South Carolina, 2020

Flash Flood in South Carolina, August 15, 2020

August 15, 2020 · NWS CHS · 1 event in 1 county or zone

A strong short wave rounding the eastern edge of a low pressure trough and outflow boundary interactions from previous thunderstorm activity within a warm and moist airmass led to a period of heavy rainfall and flash flooding around Summerville, South Carolina.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it. 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

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The toll

Deaths
0
Injuries
0
Property damage
$50,000
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
1

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 CHS wrote it up.

A strong short wave rounding the eastern edge of a low pressure trough and outflow boundary interactions from previous thunderstorm activity within a warm and moist airmass led to a period of heavy rainfall and flash flooding around Summerville, South Carolina.

The radar

The Charleston,SC radar (KCLX), 90 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 21:17 UTC.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

1 flash flood. Local standard time, as filed.

Flash Flood, Dorchester

When
August 15, 4:00 PM EST to 8:00 PM EST
Where
Dorchester County, 0.09 mi NW of Summerville to 0.17 mi NNE of Summerville
Cause
Heavy Rain
Property damage
$50,000
Reported by
Broadcast Media
Coordinates
33.021, -80.181

The media reported flooding to a coffee shop near the intersection of East 3rd North Street and North Main Street. The coffee shop warehouse had around 8 inches of water in the building and around 4 inches of water inside the main customer building, destroying most flooring and some wall/cabinet wood panels. Video from social media also indicated flooding along Richardson Creek entering a few homes near the intersection of Central Avenue and South Pine Street, one of which appeared to have 1 to 2 feet of water inside exterior walls.

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.

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

The same day elsewhere

More

Every storm in South Carolina in 2020Every state in 2020This day in weather historyWarnings in South Carolina, August 2020

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 2026-09-24. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 918010.