Heavy rain, storms impact area on Tuesday

Published 4:00 pm Tuesday, January 9, 2024

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Flash Flood Warning issued after at least 3 to 6 inches of rainfall across area

POLK COUNTY—Widespread rain moved into the area during the early morning hours of Tuesday, followed by thunderstorms later in the day, impacting Polk County and Landrum and leading to flooding and travel issues.

A Flash Flood Warning was issued by the National Weather Service for Polk, Spartanburg and Rutherford counties after at least 3 to 6 inches of rain fell across the warned area.

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Wind advisories were also in place due to the threat of sustained wind speeds of 15 to 30 mph and gusts of 55 mph. N.C. Governor Roy Cooper proclaimed a State of Emergency late Monday evening, as flooding, high wind gusts and power outages were predicted across the state, and Polk County Schools and Spartanburg District One Schools announced schools would be closed for students on Tuesday and all athletic events rescheduled.

There were some early reports of downed trees in roadways, which were cleared by emergency personnel. Green River Cove Rd. and Edgerton Rd. were closed due to flooding, and 33 power outages were reported in Green Creek around noon. Several other roadways were closed at different points throughout the day, including Hunting Country Rd at Carriage Row Rd., Landrum Rd. at the state line, Abrams Moore Rd., Reagan Jackson Rd., and Coxe Rd. at the Phillips Dairy Rd. intersection. Roads began to reopen later as water receded.

“There’s just a lot of standing water right now all over Polk County,” Emergency Management Director Bobby Arledge said early on Tuesday. “Some minor flooding, and the intersection of River Rd., Hooker Rd. and Scriven Rd. are pretty much impassable right now.

The deluge also led to the collapse of a retaining wall in Tryon near the post office, severely damaging four vehicles.

Residents were advised to use caution throughout the day.