Flash Flood in Spartanburg County, South Carolina

County comms and FD reported significant flash flooding developed on the north side of the city of Spartanburg after 3 to 5 inches of rain fell in only a couple of hours. Multiple roads were closed due to poor drainage flooding and due to Chinquapin Creek and other small tributaries overflowing their banks. A 56-year-old woman drowned in her vehicle when she drove into water on New Cut Rd. A man was injured when he drove his truck into a collapsed culvert on Hayne St near Ethel Rd. Water from Chinquapin Creek entered homes on Pearson St. Water from an overflowing tributary of Lawsons Fork Creek entered about a dozen apartment units at USC Upstate. Closed roads included Asheville Highway, Howard St, Valley Falls Rd, New Cut Rd and I-85 Business. Wet soil and erosion caused a tree to fell on a home in the Una Community.

Stream gauges across the Pacolet River basin indicated flash flooding developed after 10-15 inches of rain fell across northern Spartanburg County over three days, with even heavier rainfall occurring over the headwaters in the mountains. The North Pacolet inundated several roads in the north part of the county, including Highway 14, roads near the water treatment plant. Several tributaries of also overflowed their banks, including Buck Creek, which inundated several secondary roads, and Lawsons Fork Creek in Spartanburg, which overflowed onto Heathwood Dr and Lake Forest Dr, as well as at least one private drive. Additionally, the South Pacolet flooded areas of Depot St and Highway 11 in Campobello, while backwater effects into Motlow Creek caused inundation of Old Mill Rd. Other tributaries flooded throughout the norther part of the county, including a tributary of Dillard Creek, which flooded East Howell Rd in Greer. An 88-year-old male was killed when his vehicle was submerged in floodwater near Landrum.

A flash flood developed rapidly late in the evening following 4 to 5 inches of rainfall in a short time. The flash flood affected several creeks from the city of Spartanburg southward to Roebuck, Walnut Grove, and Pauline. The most damage may have occurred along Timms Creek and Lawson Fork Creek. Several roads were washed out, several people required rescue from their homes, a country club experienced severe damage, and a restaurant was destroyed. Most of the severe flooding was in the first 2 hours.