South Carolina, 2020Flash Flooding and Flood in South Carolina, May 20 to 21, 2020
May 20 to 21, 2020 · NWS GSP · 3 events in 2 counties and zones
A very moist air mass interacting with a nearly stationary frontal zone resulted in a prolonged period of heavy rainfall from multiple waves of heavy rain showers and thunderstorms over upstate South Carolina. Heavy rainfall was especially concentrated in Greenville and vicinity, where 5-8 inches of rain fell, mostly in about 48 hours.
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- Tropical storms and surge
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- Deaths
- 0
- Injuries
- 0
- Property damage
- $211,000
- Crop damage
- None recorded
- Events
- 3
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.
A very moist air mass interacting with a nearly stationary frontal zone resulted in a prolonged period of heavy rainfall from multiple waves of heavy rain showers and thunderstorms over upstate South Carolina. Heavy rainfall was especially concentrated in Greenville and vicinity, where 5-8 inches of rain fell, mostly in about 48 hours. This resulted in significant flooding along the Reedy River watershed, with flooding also developing along portions of the Enoree River basin as well.
What forecasters said that day
The local office's own words before the first event, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.
NWS Greenville-Spartanburg, SC wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at May 20, 5:59 AM EST, 1 minute earlier.
Area forecast discussion, May 20, 5:59 AM EST, 1 minute before
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</html>Hazardous weather outlook, May 20, 4:09 AM EST, 1 hour 51 minutes before
Hazardous Weather Outlook
National Weather Service Greenville-Spartanburg SC
509 AM EDT Wed May 20 2020
NCZ033-035>037-049-050-053-056-057-064-065-068>072-082-501>510-
SCZ002-003-005>010-013-014-210915-
Avery-Alexander-Iredell-Davie-Yancey-Mitchell-Buncombe-Catawba-Rowan-
Transylvania-Henderson-Cleveland-Lincoln-Gaston-Mecklenburg-Cabarrus-
Union NC-Caldwell Mountains-Greater Caldwell-Burke Mountains-
Greater Burke-McDowell Mountains-Eastern McDowell-
Rutherford Mountains-Greater Rutherford-Polk Mountains-Eastern Polk-
Pickens Mountains-Greenville Mountains-Greater Pickens-
Greater Greenville-Spartanburg-Cherokee-York-Anderson-Union SC-
Chester-
509 AM EDT Wed May 20 2020
...FLASH FLOOD WATCH IN EFFECT THROUGH THURSDAY MORNING...
This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for the western Piedmont, foothills,
and parts of the North Carolina mountains, and parts of upstate
South Carolina.
.DAY ONE...Today and tonight.
Please listen to NOAA Weather Radio or go to weather.gov on the
Internet for more information about the following hazards.
Flash Flood Watch.
In addition to the heavy rainfall threat, isolated thunderstorms are
possible through tonight. The storms that develop will produce cloud
to ground lightning, torrential downpours, and wind gusts capable of
knocking down trees weakened by the heavy rain and saturated soil.
.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Thursday through Tuesday.
Please listen to NOAA Weather Radio or go to weather.gov on the
Internet for more information about the following hazards.
Flash Flood Watch.
.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...
Spotter activation may be needed. Please relay any information about
observed severe weather to the NWS while following all local, state,
and CDC guidelines.
GAZ010-NCZ048-051-052-058-059-062-063-210915-
Rabun-Madison-Swain-Haywood-Graham-Northern Jackson-Macon-
Southern Jackson-
509 AM EDT Wed May 20 2020
This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for northeast Georgia and western
North Carolina.
.DAY ONE...Today and tonight.
Isolated thunderstorms are possible through tonight. The main
threats from these thunderstorms will be heavy rainfall and cloud to
ground lightning. Some locations could experience minor flooding
where numerous showers and storms occur.
.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Thursday through Tuesday.
Periods of showers and storms could persist into Thursday morning.
.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...
Spotter activation may be needed. Please relay any information about
observed severe weather to the NWS while following all local, state,
and CDC guidelines.
GAZ017-018-026-028-029-SCZ001-004-011-012-019-210915-
Habersham-Stephens-Franklin-Hart-Elbert-Oconee Mountains-
Greater Oconee-Abbeville-Laurens-Greenwood-
509 AM EDT Wed May 20 2020
This Hazardous Weather Outlook is for northeast Georgia and upstate
South Carolina.
.DAY ONE...Today and tonight.
Numerous of showers and thunderstorms are expected through today and
into tonight. Periods of heavy rain can be expected, perhaps enough
to cause flooding of poor drainage areas and rapid rises on streams
and creeks. Cloud to ground lightning can be expected in
thunderstorms. A few of the storms could produce wind gusts strong
enough to knock down a few trees that have been weakened by the heavy
rain and saturated soil.
.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...Thursday through Tuesday.
No significant weather is expected.
.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...
Spotter activation may be needed. Please relay any information about
observed severe weather to the NWS while following all local, state,
and CDC guidelines.
