Severe Thunderstorms, Flooding Rain Swept Through the South (RECAP) – The Weather Channel

Severe thunderstorms with damaging winds, flooding, and some tornadoes swept through the Southeast from Feb. 5-6. Several spots east of the southern Appalachians, including Greenville, South Carolina, saw flash flood emergencies.

Several tornadoes were confirmed on Wednesday in Mississippi near Jackson, including an EF2 near Yazoo City. A second EF2 tornado touched down around Bay Springs, Mississippi where it damaged homes and then traveled to the Mississippi/Alabama state line in Lauderdale County, a path of 60 miles.

They were some of the first tornadoes of the event. There were more than 20 reports of tornadoes from Mississippi to the Carolinas Wednesday into Thursday evening.

Southeast Lauderdale County High School in Vinville, Mississippi, was damaged by a possible tornado, according to a report from the National Weather Service.

In Alabama, an EF1 tornado destroyed several manufactured homes and one barn early Thursday morning to the south of Demopolis. Another EF0 tornado touched down in Shelby County, Alabama very early Thursday morning.

On Thursday, Feb. 6, there were several reports of tornadoes in North Carolina and South Carolina, with numerous trees and power lines downed.

Reports of extensive damage along W. Main Street in Spartanburg, South Carolina, possibly due to a tornado Thursday morning. Two tractor trailers were flipped and some buildings collapsed. A Walmart was also reported to be damaged.

A likely tornado caused a tree to fall on a house in Gastonia, North Carolina.

In all, about 240 reports of damaging thunderstorm winds, large hail and tornadoes were received by the National Weather Service from Louisiana to Virginia to Florida from just before midday on Feb. 5 through just after 1 a.m. on Feb. 7.

These are initial reports of tornadoes, large hail, and high winds or wind damage from thunderstorms. Note: The number of tornadoes is often not known immediately following a severe event. The number of tornado reports, therefore, doesn't necessarily correlate to the number of actual tornadoes, which are later confirmed by NWS storm surveys.

Major flash flooding also plagued several states Thursday from Alabama into Georgia, Tennessee, Kentucky, West Virginia, Virginia and the Carolinas.

Water rescues were reported in Chattooga County in northwestern Georgia and near Chattanooga, Tennessee, Thursday morning due to significant flash flooding.

Flooding trapped a resident in a home in Hartwell, Georgia, midday Thursday and had to be evacuated.

A mudslide caused a car accident near Oakwood, Virginia Thursday morning and water was entering houses in Berwind and Coalwood, West Virginia.

A mobile home was reported to be floating down the Poor Fork of the Cumberland River in Kentucky midday Thursday.

Another flash flood emergency was issued Thursday for Tazewell County in Virginia where significant flooding was reported. The Clinch River at Richlands has already reached moderate flood stage and is expected to crest around 15 feet, which would be the highest level in over 40 years. Evacuations are underway in Richlands.

A flash flood emergency was issued for Pickens County in South Carolina midday Thursday with over 60 roads closed due to flooding and water rescues. Structural flooding is also expected.

A flash flood emergency was issued for the city of Greenville, South Carolina, mid-Thursday afternoon into the evening hours. Several roads in Greenville are closed due to flooding and structural damage due to flooding is possible.

Greenville picked up 5.36 inches of rain on Feb. 6, alone, by far its wettest February day on record and wettest single day in over 24 years.

In all, almost 230 reports of flooding and flash flooding were reported to the National Weather Service in the Southeast from this storm.

Reports of flooding and flash flooding are shown as blue dots over a map of estimated 48-hour precipitation from Feb. 5-6, 2020.

The Weather Companys primary journalistic mission is to report on breaking weather news, the environment and the importance of science to our lives. This story does not necessarily represent the position of our parent company, IBM.

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Severe Thunderstorms, Flooding Rain Swept Through the South (RECAP) - The Weather Channel