May 2, 2019
The gauge that recorded the record-setting rain totals is located at the SCDNR's Walhalla Fish Hatchery (Jocassee 8 WNW).
After a thorough review of the available data, the State Climate Extremes Committee (SCEC) unanimously voted to accept the 2018 rainfall total of 123.45 inches observed by the National Weather Service (NWS) Cooperative Station, known as Jocassee 8 WNW, as the new official state annual rainfall record for South Carolina. This value surpasses the previous official record of 119.16 inches measured at Hogback Mountain in 1979.
The SCEC examined rainfall data from the surrounding area, along with weather patterns throughout the twelve-month period to come to their conclusion to validate the total. The SCEC team was comprised of representatives from the South Carolina State Climatology Office and a member from the NWS Office in Greenville-Spartanburg, along with delegates from the Southeast Regional Climate Center (SERCC), NWS Eastern Region Headquarters, and the National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI).
The January 2018 SCDNR Press Release provides background information about the station and record:
/news/2019/jan/jan16_JocasseeRain.php
The final report is available on the NCEI SCEC website at:
https://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/monitoring-content/extremes/scec/reports/20190405-South-Carolina-Annual-Rainfall.pdf
A complete list of the current state records can also be found on the NOAA website:
https://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/extremes/scec/records/sc