Charleston’s historic downtown area flooded Monday, as now-Tropical Storm Irma continued churning northward from Florida. The Post and Courier said the storm had generated a 9.9-foot tide, the third highest on record for the city, prompting authorities to issue a flash flood emergency. Video posted to Twitter shows pounding rain and wind, and the ocean overcrashing a promenade that separates the city from the sea:
WATCH: High winds and severe flooding near Waterfront Park in downtown Charleston, South Carolina
(Via Patrick Spoon) pic.twitter.com/5DZ84KMNff
— NBC News (@NBCNews) September 11, 2017
https://twitter.com/Aaron_Maybin/status/907306771538214912
WATCH: Video shows heavy flooding in downtown Charleston, South Carolina.
(Via Diane Koehler) pic.twitter.com/lSVhLYZrsT
— NBC News (@NBCNews) September 11, 2017
According to the Post and Courier:
The surge put White Point Garden under water and sent water coursing through downtown Charleston’s historic neighborhoods. Residents could be seen wading through hip-deep water; a john boat with four people aboard cruised down South Battery. Flooding was so severe that police in Charleston told people to avoid downtown until floodwaters recede.
At least four deaths were reported in Florida after the storm landed on Sunday, according to the New York Times; 27 have been killed across the Caribbean. Even as Charleston was lashed by outer bands of rain, Irma’s center was moving north-northwest toward southern parts of Georgia on its way to Alabama.
