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The October 2015 North American storm complex was an
extratropical storm
Extratropical cyclones, sometimes called mid-latitude cyclones or wave cyclones, are low-pressure areas which, along with the anticyclones of high-pressure areas, drive the weather over much of the Earth. Extratropical cyclones are capable of ...
that triggered a high precipitation event, which caused historic flash flooding across North
North is one of the four compass points or cardinal directions. It is the opposite of south and is perpendicular to east and west. ''North'' is a noun, adjective, or adverb indicating direction or geography.
Etymology
The word ''north ...
and South Carolina
)'' Animis opibusque parati'' ( for, , Latin, Prepared in mind and resources, links=no)
, anthem = " Carolina";" South Carolina On My Mind"
, Former = Province of South Carolina
, seat = Columbia
, LargestCity = Charleston
, LargestMetro = ...
. The incipient cold front
A cold front is the leading edge of a cooler mass of air at ground level that replaces a warmer mass of air and lies within a pronounced surface trough of low pressure. It often forms behind an extratropical cyclone (to the west in the Northern ...
traversed the Eastern United States
The Eastern United States, commonly referred to as the American East, Eastern America, or simply the East, is the region of the United States to the east of the Mississippi River. In some cases the term may refer to a smaller area or the East C ...
on September 29–30, producing heavy rain in multiple states. The system subsequently stalled just offshore. Tapping into moisture from the nearby Hurricane Joaquin
Hurricane Joaquin (, ) was a powerful tropical cyclone that devastated several districts of The Bahamas and caused damage in the Turks and Caicos Islands, parts of the Greater Antilles, and Bermuda. It was also the strongest Atlantic hurricane o ...
, a developing surface low brought heavy, continuous rain to southeastern States, with the worst effects concentrated in South Carolina where catastrophic flooding occurred. The event culminated in South Carolina on October 4 when numerous rivers burst their banks, washing away roads, bridges, vehicles, and homes. Hundreds of people required rescue and the state's emergency management department urged everyone in the state not to travel. Some areas of the state saw rainfall equivalent to a 1-in-1000-year event.
At least 25 deaths have been attributed to the weather complex: 19 in South Carolina, 2 in New York, 2 in North Carolina, 1 in Florida
Florida is a state located in the Southeastern region of the United States. Florida is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the northwest by Alabama, to the north by Georgia, to the east by the Bahamas and Atlantic Ocean, and to ...
, and 1 in New Brunswick
New Brunswick (french: Nouveau-Brunswick, , locally ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada. It is one of the three Maritime provinces and one of the four Atlantic provinces. It is the only province with both English and ...
. Damage from the storm reached $2 billion.
Meteorological synopsis
On September 29, 2015, acold front
A cold front is the leading edge of a cooler mass of air at ground level that replaces a warmer mass of air and lies within a pronounced surface trough of low pressure. It often forms behind an extratropical cyclone (to the west in the Northern ...
moved southeast across the Eastern United States
The Eastern United States, commonly referred to as the American East, Eastern America, or simply the East, is the region of the United States to the east of the Mississippi River. In some cases the term may refer to a smaller area or the East C ...
and produced widespread heavy rain. By October 2, the frontal system stalled offshore and a 1000 mbar
The bar is a metric unit of pressure, but not part of the International System of Units (SI). It is defined as exactly equal to 100,000 Pa (100 kPa), or slightly less than the current average atmospheric pressure on Earth at sea lev ...
(hPa HPA may refer to:
Organizations
* Harry Potter Alliance, a charity
* Halifax Port Authority, Canada
* Hamburg Port Authority, Germany
* Hawaii Preparatory Academy, a school in Hawaii, US
* Health Protection Agency, UK
* Heerespersonalamt, the Ger ...
; 29.53 inHg) surface low developed just east of the Florida
Florida is a state located in the Southeastern region of the United States. Florida is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the northwest by Alabama, to the north by Georgia, to the east by the Bahamas and Atlantic Ocean, and to ...
