Alert archive / North Carolina / Flash Flood Warnings in 1986
Flash Flood Warning 4, NWS Greenville-Spartanburg, SC
NWS Greenville-Spartanburg, SC issued this flash flood warning at Aug 17, 1986, 3:16 PM EDT for Buncombe County, Henderson County, Rutherford County, North Carolina. It was in force for 4 hr.
The area
The counties it named.
The facts
- Issued
- Aug 17, 1986, 3:16 PM EDT (19:16 UTC)
- Expired
- Aug 17, 1986, 7:30 PM EDT
- In force
- 4 hr
- Issued by
- NWS Greenville-Spartanburg, SC
- Area
- Whole counties
Counties Buncombe County, NC, Henderson County, NC, Rutherford County, NC
The radar
The WSR-88D network and its archive begin in 1991, so there is no radar volume for this alert.
The nearest sounding before it
Athens Municipal, GA (KAHN), launched 12:00Z, 7.3 hours before the alert went out and 190 km from the middle of its area. This is the routine balloon launch nearest before it, the air the forecaster had in hand, not a measurement taken for the alert.
- Mixed-layer CAPE
- 2 J/kg
- Mixed-layer CIN
- -130 J/kg
- Mixed-layer LCL
- 768 m above ground
- 0-6 km bulk shear
- 15 kt
- 0-1 km storm-relative helicity
- 0 m²/s²
- 0-3 km storm-relative helicity
- 36 m²/s²
- Significant tornado parameter
- 0.0
- Supercell composite
- 0.0
The text
As transmitted, in the capitals the NWS used until 2016.
000 TTAANC KAVL 171914 FFWAVL NCC089-021-149-161-172330- BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED SMALL STREAM FLOOD WARNING NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ASHEVILLE NC 310 PM EDT SUN AUG 17 1986 THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HAS ISSUED A SMALL STREAM WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL 730 PM EDT FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING COUNTIES OF NORTH CAROLINA...HENDERSON...BUNCOMBE...POLK AND RUTHERFORD HEAVY RAINS DURING THE PAST FEW HOURS HAS CAUSED SMALL STREAM FLOODING. OVER SIX INCHES OF RAIN HAS FALLEN IN TRYON...AND OVER FIVE IN COLUMBUS. HENDERSONVILLE MEASURED NEARLY THREE AND HALF INCHES... AMD THE ASHEVILLE AIRPORT RECORDED TWO AND HALF. A FLOOD WARNING MEANS THAT FLOODING IS IMMINENT OR HAS BEEN REPORTED. PEOPLE IN THE WARNING AREA SHOULD TAKE IMMEDIATE PEOPLE ARE REMINDED THAT MANY FLOOD RELATED DEATHS ARE DUE TO MOTORISTS ATTEMPTING TO CROSS FLOODED ROADWAYS, BRIDGES, AND UNDERPASSES...AND DUE TO CHILDREN PLAYING NEAR FLOODED STREAMS OR STORM DRAINS. THE NEXT SNTATEMENT ON THIS SITUATION WILL BE ISSUED AT 430 PM OR SOONER IF CONDITIONS WORSEN. KEEP TUNED TO THE NEAREST NOAA WEATHER RADIO STATION OR COMMERCIAL NEWS MEDIA FOR INFORMATION. RED
What forecasters said that day
The local office's own words before this flash flood warning went out, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.
