North Carolina’s Precipitation Record
During July 1916, the remnants of two hurricanes made a huge impact on communities in western North Carolina. The two systems, one that made landfall along the Gulf Coast and another that crossed through South Carolina, collided over the Appalachian Mountains and the rainfall from these storms caused devastating flooding along the French Broad River. During a 24-hour period from July 15-16, 1916, Altapass, NC (Mitchell County) received a record 22.22 inches of rain.
Did You Know?
This 24-hour record rainfall total was once the record for the entire United States. The current record for the most rainfall in a 24-hour period is 42.00 inches observed in Alvin, Texas from Tropical Storm Claudette in July 1979.