–Georgia
Georgia most commonly refers to:
* Georgia (country), a country in the Caucasus region of Eurasia
* Georgia (U.S. state), a state in the Southeast United States
Georgia may also refer to:
Places
Historical states and entities
* Related to the ...
border. The cyclone interacted with Hurricane Joaquin
Hurricane Joaquin (, ) was a powerful tropical cyclone that devastated several districts of The Bahamas and caused damage in the Turks and Caicos Islands, parts of the Greater Antilles, and Bermuda. It was also the strongest Atlantic hurricane o ...
—situated over the Bahamas
The Bahamas (), officially the Commonwealth of The Bahamas, is an island country within the Lucayan Archipelago of the West Indies in the North Atlantic. It takes up 97% of the Lucayan Archipelago's land area and is home to 88% of the ar ...
at the time—with moisture streaming north from the hurricane into the Southeastern United States
The Southeastern United States, also referred to as the American Southeast or simply the Southeast, is a geographical region of the United States. It is located broadly on the eastern portion of the southern United States and the southern por ...
. This moisture interacted with the surface low, frontal boundary, and a strong upper-level low
A cold-core low, also known as an upper level low or cold-core cyclone, is a cyclone aloft which has an associated cold pool of air residing at high altitude within the Earth's troposphere, without a frontal structure. It is a low pressure syste ...
to produce prolonged, heavy rains over the region with training bands situated over South Carolina
)'' Animis opibusque parati'' ( for, , Latin, Prepared in mind and resources, links=no)
, anthem = " Carolina";" South Carolina On My Mind"
, Former = Province of South Carolina
, seat = Columbia
, LargestCity = Charleston
, LargestMetro = ...
. A strengthening ridge to the northeast created a tighter pressure gradient
In atmospheric science, the pressure gradient (typically of air but more generally of any fluid) is a physical quantity that describes in which direction and at what rate the pressure increases the most rapidly around a particular location. The p ...
, resulting in a large area of onshore gale
A gale is a strong wind; the word is typically used as a descriptor in nautical contexts. The U.S. National Weather Service defines a gale as sustained surface winds moving at a speed of between 34 and 47 knots (, or ).
On September 30,
On October 4, a 9-year-old drowned after being pulled out to sea by
Rainfall across parts of South Carolina reached 500-year event levels, with areas near Columbia experiencing a 1-in-1000 year event. Accumulations reached near 
At 10:54 a.m. EDT (14:54 UTC) on October 4, 211 state roads and 43 bridges were closed. On the same day, Georgetown County Emergency Management closed all roadways in the county because of severe flooding; the South Carolina Emergency Management Division announced the closure of Interstate 95 between Interstate 20 and
In Virginia, heavy rains resulted in numerous traffic accidents; state police responded to 375 incidents on October 3. Police received more than 1,200 calls that day. Power outages affected 7,300 customers at the height of the storm. The James River approached flood levels, and hundreds evacuated low-lying areas in Lancaster County on Virginia's
Preparations
On September 30, Virginia Governor
The governor of the Commonwealth of Virginia serves as the head of government of Virginia for a four-year term. The incumbent, Glenn Youngkin, was sworn in on January 15, 2022.
Oath of office
On inauguration day, the Governor-elect takes th ...
Terry McAuliffe
Terence Richard McAuliffe (born February 9, 1957) is an American businessman and politician who served as the 72nd governor of Virginia from 2014 to 2018. A member of the Democratic Party, he was co-chairman of President Bill Clinton's 1996 ...
declared a state of emergency for the entire state owing to heavy rains and the threat of Hurricane Joaquin. The City of Norfolk also declared an emergency. On October 1, Governors Larry Hogan, Chris Christie
Christopher James Christie (born September 6, 1962) is an American politician, lawyer, political commentator, lobbyist, and former federal prosecutor who served as the 55th governor of New Jersey from 2010 to 2018.
Christie, who was born in N ...
, Pat McCrory
Patrick Lloyd McCrory (born October 17, 1956) is an American businessman, politician and radio host who served as the 74th governor of North Carolina from 2013 to 2017. A member of the Republican Party, he previously served as the 53rd Mayor ...
, and Nikki Haley declared a state of emergency for Maryland, New Jersey, North Carolina, and South Carolina respectively.
