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[h=4]Flooding sweeps East amid 'mind-boggling' rains[/h]Flash flooding intensified in some areas of the East on Sunday as unrelenting torrential rain and high winds blamed for at least five deaths swept across much of the battered region.
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Heavy flooding across South Carolina trapped some people in their homes and forced others to abandon their cars in the high water. VPC
A police car makes its way on a flooded street in downtown Charleston, SC on October 03, 2015.(Photo: Mladen Antonov, AFP/Getty Images)
Flash flooding intensified in some areas of the East on Sunday as days of torrential rain and high winds blamed for at least five deaths left motorists and residents stranded and forced evacuations and rescues in battered South Carolina.
The National Weather Service cited a<span style="color: Red;">*</span>"historic" rainfall in South Carolina, blamed on a lingering low pressure system in the region and the outer edges of Hurricane Joaquin. The Category 2 storm with sustained top winds of 110 mph avoiding a direct hit, but did fuel rains and high wind along the coast.
The weather service's Charleston office reported "mind-boggling rain amounts." Shortly after 9 a.m, they included 24-plus inches in Boone Hall and 18-plus inches near Kiawah.
South Carolina emergency officials reported more than 200 "swift water" rescues since Saturday night. Columbia police said they had 200 calls backed up as they scrambled to answer calls, struggling themselves on the bloated roads.
"Do not attempt to travel across the state today," the state Emergency Management Division tweeted. "Stay where you are unless told to leave by safety officials."
The weather service warned of that much of<span style="color: Red;">*</span>Georgia and South Carolina were saturated by rains that have blasted the area since Thursday.
"Major to localized catastrophic flash flooding along with possible landslides and mudslides in the higher elevations of South Carolina and Georgia remain an ongoing concern," the weather service warned.
Parts of Virginia and North Carolina also were dealing with flash floods,<span style="color: Red;">*</span>battered by unrelenting rain and wind gusts exceeding 35 mph.
President Obama approved federal disaster aid for<span style="color: Red;">*</span>South Carolina. State emergency management officials counseled residents to "remain where you are if you are safely able to do so. Call 911 for life-threatening emergencies."
USA TODAY
Heavy rain pounds South, floods historic Charleston, S.C.
Almost 100 South Carolina roads and bridges were closed due to flooding, state officials said.
In Columbia, fire officials said several dams had breached.<span style="color: Red;">*</span>WLTX-TV meteorologist Jim Gandy said the Village of Sandhill had received 11 inches of rain by 6 a.m. On I-95 in Clarendon County, a 32 mile stretch of road was closed, from mile marker 100 to 132. <span style="color: Red;">*</span>Parts of Interstate 77 and Interstate 20 in Richland County were covered in water.
"We are asking people to avoid the roads," Columbia Fire Chief Aubrey Jenkins told CNN. "We are being inundated with calls. My message to people is to stay inside. If you have any issues, call 9-1-1 and we will come get you."
Police shut down traffic onto the<span style="color: Red;">*</span>low-lying area of Charleston<span style="color: Red;">*</span>between the Ashley and Cooper rivers where the historic downtown area is located. Abandoned cars dotted many of the roads as cars stalled out.
Retail stores along King Street, a main shopping area in the port city, lined sand bags along the sidewalk as protection from the threat of rising water.
AccuWeather's Sean Breslin called the storm in South Carolina a "1-in-500-year rain event."
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