River flow above normal; rainfall 9" below average

What a difference a few weeks and some heavy rains have made on the Broad River.

After recording a record low flow of 81 cubic feet per second Aug. 10-11, the flow had risen to 6,040 cubic feet per second Wednesday, according to information provided by the United States Geological Administration (USGA).

That's about four times greater than the normal flow for this time of year, Board of Public Works Operations Engineer Kim Fortner said. The average flow during the recent rains has topped 2,000 cubic feet per second.

"The flow really picked up with the rains," Fortner said.

The USGA records the river flow 96 times a day, or every 15 minutes, she said.

Despite the recent rains, the county is still about nine inches below the average rainfall for the year.