By October 3, approximately 22 million people were under flood warnings or watches
A watch is a portable timepiece intended to be carried or worn by a person. It is designed to keep a consistent movement despite the motions caused by the person's activities. A wristwatch is designed to be worn around the wrist, attached b ...
. The storm prompted the cancellation of 145 flights nationwide.
Impact
Southeastern states
One person was killed in North Carolina on October 1 when a tree fell on her car. Flooding inBrunswick County, North Carolina
Brunswick County is the southernmost county in the U.S. state of North Carolina. As of the 2020 census, the population was 136,693. Its population was only 73,143 in 2000, making it one of the fastest-growing counties in the state. With a no ...
prompted the evacuation of 400–500 people. More than 10,000 people were without power in the state. A second death was confirmed on October 5.
On October 4, a 9-year-old drowned after being pulled out to sea by rip current
A rip current, often simply called a rip (or misleadingly a ''rip tide''), is a specific kind of water current that can occur near beaches with breaking waves. A rip is a strong, localized, and narrow current of water which moves directly away ...
s near St. Pete Beach, Florida.
South Carolina
Rainfall across parts of South Carolina reached 500-year event levels, with areas near Columbia experiencing a 1-in-1000 year event. Accumulations reached near Boone Hall
Boone Hall Plantation is a historic district located in Mount Pleasant, Charleston County, South Carolina, United States and listed on the National Register of Historic Places. The most important historic structures in the district are the br ...
by 11:00 a.m. EDT (15:00 UTC) on October 4. Charleston International Airport saw a record 24-hour rainfall of on October 3. Nearly 30,000 people were without power in the state. One woman drowned in Spartanburg
Spartanburg is a city in and the seat of Spartanburg County, South Carolina, United States. The city of Spartanburg has a municipal population of 38,732 as of the 2020 census, making it the 11th-largest city in the state. For a time, the Offi ...
on October 1 after her car was overwhelmed by flooding in an underpass. On October 2, a plane crashed along the South Carolina side of Lake Hartwell
Lake Hartwell is a man-made reservoir bordering Georgia and South Carolina and encompassing parts of the Savannah, Tugaloo, and Seneca rivers. Lake Hartwell is one of the Southeastern United States' largest recreation lakes. The lake was created ...
, killing all four occupants. The cause is currently unknown though there was light rain at the time of the incident. On October 3, the Charleston Historic District
The Charleston Historic District, alternatively known as Charleston Old and Historic District, is a National Historic Landmark District in Charleston, South Carolina. The district, which covers most of the historic peninsular heart of the city, ...
was brought to a virtual standstill with most roads closed because of flooding. Three deaths were confirmed in the state on October 2 and 3. Through the evening of October 3, highway patrol
A highway patrol, or state patrol is either a police unit created primarily for the purpose of overseeing and enforcing traffic safety compliance on roads and highways, or a detail within an existing local or regional police agency that is prima ...
reported 500 traffic accidents and 104 flooded roads.
Early on October 4, the National Weather Service
The National Weather Service (NWS) is an agency of the United States federal government that is tasked with providing weather forecasts, warnings of hazardous weather, and other weather-related products to organizations and the public for the ...
issued flash flood emergencies for Berkeley, Charleston, and Dorchester counties. From 4:00–7:30 a.m. EDT (08:00–11:30 UTC), Gills Creek in Columbia rapidly rose to before the river gauge stopped reporting; this shattered the previous record crest of in July 1997. The state's Emergency Management Division issued a statement later that morning via Twitter
Twitter is an online social media and social networking service owned and operated by American company Twitter, Inc., on which users post and interact with 280-character-long messages known as "tweets". Registered users can post, like, and ...
at 6:59 a.m. EDT, stating: "... remain where you are if you are safely able to do so." They reiterated this at 8:20 a.m., stressing that residents should not travel: "Remain. Where. You. Are. Dangerous flooding conditions through the state for most of the day." The State's Emergency Management division also issued a statement not to move or drive around barricades blocking flooded roads, yet drivers still moved and/or drove around barricades. Three subjects died after someone else removed a barricade from a road; in the darkness, the three were unable to see that the road had been washed out, and they drove into a chasm. A dam along Semmes Lake at Fort Jackson collapsed. More than 140 rescues were made during the overnight hours; the United States Coast Guard
The United States Coast Guard (USCG) is the maritime security, search and rescue, and law enforcement service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the country's eight uniformed services. The service is a maritime, military, mu ...
was deployed to assist in rescue missions.
