PUBLIC INFORMATION STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE COLUMBIA SC
130 PM EST SAT DEC 26 2009

...RECORD CHRISTMAS DAY RAINFALL AT COLUMBIA...
...WETTEST DECEMBER ON RECORD AT BOTH AUGUSTA AND COLUMBIA...

HEAVY RAINS FELL ACROSS THE REGION FROM LATE CHRISTMAS EVE THROUGH 
CHRISTMAS DAY BREAKING SEVERAL RECORDS ALONG THE WAY. THE RESULTING 

RUNOFF HAS ALSO CREATED FLOODING ISSUES AS MANY STREAMS AND RIVERS 
HAVE OVERFLOWED THEIR BANKS. OVERNIGHT INTO THIS MORNING ACROSS THE 
MIDLANDS AND CENTRAL SAVANNAH RIVER AREA. THE HEAVY RAIN PRODUCED 
FLOODING OF MANY CREEKS AND ROADWAYS AROUND THE REGION. 

THE FOLLOWING ARE TOTALS FROM THE EVENT. APPRECIATION FOR THESE 
REPORTS IS EXTENDED TO COOPERATIVE OBSERVERS...SKYWARN 
SPOTTERS...COCORAHS OBSERVERS...HIGHWAY DEPARTMENTS...AND MEDIA.

AT COLUMBIA METRO AIRPORT...3.06 INCHES OF RAIN FELL. THIS BROKE THE 
PREVIOUS RECORD FOR CHRISTMAS DAY OF 1.64 INCHES BACK IN 1945. 

AT AUGUSTA REGIONAL BUSH FIELD GA...A RECORD RAINFALL OF 1.75 INCHES 
FELL BREAKING THE OLD RECORD OF 1.31 INCHES SET IN 1945.

LOCATION                    COUNTY/STATE        SOURCE    AMOUNT


OFFICIAL REPORTS

USFS NEAR JACKSON - SRVS1   AIKEN CO SC         USFS      3.70
PELION - PLNS1              LEXINGTON CO SC     COOP      3.60
LONGTOWN - LNTS1            FAIRFIELD CO SC     COOP      3.60
COLUMBIA OWENS FIELD - KCUB RICHLAND CO SC      ASOS      3.44
COLUMBIA BLO LK M. - MURS1  LEXINGTON CO SC     USGS      3.15
COLUMBIA METRO APT - KCAE   LEXINGTON CO SC     ASOS      3.06
CAROLINA H.JACKSON - JEFS1  CHESTERFIELD CO SC  USGS      3.00
SANDHILL - SAHS1            RICHLAND CO SC      COOP      2.90
CEDAR CREEK - BLYS1         RICHLAND CO SC      COOP      2.80
LITTLE MOUNTAIN - LIMS1     NEWBERRY CO SC      COOP      2.78
WAYNESB. GIRARD - GIRG1     BURKE CO GA         USGS      2.74
SAV. RAWS JACKSON - JCKS1   BARNWELL CO SC      USFS      2.70
BISHOPVILLE - BISS1         LEE CO SC           USGS      2.57
CHESTERFIELD - CSFS1        CHESTERFIELD CO SC  USGS      2.56
MCTIER CR. MONETTA - MCTS1  AIKEN CO SC         USGS      2.47

BAMBERG - BAMS1             BAMBERG CO SC       COOP      2.32
BARNWELL - BNLS1            BARNWELL CO SC      COOP      2.31
BLACKVILLE CLEM. - BLVS1    BARNWELL CO SC      USGS      2.31
SALUDA FLTR PLT - SADS1     SALUDA CO SC        COOP      2.21
MCBEE - MBES1               CHESTERFIELD CO SC  USGS      2.15
AUGUSTA 11TH ST - AGUG1     RICHMOND CO GA      NWS LARC  2.13
LK GREENWOOD - CHPS1        NEWBERRY CO SC      COOP      2.12
PAGELAND - PAGS1            CHESTERFIELD CO SC  USGS      2.10
CHAPPELLS - CHAS1           NEWBERRY CO SC      COOP      2.09
AUGUSTA DANIEL FIELD - KDNL RICHMOND CO GA      ASOS      2.05
ORANGEBURG WTR - ORBS1      ORANGEBURG CO SC    COOP      1.96
SUMTER SHAW AFB - KSSC      SUMTER CO SC        ASOS      1.96
NEWBERRY WKDK - NWYS1       NEWBERRY CO SC      COOP      1.92
USFS NR. JACKSON - SRSS1    AIKEN CO SC         USFS      1.86
SANDY RUN - SANS1           CALHOUN CO SC       COOP      1.85
AUGUSTA BUSH FIELD - KAGS   RICHMOND CO GA      ASOS      1.83
MCENTIRE ANG - KMMT         RICHLAND CO SC      ASOS      1.82

