South Carolina, 2023

Flash Flooding in South Carolina, August 6, 2023

August 6, 2023 · NWS CAE · 2 events in 1 county or zone

Thunderstorms with heavy rain repeatedly moved over the same areas in Columbia, producing flash flooding.

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

Open the live radar over this ground

The toll

Deaths
0
Injuries
0
Property damage
$30,000
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
2

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 CAE wrote it up.

Thunderstorms with heavy rain repeatedly moved over the same areas in Columbia, producing flash flooding.

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 Columbia, SC wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Aug 6, 1:07 PM EST, 3 hours 41 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Aug 6, 1:07 PM EST, 3 hours 41 minutes before
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Hazardous weather outlook, Aug 6, 3:17 AM EST, 13 hours 31 minutes before
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In the hours before

Special weather statement, Aug 6, 3:02 PM EST, 1 hour 46 minutes before
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Special weather statement, Aug 6, 3:17 PM EST, 1 hour 31 minutes before
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Special weather statement, Aug 6, 3:46 PM EST, 1 hour 2 minutes before
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Special weather statement, Aug 6, 3:51 PM EST, 57 minutes before
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Special weather statement, Aug 6, 4:30 PM EST, 18 minutes before
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Special weather statement, Aug 6, 4:32 PM EST, 16 minutes before
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The radar

The Columbia radar (KCAE), 9 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 21:49 UTC.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

2 flash flood. Local standard time, as filed.

Flash Flood, Richland

When
August 6, 4:48 PM EST to 7:00 PM EST
Where
Richland County, 0.71 mi NW of Olympia Mills to 0.68 mi NW of Olympia Mills
Cause
Heavy Rain
Reported by
Other Federal Agency
Coordinates
33.988, -81.028

USGS Gage at Rocky Branch Creek at Main and Whaley Streets reached 7.4 feet, above flood stage of 7.2 feet, cresting at 5:54 PM.

Flash Flood, Richland

When
August 6, 5:30 PM EST to 7:00 PM EST
Where
Richland County, 0.29 mi W of Sims to 0.3 mi WSW of Sims
Cause
Heavy Rain
Property damage
$30,000
Reported by
Emergency Manager
Coordinates
33.949, -80.975

Richland County EM reported vehicle stranded in flooded roadway along I-77 North at the Shop Road Interchange.

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 2023Every state in 2023This day in weather historyWarnings in South Carolina, August 2023

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: 1112968, 1112970.