At 10:54 a.m. EDT (14:54 UTC) on October 4, 211 state roads and 43 bridges were closed. On the same day, Georgetown County Emergency Management closed all roadways in the county because of severe flooding; the South Carolina Emergency Management Division announced the closure of Interstate 95 between Interstate 20 and Interstate 26
Interstate 26 (I-26) is a main route of the Interstate Highway System in the Southeastern United States. Nominally east–west, as indicated by its even number, I-26 runs from the junction of U.S. Route 11W (US 11W) and US 23 in K ...
, a stretch. A mandatory curfew was put in place for Columbia beginning at 6:00 p.m. EDT (22:00 UTC). All residents in the city were also advised to boil water as water lines suffered damage. One person died in the city after her car was swept away. Multiple school districts and colleges across the state were closed the week of October 5th, including Horry County Schools
Horry County Schools (HCS) is a public school district serving Horry County, South Carolina and is the third-largest school district in South Carolina. It serves over 45,000 students (as of the 2018–19 school year) in 56 schools (as well as off ...
, Georgetown County Schools, Williamsburg County Schools, Sumter County Schools, Charleston County Schools, University of South Carolina, Coastal Carolina University
Coastal Carolina University (CCU or Coastal) is a public university in Conway, South Carolina. Founded in 1954 as Coastal Carolina Junior College, and later joining the University of South Carolina System as USC Coastal Carolina, it became an in ...
and College of Charleston
The College of Charleston (CofC or Charleston) is a public university in Charleston, South Carolina. Founded in 1770 and chartered in 1785, it is the oldest university in South Carolina, the 13th oldest institution of higher learning in the Unit ...
.
Eighteen dams were breached or collapsed across the state. A mandatory evacuation was issued for areas downstream of the Overcreek Dam on October 5 after the structure was breached. The head of the South Carolina National Guard compared damage from the floods to Hurricane Hugo in 1989, which caused $9.5 billion in economic losses. Reinsurance company Aon Benfield indicated losses from the floods would be well in excess of $1 billion, with a large portion coming from uninsured homeowners.
At least 19 deaths were confirmed in relation to the storm, by the evening of October 9, 2015.
The fallout from the flooding forced the South Carolina Gamecocks
The South Carolina Gamecocks represent the University of South Carolina in the NCAA Division I.
The University of South Carolina uses "Gamecocks" as its official nickname and mascot. While the men's teams were traditionally known as the Fighti ...
to move their October 10 home game against the LSU Tigers
The LSU Tigers and Lady Tigers are the athletic teams representing Louisiana State University (LSU), a state university located in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. LSU competes in NCAA Division I, Division I of the National Collegiate Athletic Associat ...
to Tiger Stadium in Baton Rouge. While Williams-Brice Stadium in Columbia was not heavily damaged, school officials felt the damage to the area's infrastructure was too severe to host the game.
Northeastern states
In Virginia, heavy rains resulted in numerous traffic accidents; state police responded to 375 incidents on October 3. Police received more than 1,200 calls that day. Power outages affected 7,300 customers at the height of the storm. The James River approached flood levels, and hundreds evacuated low-lying areas in Lancaster County on Virginia's Northern Neck
The Northern Neck is the northernmost of three peninsulas (traditionally called "necks" in Virginia) on the western shore of the Chesapeake Bay in the Commonwealth of Virginia (along with the Middle Peninsula and the Virginia Peninsula). The P ...
.
Tidal flooding in Ocean City, Maryland
Ocean City, officially the Town of Ocean City, is an Atlantic resort town in Worcester County, Maryland along the East Coast of the United States. The population was 6,844 at the 2020 U.S. census, although during summer weekends the city hosts b ...
prompted road closures. Rainfall in the state peaked at near Bishopville. In Delaware
Delaware ( ) is a state in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States, bordering Maryland to its south and west; Pennsylvania to its north; and New Jersey and the Atlantic Ocean to its east. The state takes its name from the adjacent Del ...
