North Carolina, 2024

Flash Flood in North Carolina, July 20 to 21, 2024

July 20 to 21, 2024 · NWS GSP · 1 event in 1 county or zone

Slow moving thunderstorms and storm clusters developed over the North Carolina Piedmont during the evening. A series of these cells moved over the city of Gastonia and produced very heavy rainfall in a short period of time, resulting in 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
$5,000
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 GSP wrote it up.

Slow moving thunderstorms and storm clusters developed over the North Carolina Piedmont during the evening. A series of these cells moved over the city of Gastonia and produced very heavy rainfall in a short period of time, resulting in flash flooding.

The radar

The Greer radar (KGSP), 101 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 02:58 UTC.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

1 flash flood. Local standard time, as filed.

Flash Flood, Gaston

When
July 20, 10:00 PM EST to July 21, 1:00 AM EST
Where
Gaston County, 2.2 mi W of Gastonia to 0.88 mi SE of South Gastonia
Cause
Heavy Rain
Property damage
$5,000
Reported by
911 Call Center
Coordinates
35.271, -81.219

County comms reported severe urban and small stream flooding developed in the city of Gastonia after a series of slow-moving thunderstorms dumped 3 to 4 inches of rain across the city in just a couple of hours. Floodwaters caused water rescues to become necessary on Franklin Blvd, on Caldwell St, and on North Firestone St. Additionally, a stream gauge on Catawba Creek at East Hudson Blvd exceeded its established flood stage by a couple of feet.

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 North Carolina in 2024Every state in 2024This day in weather historyWarnings in North Carolina, July 2024

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: 1204941.