Flash Flooding in North Carolina, September 27 to 28, 1999

The combination of an advancing cold front and upper level trough produced adequate lift for extensive rainfall over eastern North Carolina. Additionally with southeast flow at the surface and southwest flow in the mid levels, moisture was able to converge...lift...and then fall over already saturated soil. River levels from Hurricane Floyd were still over ten feet above flood stage. Any rain that fell over this already saturated soil had no where to go. Doppler radar began showing heavy showers on the evening of Monday, September 27th. By 9 a.m. Tuesday 5 to 10 inches of rain had fell over the four counties. Lenoir County was hardest hit with over 10 inches falling in the northwest portion of the county. Greene County received the most wide-spread area of 5 inches or greater. The Cooperative observer in Snow Hill (Greene County) reported 7.24 inches of rainfall in 24 hours. In the end this only added to the extremely swollen Neuse River and Contentnea Creek. Pitt County was the first to report flooded roadways Monday night with Lenoir...Greene...and Martin soon to follow. Flash flooding reports continued through early Tuesday morning. Numerous secondary roads were flooded and washed out. Greene County Emergency Management reported that most roads were affected...especially Highway 91, Highway 258, and Old Creek Road. Lenoir County reported extensive flooding along Highway 70 and in the LaGrange area.