, the storm caused coastal flooding
Coastal flooding normally occurs when dry and low-lying land is submerged by seawater. The range of a coastal flooding is a result of the elevation of floodwater that penetrates the inland which is controlled by the topography of the coastal land ...
, with Delaware Route 1 between Bethany Beach and Dewey Beach closed on October 2 due to flooding and not reopened until October 4.
Several days of continuous onshore flow caused significant coastal flooding and beach erosion in New Jersey. The worst erosion took place in Ocean County
Ocean County is a county located along the Jersey Shore in the south-central portion of the U.S. state of New Jersey. It borders the Atlantic Ocean on the east. Its county seat is Toms River.Mantoloking, where of sand was washed away; Ortley Beach saw up to . Wind gusts up to —the highest observed winds in relation to the
nor'easter
A nor'easter (also northeaster; see below), or an East Coast low is a synoptic-scale extratropical cyclone in the western North Atlantic Ocean. The name derives from the direction of the winds that blow from the northeast. The original use ...
—were measured at Cape May
Cape May consists of a peninsula and barrier island system in the U.S. state of New Jersey. It is roughly coterminous with Cape May County and runs southwards from the New Jersey mainland, separating Delaware Bay from the Atlantic Ocean. The so ...
. Coastal flooding in New Jersey destroyed at least one home. Stone Harbor sustained millions of dollars in damage to the beach. At least 3,600 residences lost power in the state. Despite severe coastal erosion, structural damage was limited.
On October 2, a fishing boat with five crew capsized amid swells in Jamaica Bay, near Floyd Bennett Field
Floyd Bennett Field is an airfield in the Marine Park neighborhood of southeast Brooklyn in New York City, along the shore of Jamaica Bay. The airport originally hosted commercial and general aviation traffic before being used as a naval air ...
along the south coast of Long Island, New York. Two people were able to swim to shore and signal rescue for the other three; two later died in the hospital.
Flooding in Portland, Maine
Portland is the largest city in the U.S. state of Maine and the seat of Cumberland County. Portland's population was 68,408 in April 2020. The Greater Portland metropolitan area is home to over half a million people, the 104th-largest metropo ...
stranded several vehicles.
Three Major League Baseball
Major League Baseball (MLB) is a professional baseball organization and the oldest major professional sports league in the world. MLB is composed of 30 total teams, divided equally between the National League (NL) and the American League (AL), ...
games were postponed due to the storm complex: a New York Mets
The New York Mets are an American professional baseball team based in the New York City borough of Queens. The Mets compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member of the National League (NL) East division. They are one of two major league ...
vs Washington Nationals
The Washington Nationals are an American professional baseball team based in Washington, D.C.. They compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member of the National League (NL) East division. From 2005 to 2007, the team played in RFK Stadiu ...
game, a New York Yankees
The New York Yankees are an American professional baseball team based in the New York City borough of the Bronx. The Yankees compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. They are one of ...
vs Baltimore Orioles
The Baltimore Orioles are an American professional baseball team based in Baltimore. The Orioles compete in Major League Baseball (MLB) as a member club of the American League (AL) East division. As one of the American League's eight charter ...
game and a Miami Marlins vs Philadelphia Phillies game.
Atlantic Canada
Heavy rains associated with the incipient frontal boundary extended into Atlantic Canada, with of rain observed in parts ofNew Brunswick
New Brunswick (french: Nouveau-Brunswick, , locally ) is one of the thirteen provinces and territories of Canada. It is one of the three Maritime provinces and one of the four Atlantic provinces. It is the only province with both English and ...
. Widespread flooding washed out roads and bridges, impairing travel; Hoyt was rendered inaccessible. One person died in Berwick after a retaining wall collapsed on him.
