Wild Videos Show Cars Floating in Streets as Severe Weather Hits Carolinas

Amid severe weather in South Carolina, videos showing cars floating in the streets have made their way across social media on Sunday.

A coastal nor'easter caused significant flooding as it passed along the South Carolina coast on Sunday. The storm system, which came from the Gulf of Mexico and crossed the Florida peninsula, also brought strong gusty winds and dumped heavy rain across the area. A flash flood warning issued for South Carolina escalated into a flash flood emergency in Georgetown County due to extremely heavy rain, indicating a life-threatening situation. Eight inches of rain had fallen in the region by 3 p.m. Sunday, according to the National Weather Service (NWS).

Meanwhile, the NWS has issued a flood watch across 16 states, affecting 70 million people, while 50 million are also under wind alert. In its latest forecast, the NWS said said strong winds would lash much of the East Coast on Sunday, with some areas being affected through Monday.

"The major system will start to produce showers and thunderstorms over parts of the southern mid-Atlantic coast northward to New England," the NWS said. "Therefore, the WPC (WeatherPrediction Center) has issued a slight risk of excessive rainfall over parts of the mid-Atlantic into New England through Monday morning."

Newsweek has reached out to the National Weather Service via email for comment.

Since then, residents in South Carolina saw heavy rain mixed with a morning high tide as it flooded many roadways in downtown Charleston and along the beaches. Many motorists were stranded or forced to abandon their vehicles after driving through flood water on the peninsula.

Videos showing the amount of flooding have been shared on X, formerly Twitter.

Local broadcast meteorologist Joey Sovine shared a video to the social media platform that showed cars struggling to cross an intersection as the flooded roads caused cars to float.

"CHARLESTON FLOODING: Cars are floating trying to cross intersections in Downtown Charleston! Do not try to drive through these flooded roads. The water is way too deep!" Sovine wrote.

In another video shared to X by Sovine, more cars are seen struggling to drive through the flooded roads.

"New flooding video from Downtown Charleston near Roper Hospital. You can see how high the water is in the roadway at Courtney and Calhoun. Numerous reports of flooded vehicles!" he wrote.

Bill Burr, a reporter for local news station WTAT Fox 24, shared another video to X showing a truck move slowly out of a shopping center amid the rising flood waters.

"Shoppers and vendors leave ⁦@ChasCityMarket⁩ as flood waters rise. My brother took this video as he left the building. This pickup truck is moved slowly through high water," Burr wrote.

In addition, according to the NWS in Charleston, the Charleston Harbor recorded a new record for a non-tropical system as preliminary data show the tide reached 9.86 feet, which would make it the fourth highest on record and the highest for a non-tropical system. That previous record of 8.81 feet was set on New Year's Day in 1987.

Meanwhile as pre-holiday travel begins, a tornado watch is in effect for parts of eastern North Carolina until Sunday at 8 p.m. EST as threats of flooding, high winds and severe weather could disrupt travel for millions along the East Coast.