Local News Brief
A heavy and persistent rainstorm late yesterday afternoon resulted in several landslides in the area of the Nantahala Gorge, trapping some people for a time before they were rescued. Macon Media and several other groups on Facebook posted information about the event as it was happening. Some of the links are below.
Macon Media [LINK]
WNC Road Warriors [LINK]
WNCScanning [LINK] [AUDIO FEEDS]
Tri-State Area Traffic Weather & News [LINK]
WLOS-TV [LINK]
Here is a loop of the thunderstorm as it sat over the area. The loop is from 5:49pm to 8:01pm.
Press Release from the NCDOT dated Saturday Night at 10:55pm
Slides Close Nantahala Gorge
BRYSON CITY – A heavy rainstorm Saturday evening and four subsequent mudslides have closed U.S. 19/74 in the Nantahala Gorge through the night, and traffic is being detoured around the area.
A 2.8-inch deluge spilled debris into the road at four locations in the five miles between Hewitts Road on the western side and the Nantahala Outdoor Center on the eastern side.
N.C. Department of Transportation officials anticipate crews clearing enough space for all vehicles located between slides to exit the gorge tonight.
“This is unprecedented in the Nantahala Gorge,” Division 14 Engineer Brian Burch said. “We have engineers on site, equipment on site, and crews on site working with state highway patrol and local responders to help get people out as quickly and safely as possible tonight.”
The slides occurred between Ferebee Park on the western side of the gorge and the Nantahala Outdoor Center eight miles to the east.
NCDOT crews from Cherokee and Graham counties are preparing to remove debris from a slide at the western end of the gorge. Crews from Swain and Jackson counties are moving into remove slide debris from the eastern side of the gorge.
“The road will not open tonight for through traffic, but we’ll get folks out,” Division 14 Maintenance Engineer Wesley Grindstaff said after examining westernmost slide. “We will not know the entire severity of the slides until we have daylight on Sunday morning.”
Engineers will be on location Sunday morning to help assess the damage and design a plan to clear the road of all debris. At least one slide will take several days to be cleared.
A temporary detour has been established around the Nantahala Gorge. Westbound vehicles will take N.C. 28 West to Steccoah, then N.C. 143 South to Robbinsville, then N.C. 129 South to Topton and U.S. 19/74. Eastbound traffic will follow those routes in reverse — from Topton to Stecoah to Robbinsville to U.S. 19/74.
For real-time travel information, visit DriveNC.gov or follow NCDOT on social media.
Outlook
A cool wedge of high pressure will linger across the region into Monday. Warmer air and increased shower chances are on tap ahead of an approaching cold front Tuesday and Wednesday. Drier weather is possible behind the front to end the week.
THREE DAY GFS FORECAST
This animated image shows a forecast of precipitation, air pressure and thickness level (cold-air damming) for three days in six-hour increments.
Green, Yellow, and Red indicate rain. Orange and Purple Indicate Freezing Rain or other freezing precipitation. Blue indicates snow.
WEATHER SPONSOR
Adams Products, a Division of Oldcastle is underwriting the daily weather briefing & public safety updates for the month.
Open 7:30 AM to 4:00 PM, M-F, located at 895 Hickory Knoll Road, Franklin, NC. Visit our Facebook page at:
https://www.facebook.com/Adams.Oldcastle.Franklin.NC/
All your masonry needs are available. Our phone number is 828.524.8545, the public is welcome, we’ll help you with your next project.
Weather Hazards
Hazardous weather is not expected today. Isolated to scattered showers and thunderstorms are likely.
**Note** A Tropical Weather Outlook section has been added to the daily weather briefing for the Atlantic Hurricane Season, and since those tend to run long when there is activity, that section has been added between the daily forecasts for the four regions of the county and the almanac section so people can get to their daily forecasts with minimal interference.
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WEATHER FORECAST MAPS
Forecast maps for 7 am, 1 pm, and 7 pm.
[click on any image in this article to enlarge]
FRANKLIN AREA FORECAST
Today
A 20 percent chance of rain after 10am. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 75. Calm winds in the morning increasing to come out of the southeast around 5 mph in the afternoon.
Tonight
A slight chance of rain before 11pm, then a slight chance of rain after 3am. Cloudy, with a low around 60. Light winds out of the southeast. Chance of rain is 20%.
Monday
A chance of rain, mainly between 7am and 2pm, then a chance of showers after 2pm. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 75. Winds out of the southeast 3 to 5 mph. Chance of rain is 50%. rainfall amounts of less than a tenth of an inch possible.
Monday Night
Cloudy, with a low in the low-to-mid 60s. Calm winds. Chance of rain is 50%. New rainfall amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch possible.
Tuesday
Rain likely before noon, the showers are likely after noon. Mostly cloudy, with a high in the upper 70s. Light winds out of the southeast. Chance of rain is 60%.
Tuesday Night
A 40 percent chance of showers. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 65.
OTTO AREA FORECAST
Today
A 20 percent chance of rain after 9am. Mostly cloudy, with a high in the lower 70s. Calm winds increasing to come out of the southeast 5 to 10 mph in the afternoon.
Tonight
A slight chance of rain before 1am, then a slight chance of rain after 2am. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 60. Winds out of the southeast around 5 mph. Chance of rain is 20%.
