Graph of Deadly Rising Waters in Charlotte Friday

Aug 8, 2011; 12:31 PM ET

According to WSOC-TV, a loss mitigation officer was unable to save two alleged shoplifters from raging waters Friday after chasing them into the woods. The deaths occurred near Independence Boulevard and Sardis Road North in Charlotte, North Carolina.

AccuWeather.com previously published an article noting that over 2 inches of rain fell in the city in one hour. The nearest USGS gauge not quite two miles away on McAlpine Creek at State Road 3150 near Idlewild Park showed a very quick rise in flood waters — 2.89 feet in 30 minutes or 3.72 feet in one hour. The creek was around 1.6 feet at noon but near 7 feet by 2:15 PM. A detail of the graph above is shown below.

Disclaimer: Flooding conditions vary quickly along creeks. Below is a location of the incident compared to the USGS station to its northwest.