Update: Waynesboro, Augusta County could see more flooding with more rain on the way

Update: Sunday, 6:40 p.m. The latest update from the National Water Prediction Service has the South River in Waynesboro reaching 11.0 feet at 2 p.m. on Monday, which would result in moderate flooding along the river.

The updated projection has the river getting to minor flood stage, above 9.5 feet, at 8 a.m. on Monday, and remaining above the 9.5-foot mark through 8 a.m. Tuesday.

First report: Sunday, 11:38 a.m. AccuWeather has Waynesboro and Augusta County in line to get one to three inches of rain beginning tonight and running into Tuesday, on the heels of Friday’s flooding rains.

Waynesboro and areas to the south – Sherando, Creekside and Back Creek – received more than three inches of rain as the remnants of Hurricane Helene passed through the area on Friday.

That, on top of a freak three-inch rain event overnight Wednesday into Thursday morning, and two big rain events earlier in the month, both dropping more than six inches of rain on the areas, has emphatically lifted out of the drought that had defined the late spring and summer in the Shenandoah Valley.

But with more rain on the way, and the ground already well-saturated from one of the wetter months of September on record, areas along the South River prone to flooding are in the line of fire again.

“Looking at what currently is forecast, I think that’s manageable,” said Gary Critzer, the director of emergency management in Waynesboro, told AFP on Saturday.

The current forecast from the National Water Prediction Service has the South River at action stage – 7.5 feet – at 8 a.m. Monday, then cresting at 8.2 feet at 8 p.m. on Monday, and remaining above the action stage through 2 p.m. on Tuesday.

The action stage means the river will spill over its banks, but it’s not likely to result in widespread flooding nearby.

The South River reached a crest of 12.2 feet at 7:15 p.m. on Friday, and remained above 11 feet through 4 a.m. Saturday, causing moderate flooding in the Meadowbrook Road, Club Court and downtown areas.

The heavy rainfall led to a voluntary evacuation in the Sherando, Creekside and Back Creek areas south of the city Friday night, as officials in Augusta County were concerned about access roads being overswept in those areas.