ROCKINGHAM — Mother Nature may be gearing up for Round 2 this week as more rain and possibly severe weather is forecast.
A massive storm last Thursday into Friday forced Richmond County schools to shut down, and spawned 6 tornadoes in the Charlotte region, downed trees and power lines, and left up to 23,000 Duke Energy customers in Mecklenburg County without power on Thursday.
The storm was also blamed for two deaths. A driver was killed on Pleasant Road north of Fort Mill in York County, S.C. when a tree dropped on to his vehicle, blown down by heavy winds. And another drive lost control of his Ford truck and plunged down a 25 foot embankment during heavy rains Thursday in Gaston County, N.C. He was pronounced dead on the scene, according to officials.
Overnight on Monday is when the heaviest showers were expected to arrive, according to the National Weather Service. An inch to 1.5 inches were predicted for Monday into Tuesday. Tuesday’s forecast called for a 60 percent chance of rain with a high of 76 degrees and a low of 54.
Light scattered showers will follow between Tuesday and Thursday night, National Weather Service meteorologist Rodney Hinson said. The precipitation will likely be half or a third of what is expected Monday.
Days of relentless rain could “re-flood” roads in the region this week, the National Weather Prediction Center warned.
Moisture from the Gulf is forecast to “ride along a slow moving front Monday/Monday night, feeding showers and thunderstorms that produce heavy rainfall in areas that saw heavy rain and flooding Thursday and Thursday night,” center officials tweeted. “The wet conditions support an enhanced flash flood threat.”
The moisture is expected to cover a vast, multi-state area from the Deep South through the Carolinas and part of Virginia through the week.
Wednesday’s forecast calls for a 40 percent chance of showers, and on Thursday the forecasters are predicting a 70 percent change of precipitation in the Richmond County region.
At least it will remain warm, with Tuesday’s high expected to hit 76; a high of 63 on Wednesday; and back up to 74 on Thursday.
As of presstime, Friday’s forecast is calling for mostly sunny skies and with a of 51 and a low of 28.
Those along the Pee Dee River should keep their eyes on more potential flooding this week also. A long portion of the river is currently declared a flood zone, most of that stretching into South Carolina from near the border of North Carolina.
