SHEVILLE, N.C. – Areas of western North Carolina still in recovery mode due to the deadly destruction caused by Hurricane Helene last year are again on alert for flash flooding as a potent storm system brings rounds of torrential rain and thunderstorms to communities across the Southeast and mid-Atlantic.

Watch: Video shows waterspout roaring ashore in Florida
A video recorded in Pensacola Beach, Florida, shows a waterspout moving onshore on Saturday, May 10, 2025.

The TNW News Breaking News Staff reported Monday, May 12, 2025, that this is the same system that brought flooding rain and severe weather, including reports of tornadoes and waterspouts, to cities along the Gulf Coast over the weekend.

While the rain was a nuisance in Florida over Mother’s Day weekend, it was beneficial as the Sunshine State deals with its worst drought since 2012.

A three-hour radar loop showed widespread showers and thunderstorms. Severe Thunderstorm Warnings were indicated in yellow, Tornado Warnings in red, Confirmed Tornadoes in purple, Flash Flood Warnings in green, and Flash Flood Emergencies in pink.

The system, after lingering over the Southeast, is finally lifting into the Tennessee Valley. As it does, more rounds of widespread rain and thunderstorms have been developing across the Southeast and southern mid-Atlantic, especially within the warm, moisture-rich air mass surging ahead of a cold front.

This setup is focusing moisture in two key areas – one along the Southeast coast and another across the upslope terrain of the southern Appalachians.

Severe Weather in the Carolinas

Severe weather has already been an issue in South Carolina, where emergency management officials in Aiken County reported storm damage on Monday morning. Photos show debris blocking roadways, snapped utility poles, and structural damage.

Western North Carolina's Lingering Vulnerability

FILE - Heavy rains from Hurricane Helene caused record flooding and damage on September 28, 2024, in Asheville, North Carolina. The hurricane made landfall in Florida's Big Bend as a Category 4 storm with winds up to 140 mph and storm surges that killed at least 42 people in several states.

Those areas—especially the higher elevations from northern Georgia through western North Carolina into Virginia—are more sensitive to enhanced rainfall due to low flash flood thresholds and the lingering vulnerability from Hurricane Helene.

Officials with Duke Energy continue to monitor the developing situation. Teams are moving water in the 11 lakes of the Catawba River and have opened gates at some spillways in preparation for potential flooding.

Residents in low-lying areas are urged to remain alert and prepared.

"It is eight months since Hurricane Helene just devastated parts of our country," said one meteorologist with the TNW News Breaking News Staff. "You think about western North Carolina, eastern Tennessee—just changed forever. And they are still recovering. But with today’s flash flood threat, the recovery process could become more complicated."

Western North Carolina Braces for Flooding

This marks the first noteworthy flood threat since Hurricane Helene in western North Carolina, as heavy rain pushes into the region on Monday.

Flash flooding is a concern up and down the East Coast. NOAA's Weather Prediction Center placed parts of South Florida, including Miami, under a Level 3 out of 4 flash flood threat. A Level 2 out of 4 threat exists across Georgia, the Carolinas, and Virginia.

"The potential for flash flooding, even landslides, is being mentioned by the National Weather Service – there’s a lot of concern for these communities," a TNW meteorologist added.

The NWS office in Greenville, South Carolina, warned:
"While the flooding from this event is not expected to be on the higher end, it’s the first noteworthy flood threat that our area has seen since Helene."

FILE - North Carolina Route 9 in the aftermath of Hurricane Helene on October 1, 2024, in Bat Cave, North Carolina. The storm caused over 140 deaths across the Southeast U.S. and led to major federal disaster declarations across multiple states.

The current flood threat is not as severe as Helene's devastation, but it's serious enough to warrant attention.

"Using the words from the National Weather Service office, since they went through the disaster," a TNW reporter noted, "that not only remarks a psychology aspect of this, but also a safety aspect. The fact that we could see landslides is a very important thing to communicate as we’re trying to rebuild and move forward."

Severe Weather Threat Remains

There’s also a severe weather threat across the Southeast.

The NOAA Storm Prediction Center placed cities including Miami, Tampa, Jacksonville, and Atlanta in a Level 1 risk on its 5-point scale. Storms could bring damaging wind gusts, large hail, and isolated tornadoes.

Rainfall totals through Wednesday, May 14, are expected to range from 3 to 5 inches across much of the Southeast. Some parts of the Appalachian Mountains in the western Carolinas could see 5 inches or more.

So far, Miami International Airport has received 4.19 inches, and Fort Lauderdale has picked up 1.74 inches, according to the National Weather Service.

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