October 2015 North American storm complex
Satellite image of the storm over the Eastern United States on October 3, with Hurricane Joaquin to the southeast.
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| Type | Extratropical cyclone; nor'easter |
|---|---|
| Formed | September 29, 2015 |
| Dissipated | October 7, 2015 |
| Lowest pressure | 998 mbar (hPa; 29.47 inHg) |
| Maximum rainfall | 26.88 in (683 mm) near Mount Pleasant, South Carolina |
| Damage | $2 billion (USD) |
| Casualties | At least 25 deaths |
| Areas affected | East Coast of the United States, Atlantic Canada |
The October 2015 North American storm complex was a high precipitation event that caused historic flash flooding across North and South Carolina. The incipient cold front traversed the Eastern United States on September 29–30, producing heavy rain in multiple states. The system subsequently stalled just offshore. Tapping into moisture from the nearby Hurricane Joaquin, a developing surface low brought heavy, continuous rain to southeastern States, with the worst effects concentrated in South Carolina where catastrophic flooding occurred. The event culminated in South Carolina on October 4 when numerous rivers burst their banks, washing away roads, bridges, vehicles, and homes. Hundreds of people required rescue and the state's emergency management department urged everyone in the state not to travel. Some areas of the state saw rainfall equivalent to a 1-in-1000-year event.
At least 25 deaths have been attributed to the weather complex: 19 in South Carolina, 2 in New York, 2 in North Carolina, 1 in Florida, and 1 in New Brunswick. Damage reached $2 billion.
On September 29, 2015, a cold front moved southeast across the Eastern United States and produced widespread heavy rain. By October 2, the frontal system stalled offshore and a 1000 mbar (hPa; 29.53 inHg) surface low developed just east of the Florida–Georgia border. The cyclone interacted with Hurricane Joaquin—situated over the Bahamas at the time—with moisture streaming north from the hurricane into the Southeastern United States. This moisture interacted with the surface low, frontal boundary, and a strong upper-level low to produce prolonged, heavy rains over the region with training bands situated over South Carolina. A strengthening ridge to the northeast created a tighter pressure gradient, resulting in a large area of onshore gales.
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