Flash flood warning still in place for several NC counties

By Elizabeth Gardner, WRAL meteorologist

River levels were already high in northeastern North Carolina which made for perfect conditions for flooding this week.

WRAL meteorologist Elizabeth Gardner said it usually takes 15 to 20 inches of rain to see the kind of flooding the northeastern part of the state has seen this week, but because of the already saturated ground, it only took 7 to 10 inches to cause dangerous, flash flooding.

Here are all the counties under a flash flood warning.

Warren County, Franklin County and Nash county have a flood warning until 9:45 p.m. Gardner said it doesn’t seem as if the next round of thunderstorms will make conditions much worse.

Currently the Tar River at Louisburg is at a little over 22 feet, which is in the “moderate” flood stage category. It is expected that the river will crest later Friday — which means the water will continue to move downstream.

The Tar River at Tarboro will expect to stay above flood stage through Friday evening and into next week, while the river at Rocky Mount is not expected to pass flood stage.

On Thursday, the Tar River in Rocky Mount reached the third highest level on record.

By Thursday at 1 p.m., the Tar River at N.C. Highway 97 in Rocky Mount was at 27.24 feet, more than 6 feet above flood stage.

Friday afternoon we will see more showers along the I-95 corridor — like we have all week. The showers will be scattered.