Aftermath
PresidentBarack Obama
Barack Hussein Obama II ( ; born August 4, 1961) is an American politician who served as the 44th president of the United States from 2009 to 2017. A member of the Democratic Party, Obama was the first African-American president of the ...
declared parts of South Carolina a disaster area, making federal aid available in Charleston, Berkeley, Dorchester, Georgetown, Horry, Lexington, Orangeburg, Richland, and Williamsburg Counties. Calhoun
John C. Calhoun (1782–1850) was the 7th vice president of the United States.
Calhoun can also refer to:
Surname
* Calhoun (surname)
Inhabited places in the United States
*Calhoun, Georgia
*Calhoun, Illinois
* Calhoun, Kansas
* Calhoun, Kentuc ...
, Clarendon, Kershaw, Lee, and Sumter Sumter may refer to:
People Given name
* Sumter S. Arnim (1904–1990), American dentist
* Sumter de Leon Lowry Jr. (1893–1985), United States Army general
Surname
* Rowendy Sumter (born 1988), Curaçaoan footballer
* Shavonda E. Sumter ( ...
counties were later added to the list of federal disaster areas. More than 1,300 National Guard soldiers and 250 state troopers were mobilized across the state. The United States Department of Transportation
The United States Department of Transportation (USDOT or DOT) is one of the executive departments of the U.S. federal government. It is headed by the secretary of transportation, who reports directly to the President of the United States a ...
released $5 million in emergency funds to the South Carolina Department of Transportation
The South Carolina Department of Transportation (SCDOT) is a government agency in the US state of South Carolina. Its mission is to build and maintain roads and bridges and administer mass transit services.
By state law, the SCDOT's function and ...
on October 6. On October 16, the following counties were added to the list of federal disaster areas: Abbeville
Abbeville (, vls, Abbekerke, pcd, Advile) is a commune in the Somme department and in Hauts-de-France region in northern France.
It is the chef-lieu of one of the arrondissements of Somme. Located on the river Somme, it was the capital of ...
, Anderson
Anderson or Andersson may refer to:
Companies
* Anderson (Carriage), a company that manufactured automobiles from 1907 to 1910
* Anderson Electric, an early 20th-century electric car
* Anderson Greenwood, an industrial manufacturer
* Anderson ...
, Bamberg, Colleton, Darlington, Fairfield, Florence
Florence ( ; it, Firenze ) is a city in Central Italy and the capital city of the Tuscany Regions of Italy, region. It is the most populated city in Tuscany, with 383,083 inhabitants in 2016, and over 1,520,000 in its metropolitan area.Bilan ...
, Laurens, McCormick, and Newberry
Newberry is a surname, a variant of Newbury. Notable people with the surname include:
* Booker Newberry III (born 1956), American singer and keyboardist
* Brennan Newberry (born, 1990), American professional stock car racing driver
* Brian Newb ...
counties.
Looting was reported in some areas of Columbia that had been evacuated.
It was announced on October 9 that 18 bridges along 13 miles of Interstate 95 had foundation damage that still needed repairs, which would start October 10. Until the repairs were done, drivers had to make a detour of 94 extra miles by Columbia. Southbound lanes on the final 16 miles of Interstate 95 opened October 12 and all of the interstate reopened by 8 A.M. EDT on October 13, after structural repairs to 13 bridges.
By November 25, 2015, over 69 roads were still closed. 26 of those needed repair or replacement of private dams to take place. A South Carolina Department of Transportation
The South Carolina Department of Transportation (SCDOT) is a government agency in the US state of South Carolina. Its mission is to build and maintain roads and bridges and administer mass transit services.
By state law, the SCDOT's function and ...
report said 221 bridges were affected and 18 would have to be replaced. Workers removed 2000 truckloads of debris from roads. The estimated cost of road repairs was $137 million.
See also
*2015 Atlantic hurricane season
The 2015 Atlantic hurricane season was the last of three consecutive below average Atlantic hurricane seasons. It produced twelve tropical cyclones, eleven named storms, four hurricanes, and two major hurricanes. The Accumulated Cyclone Energy ...
* November 2009 nor'easter ("Nor'Ida")
*Hurricane Florence
Hurricane Florence was a powerful and long-lived Cape Verde hurricane that caused catastrophic damage in the Carolinas in September 2018, primarily as a result of freshwater flooding due to torrential rain. The sixth named storm, third h ...
References
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