graham forecast zone
Measured: 50 kt (58 mph)
Coordinates: 35.350, -83.834 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Northern Jackson

When: January 7, 7:00 PM EST to January 8, 3:00 AM EST
Where: Northern Jackson forecast zone
Measured: 50 kt (58 mph)
Coordinates: 35.287, -83.141 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Southern Jackson

When: January 7, 7:00 PM EST to January 8, 3:00 AM EST
Where: Southern Jackson forecast zone
Measured: 50 kt (58 mph)
Coordinates: 35.287, -83.141 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flash Flood, Avery

When: January 7, 8:00 PM EST to 11:00 PM EST
Where: Avery County, Countywide
Coordinates: 36.077, -81.922 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High Wind, Transylvania

When: January 7, 8:00 PM EST to January 8, 3:00 AM EST
Where: Transylvania forecast zone
Measured: 50 kt (58 mph)
Property damage: $25,000
Coordinates: 35.202, -82.798 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

High winds caused trees to fall on 6 houses, shingles blown off roofs, and destruction of storage buildings.

Flash Flood, Yancey

When: January 7, 8:00 PM EST to 11:00 PM EST
Where: Yancey County, Countywide
Coordinates: 35.899, -82.308 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flash Flood, Mitchell

When: January 7, 9:00 PM EST to January 8, 12:00 PM EST
Where: Mitchell County, Bakersville
Property damage: $5.0 million
Coordinates: 36.013, -82.163 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Major flooding, the worst since 1977, destroyed 23 homes, wiped an entire trailer park out, and damaged 200 homes. The height of the flooding was between midnight and 2 am on the 8th.

High Wind, McDowell

When: January 7, 9:30 PM EST
Where: McDowell forecast zone
Measured: 50 kt (58 mph)
Property damage: $5,000

High gradient winds destroyed one shed and tore the roof off another.

Flash Flood, Rutherford

When: January 7, 10:30 PM EST to January 8, 12:00 PM EST
Where: Rutherford County, West Portion
Property damage: $20,000
Coordinates: 35.402, -81.920 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

The Broad river flooded south of Lake Lure. Several roads were under water and some bridges were washed out.

Flash Flood, Polk

When: January 7, 10:45 PM EST to January 8, 12:00 PM EST
Where: Polk County, Countywide
Coordinates: 35.279, -82.170 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flash Flood, Yancey

When: January 7, 11:00 PM EST to January 8, 3:00 AM EST
Where: Yancey County, Countywide
Property damage: $200,000
Coordinates: 35.899, -82.308 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Due to excessive rainfall in a short period of time, rivers flooded quickly, sending a wall of water through portions of the county.

Flash Flood, Avery

When: January 7, 11:00 PM EST to January 8, 3:00 AM EST
Where: Avery County, Plumtree
Property damage: $5.5 million
Coordinates: 36.077, -81.922 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Major flooding, the worst since 1977, destroyed numerous homes and vehicles.

Flash Flood, McDowell

When: January 7, 11:00 PM EST to January 8, 3:00 AM EST
Where: McDowell County, West Portion
Property damage: $25,000
Coordinates: 35.681, -82.049 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Excessive rainfall caused rockslides and flooding along Interstate 40, U.S. Highway 221 and NC Highway 80. A wall of water washed away part of a flea market and caused 12 thousand dollars of damage.

Flash Flood, Caldwell

When: January 8, 1:00 AM EST to 12:00 PM EST
Where: Caldwell County, Collettsville
Coordinates: 35.953, -81.546 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

The Johns River flooded, covering nearby roads and bridges with water and causing early morning evacuations.

Flash Flood, Avery

When: January 8, 3:00 AM EST to 12:00 PM EST
Where: Avery County, Countywide
Coordinates: 36.077, -81.922 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flood, Madison

When: January 8, 3:00 AM EST to January 9, 12:00 PM EST
Where: Madison forecast zone
Injuries: 1 direct, 0 indirect
Property damage: $50,000
Coordinates: 35.858, -82.706 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

The French Broad River flooded significantly at all forecast points and caused some property damage. One person drowned (indirect) and another was injured while attempting to canoe down the raging river.

Flash Flood, Yancey

When: January 8, 3:00 AM EST to 12:00 PM EST
Where: Yancey County, Countywide
Coordinates: 35.899, -82.308 (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.
High Wind: Sustained non-thunderstorm winds of 40 mph or more for an hour, or gusts of 58 mph or more.
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: 5628594, 5628645, 5628646, 5628647, 5628648, 5628649, 5628650, 5628651, 5628652, 5628653, 5628654, 5628655, 5628656, 5628657, 5628658, 5628659, 5628660, 5628661, 5628662, 5628663, 5628664, 5628665, 5628666, 5628667, 5628668, 5628782.