Tropical Rains Bring Relief to Drought-Laden Upstate

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With the remnants of Tropical Storm Fay moving eastward into the Upstate of South Carolina and the mountains of North Carolina, tropical rains have brought much-needed relief to the drought-stricken areas of the Southeast.

The Upstate of South Carolina has received an average of well over an inch of rainfall in the last 24 hours. The mountains of North Carolina have also received significant rainfall, with some areas experiencing flooding.

A mudslide caused by the rain forced the closing of a restaurant in the mountain resort area of Chimney Rock/Lake Lure. As the Fall tourist season gets underway in a few short weeks, the area will be teeming with customers. Owners of the restaurant are confident that they can have repairs completed before that time.

The Greenville-Spartanburg area of South Carolina, and the Asheville-Hendersonville area of North Carolina are expecting continued moderate to heavy rainfall Tuesday night and Wednesday.

An 'extreme drought' has engulf the entirety of the region since January of this year. Most reporting stations are anywhere from 10 to 15 inches below normal rainfall.

While the remnants of Tropical Storm Fay may not end the drought, the few inches of rain expected from the system will certainly bring welcomed relief to the area and take at least some of the pressure off of local water districts that have implemented either voluntary or mandatory water restrictions.

UPDATE! Watches and warnings for the Western Carolinas can be found here:
Weather Underground--Southeastern U.S.