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flash flood watch issued: 10 September

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The National Weather Service has issued a Flash Flood Watch for much of central North Carolina including Wake County. The full list of counties currently under a watch is available here. I would expect this county list to expand as the afternoon wears on.

Remember, a Flash Flood Watch means that conditions are favorable for the development of flash flooding. Be prepared to take emergency measures should a flash flood warning be issued for your location.

A very slow moving cold front is triggering showers, rain, and thunderstorms over a widespread area already saturated from TS Hanna. This will lead to the rapid filling of streams and potentially result in flooding that can be dangerous to life and property.

From the radars, it appears that once significant rain develops over a given location, the cell producing that rain is not moving to any great extent. Some of these areas have rainfall rates at or exceeding one inch per hour. Even when the particular cell drifts on or dies out, there is still plenty of moisture and lift in the atmosphere to regenerate storms with heavy downpours.

This situation will continue until well after dark this evening and conditions will become significantly more dangerous after that time since you will not be able to see rising waters over roadways.

Do not attempt to drive through moving water. As little as six inches of moving water can sweep your car downstream. Neither should you attempt to drive through standing water since what appears to be an inch deep may hide a roadbed that is washed out. If that is the case, you and your car will disappear into a pit.