PM
In the hours before
Special weather statement, May 20, 4:39 AM EST, 1 hour 21 minutes before
Special Weather Statement
National Weather Service Greenville-Spartanburg SC
539 AM EDT Wed May 20 2020
SCZ010-011-019-201015-
Anderson SC-Abbeville SC-Greenwood SC-
539 AM EDT Wed May 20 2020
...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WILL IMPACT SOUTHEASTERN ANDERSON...
ABBEVILLE AND NORTHWESTERN GREENWOOD COUNTIES UNTIL 615 AM EDT...
At 539 AM EDT, Doppler radar was tracking a strong thunderstorm 8
miles west of Abbeville, or 7 miles east of Lowndesville, moving
northeast at 35 mph.
Locations to be impacted include...
Abbeville, Honea Path, Ware Shoals, Calhoun Falls, Due West, Donalds,
Hodges, Shoals Junction, Lake Secession and Lake Russell.
Wind gusts up to 40 mph, pea size hail and very heavy rainfall rates
up to 2 inches per hour will be possible in these areas.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
The combination of gusty winds and saturated soil conditions will
cause scattered trees and power lines to fall. Seek shelter inside an
interior room.
&&
LAT...LON 3407 8261 3417 8266 3454 8240 3435 8217
3408 8247 3408 8248 3407 8250
TIME...MOT...LOC 0939Z 215DEG 28KT 3419 8252
MOORESpecial weather statement, May 20, 5:07 AM EST, 53 minutes before
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</html>Flash Flood, Greenville
- When
- May 20, 6:00 AM EST to 10:30 AM EST
- Where
- Greenville County, 1.73 mi WSW of White Horse to 0.18 mi ENE of Croswell
- Cause
- Heavy Rain
- Property damage
- $200,000
- Reported by
- River/Stream Gage
- Coordinates
- 34.790, -82.458
Stream gauges, emergency management, and local law enforcement reported flash flooding developed across central and portions of northern Greenville county after a total of 5 to 6 inches fell across the area in about 24 hours. The most significant flooding was observed along the Reedy River watershed in the Greenville area, where stream gauges on the river quickly rose to the established moderate flood stage during the morning of the 20th. Inundation of Westfield St and Hudson St occurred, while portions of the Swamp Rabbit trail and Cleveland Park were also flooded. The Enoree River and one of its major tributaries, Brushy Creek were also impacted on the east side and Greer areas, flooding portions of Aiken Chapel Rd, Gibbs Shoals Rd among other roads and low lying areas. Other roads in the area were washed out or flooded by smaller streams or due to poor drainage, including Keith Dr in the city of Greenville, Rison Rd and Gethsemane Dr on the west side of Greenville, Bull Rd and Forrester Rd in the Blue Ridge area.
Flash Flood, Anderson
- When
- May 20, 6:30 AM EST to 10:00 AM EST
- Where
- Anderson County, 4.24 mi ENE of Denver to 4.02 mi ENE of Denver
- Cause
- Heavy Rain
- Property damage
- $1,000
- Reported by
- Broadcast Media
- Coordinates
- 34.607, -82.663
Media and law enforcement reported flash flooding developed along small tributaries of Six and Twenty Creek, with one tributary inundating Slater Rd and another Dalrymple Rd near its intersection with Thompson Rd. Total 24-hour rainfall of 4 to 6 inches was reported across much of the northern half of Anderson County on the 19th and 20th.
Flood, Greenville
- When
- May 20, 10:30 AM EST to May 21, 9:00 AM EST
- Where
- Greenville County, 1.73 mi WSW of White Horse to 0.18 mi ENE of Croswell
- Cause
- Heavy Rain
- Property damage
- $10,000
- Reported by
- River/Stream Gage
- Coordinates
- 34.790, -82.458
Although heavy rainfall became less frequent throughout the late morning and afternoon of the 20th, runoff from the heavy rainfall that fell throughout the Reedy River and Enoree River watersheds on the 19th and early morning of the 20th resulted in flooding persisting along the Reedy, the Enoree, and some tributaries into the morning of the 21st. Total 48 hour rainfall of 6 to 9 inches was observed across much of central and northern Greenville County.
- 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.
- Hail in Texas, May 20, 2020$100 million · 3 in hail · 9 events
- Strong Wind in Minnesota, May 20, 20201 death · 1 event
- Tornado and Hail in Montana, May 20, 2020$737,000 · EF0 · 49 events
- Tornado and Hail in South Carolina, May 20, 2020EF1 · 10 events
- Flooding in Ohio, May 20 to 23, 2020$34,000 · 8 events
- Flash Flooding and Flooding in West Virginia, May 20 to 22, 2020$35,000 · 7 events
- Damaging Winds in Florida, May 20 to 24, 2020$25,000 · 65 kt wind · 9 events
- Hail and Damaging Winds in Montana, May 20, 20202.5 in hail · 21 events
- Damaging Wind in Colorado, May 20, 2020$15,000 · 70 kt wind · 1 event
- Tornadoes and Hail in Colorado, May 20, 2020EF0 · 8 events
- Hail in Wyoming, May 20, 20202 in hail · 7 events
- Flash Flooding and Hail in Louisiana, May 20, 20201.75 in hail · 7 events
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 2026-09-30. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 897317, 897811, 897320.