Monday
Cloudy, with a high in the lower 70s. Winds out of the southeast 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain is 50%. New rainfall amounts of less than a tenth of an inch possible.
Monday Night
Cloudy, with a low in the lower 60s. Light winds out of the southeast. Chance of rain is 50%. New rainfall amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch possible.
Tuesday
Rain likely before 11am, then showers likely after 11am. Cloudy, with a high in the upper 70s. Light winds out of the southeast. Chance of rain is 60%.
Tuesday Night
A 40 percent chance of showers. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 65.
HIGHLANDS PLATEAU FORECAST
Today
A 20 percent chance of rain after 9am. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 65. Winds out of the east 5 to 10 mph.
Tonight
A 20 percent chance of rain. Patchy fog before midnight. Otherwise, cloudy, with a low around 55. Winds out of the east 5 to 10 mph.
Monday
A 50 percent chance of rain. Cloudy, with a high near 65. Winds out of the southeast 5 to 10 mph. New rainfall amounts of less than a tenth of an inch possible.
Monday Night
A chance of rain before 11pm, then a chance of showers between 11pm and midnight, then a chance of rain after midnight. Cloudy, with a low in the upper 50s. Winds out of the southeast 5 to 10 7 mph. Chance of rain is 50%. New rainfall amounts between a quarter and half of an inch possible.
Tuesday
Rain likely before 11am, then showers likely after 11am. Cloudy, with a high in the upper 60s. Winds out of the south around 6 mph. Chance of rain is 70%.
Tuesday Night
A chance of showers before 11pm, then a chance of rain between 11pm and midnight, then a chance of showers after midnight. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 60. Chance of rain is 40%.
NANTAHALA AREA FORECAST
Today
A 30 percent chance of rain, mainly between 10am and 5pm. Patchy fog before 9am. Otherwise, mostly cloudy, with a high in the lower 70s. Light and variable winds. New precipitation amounts of less than a tenth of an inch possible.
Tonight
A slight chance of rain before 11pm, then a slight chance of rain after 4am. Cloudy, with a low around 60. Winds out of the southeast 5 to 10 mph. Chance of rain is 20%.
Monday
A chance of rain, mainly between 7am and 2pm, then a chance of showers after 2pm. Cloudy, with a high near 70. Winds out of the southeast around 7 mph. Chance of rain is 50%. New rainfall amounts of less than a tenth of an inch possible.
Monday Night
A chance of showers before 8pm, then a chance of rain after 8pm. Cloudy, with a low in the lower 60s. Winds out of the southeast around 5 mph. Chance of rain is 50%. New rainfall amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch possible.
Tuesday
Rain likely before 10am, then showers likely between 10am and 3pm, then showers likely and possibly a thunderstorm after 3pm. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 75. Winds out of the south 3 to 5 mph. Chance of rain is 60%.
Tuesday Night
A chance of showers and thunderstorms before 8pm, then a chance of showers between 8pm and 1am, then a chance of showers and thunderstorms after 1am. Mostly cloudy, with a low in the low-to-mid 60s. Chance of rain is 40%.
TROPICAL WEATHER OUTLOOK Things are starting to heat up
Tropical Weather Outlook
NWS National Hurricane Center Miami FL
200 AM EDT Sun Aug 25 2019
For the North Atlantic...Caribbean Sea and the Gulf of Mexico:
The National Hurricane Center is issuing advisories on Tropical Storm Dorian, located several hundred miles east-southeast of the Lesser Antilles.
1. Showers and thunderstorms remain disorganized in association with a trough of low pressure that extends from south-central Florida northeastward over the western Atlantic for a few hundred miles. Environmental conditions appear conducive for gradual development, and a tropical or subtropical depression is likely to form within the next few days while the system moves northeastward offshore of the southeastern United States. Interests along the coasts of South and North Carolina should continue to monitor the progress of this system. An Air Force Reserve Hurricane Hunter aircraft is scheduled to investigate the disturbance later today, if necessary.
* Formation chance through 48 hours...medium...60 percent.
* Formation chance through 5 days...high...80 percent.
Weather Extremes for Macon County for the month of August
Data available from 1872 to 2018
Highest Temperature 99°F in Franklin on 08-09-1980
Lowest Temperature 40°F at the Coweeta Experimental Station on 08-29-1968
Greatest Rainfall 9.68 inches in Highlands on 08-13-1940
Greatest Snowfall no measurable snowfall has been recorded since records started being kept in 1873
Weather Extremes for North Carolina for the month of July
Data available from 1870 to 2018
Highest Temperature 110°F Fayetteville, Cumberland County 08-21-1983
Lowest Temperature 31°F Banner Elk, Avery County 08-23-1930
Greatest One-Day Rainfall 13.08 in Idlewild, Ashe County 08-14-1930
Monthly Averages
Warmest Weather Station 79.7°F Wilmington, New Hanover County
Coldest Weather Station 59.6°F Mount Mitchell, Yancey County
Wettest Weather Station 7.74 in Lake Toxaway, Transylvania County
Driest Weather Station 3.12 in Lexington, Davidson County
Published at 5:15am on August 25, 2019
Radar Loop of Nantahala Storm added at 5:35am
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