BUTLER CREEK RES. - FORG1   RICHMOND CO GA      USGS      1.75
HORSE CR.CLRWATER - CLRS1   AIKEN CO GA         USGS      1.74
SANTEE ST. PAULS - SPLS1    CLARENDON CO SC     USGS      1.73
SAVANNAH BL.LK.DAM - NSLG1  RICHMOND CO GA      USGS      1.73
JOHNSTON - JOHS1            EDGEFIELD CO SC     COOP      1.71
L. G. CHAPPELLS - LGRS1     NEWBERRY CO SC      USGS      1.68
EDGEFIELD - EGFS1           EDGEFIELD CO SC     USGS      1.67
SARDIS - SARG1              BURKE CO GA         USGS      1.66
SPIRIT CREEK - SPTG1        RICHMOND CO GA      USGS      1.65
APPLING - APPG1             COLUMBIA CO GA      NWS LARC  1.60
KIOKEE CR. EVANS - EVNG1    COLUMBIA CO GA      USGS      1.60
ORANGEBURG MUN APT - KOGB   ORANGEBURG CO SC    ASOS      1.59
NEWBERRY - NEWS1            NEWBERRY CO SC      USGS      1.57
MCCORMICK - MCCS1           MCCORMICK CO SC     COOP      1.50
HOLLY HILL - HHLS1          ORANGEBURG CO SC    COOP      1.37

COCORAHS REPORTS


LOCATION                     AMOUNT
 
AIKEN 7.8 SSE                 3.42
DENTSVILLE 6.6 NNE            3.38 
SEVEN OAKS 2.2 NNE            3.37 
LEXINGTON 2.9 NE              3.34  
WEST COLUMBIA 8.0 SW          3.27 
LEXINGTON 3.4 SSE             3.18 
LEXINGTON 1.2 SW              3.01 
GILBERT 1.2 SSW               2.90 
POMARIA 4.0 N                 2.86 
COLUMBIA 6.8 NNE              2.57 
AIKEN 7.2 NNE                 2.45 
GASTON 5.3 E                  2.43 
AIKEN 1.0 SSW                 2.23 
SUMTER 1.3 SE                 2.07 

SALUDA 6.1 SW                 1.75 
SUMMERTON 5.2 SSE             1.75 
VANCE 1.5 ENE                 1.57 
SUMMERTON 8.4 SE              1.14

MONTHLY RAINFALL TOTALS TO DATE FOR DECEMBER:

COLUMBIA OWENS FIELD.........9.16 IN.
COLUMBIA METRO AIRPORT.......9.06 IN.
AUGUSTA REGIONAL BUSH FIELD..8.69 IN.
AUGUSTA DANIEL FIELD.........8.40 IN.
ORANGEBURG COUNTY AIRPORT....7.14 IN.

ALTHOUGH THE MONTH OF DECEMBER STILL HAS A WEEK REMAINING...BOTH 
COLUMBIA AND AUGUSTA HAVE ALREADY SURPASSED THE MONTHLY 
PRECIPITATION RECORDS. THE PREVIOUS RECORD AT COLUMBIA WAS 8.54 
INCHES IN 1981. THE PREVIOUS RECORD AT AUGUSTA WAS 8.40 INCHES IN 

1981. 

PRECIPITATION RECORDS FOR COLUMBIA GO BACK TO 1878 AND FOR AUGUSTA 
BACK TO 1871.

$$