Chuck Burton / AP
Officials issued a flash flood emergency warning in Charleston, South Carolina, and surrounding counties early Sunday morning as a powerful low pressure system surged through the state, bringing more than 16 inches of rain in some areas.
Shortly after midnight on Sunday, the National Weather Service (NWS) issued flash flood emergency warnings for Charleston, Berkeley, and Dorchester counties, noting the risk of "catastrophic" flooding.
"This is a life-threatening situation," the NWS warned.
Later on Sunday morning, weather officials said the warning would remain in effect until at least the early afternoon.
"Significant flooding is still ongoing in many areas and due to the extremely wet soils from rain over the past three days and the increasing coastal tides the flooding will remain a problem into [the] early afternoon," the NWS said.
More than 11 inches of rain fell on the city in 48 hours, while more than 16 inches were recorded near Columbia, the state's capital.
Officials in Richland County, in which Columbia lies, said more than 100 people had been rescued from vehicles while attempting to cross flooded roads.
According to Weather.com, the rainfall is due to tropical moisture tied to Hurricane Joaquin, a former Category 4 storm that battered the Bahamas before weakening as it made its way up the U.S. East Coast.
Charleston Mayor Joseph P. Riley Jr. described the rainfall as historic, predicting the rainfall would reach the highest ever levels recorded in his city for the month of October.
“What we are experiencing is an unprecedented event. That is the huge amount of rain over a relatively short period of days,” he told the Charleston City Paper.
Chuck Burton / AP
“This will eventually pass,” the mayor said. “Our goal right now is just to get everybody through safe and in the most pleasant manner possible.”
Police in the city closed more than 50 roads and urged motorists to avoid side streets that still have significant amounts of flooding.
"It is important for motorists to exercise extreme caution and please don’t drive through standing water," Charleston Police spokesman Charles Francis said in an emailed statement.
Chuck Burton / AP
On Saturday, President Obama declared a state of emergency in South Carolina, ordering federal aid to bolster state and local efforts.
The Department of Homeland Security and Federal Emergency Management Agency were authorized to coordinate all disaster relief efforts.
Also on Saturday, an animal shelter in Dorchester county became flooded, ABC4 reported, prompting dozens of people to turn up at the Francis Willis SPCA to offer to adopt the pets.
"People just started lining up in droves out there on the street and just walking in and coming through the flood waters and saying, 'What dog can I take? I'll take whatever you have.'" Jennifer Bunch, the president of the SPCA, told ABC4.
More than 50 dogs found temporary and permanent homes, Bunch said.
LINK: Searchers Find Life Ring Of Cargo Ship Lost In Hurricane Joaquin
SOURCE: BuzzFeed
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