In the hours before
Special weather statement, Aug 17, 11:39 AM EDT, 3 hours 37 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREER SC 1140 AM EDT SUN AUG 17 1986 HEAVY THUNDERSTORMS CONTINUED IN UPSTATE SOUTH CAROLINA IN NORTHERN SPARTANBURG COUNTY THIS MORNING. THE HEAVIEST STORMS WERE FROM JUST WEST OF CHESNEE TO COWPENS IN NORTHEST SPARTANBURG COUNTY. THESE STORMS WERE MOVING EASTWARD AT 15 MPH AND WILL BE MOVING INTO WESTERN CHEROKEE COUNTY DURING THE NEXT HOUR. RESIDENTS OF NORTHEASTERN SPARTANBURG AND WESTERN CHEROKEE COUNTIES SHOULD BE ALERT FOR VERY HEAVY RAINFALL...GUSTY WINDS...INTENSE LIGHTNING...AND FLOODING OF SMALL STREAMS AND LOW LYING AREAS. OTHER WIDELY SCATTERED SHOWERS REMAINED OVER UPSTATE SOUTH CAROLINA IN SOUTHEAST UNION AND NORTHZERN ABBEVILLE COUNTIES. IF THREATENING WEATHER APPROACHES SEEK SAFE SHELTER IMMEDIATELY. REPORT ANY SEVERE WEATHER TO YOUR LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCY AND ASK THEM TO PASS IT ALONG TO THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE. ROBBINS/GSP
Special weather statement, Aug 17, 12:40 PM EDT, 2 hours 36 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREER SC 1240 PM EDT SUN AUG 17 1986 HEAVY THUNDERSTORMS CONTINUE TO BE ISOLATED IN UPSTATE SOUTH CAROLINA THIS AFTERNOON ACROSS NORTHERN SPARTANBURG COUNTY AND IN CHEROKEE COUNTY. THE HEAVIEST STORMS HAVE MOVED INTO CHEROKEE COUNTY NEAR GAFFNEY. THESE THUNDERSTORMS WERE MOVING EASTWARD AT 10 TO 15 MPH AND WILL BE MOVING ACROSS THE CITY OF GAFFNEY DURING THE NEXT HOUR. REPORTS FROM THE GAFFNEY POLICE DEPARTMENT INDICATES HEAVY RAINFALL AND LIGHTNING IN THE GAFFNEY AREA. RESIDENTS OF NORTHERN SPARTANBURG COUNTY AND ALL OF CHEROKEE COUNTY SHOULD REMAIN ALERT FOR VERY HEAVY RAINFALL...GUSTY WINDS...INTENSE LIGHTNING...AND FLOODING OF SMALL STREAMS AND LOW LYING AREAS. IF THREATENING WEATHER APPROACHES SEEK SAFE SHELTER IMMEDIATELY. REPORT ANY SEVERE WEATHER TO YOUR LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCY AND ASK THEM TO PASS IT ALONG TO THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE. ROBBINS/GSP
Special weather statement, Aug 17, 1:01 PM EDT, 2 hours 15 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ASHEVILLE NC 1200 PM EDT SUN AUG 17 1986 ...HEAVY RAINFALL CONTINUES ACROSS WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA... HEAVY RAINS DURING THE PAST FEW HOURS HAVE PRODUCED SIGNIFICANT RISES IN SMALL STREAMS ACROSS WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA AS WELL AS STANDING WATER ON LOW LYING AREAS AND ON HIGHWAYS. SOME SPECIFIC RAINFALL AMOUNTS ACROSS THE REGION AS OF 12 NOON. MARSHALL IN MADISON COUNTY..2.00 INCHES..FOREST CITY IN RUTHERFORD COUNTY..4.50 INCHES ..HENDERSONVILLE IN HENDERSON COUNTY..2.06 INCHES AND HERE AT THE ASHEVILLE AIRPORT..1.78 INCHES. RAINFALL IS EXPECTED TO CONTINUE THIS AFTERNOON INTO EVENING. PERSONS LIVING IN LOW LYING AREAS OR NEAR SMALL STREAMS NEED TO BE ALERT FOR RISING WATER AND BE PREPAIRED TO SEEK HIGHER GROUND IF NECESSARY. REPORT ANY SEVERE WEATHER OR FLOODING TO THE NEAREST LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCY FOR RELAY TO THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE. GRC
Special weather statement, Aug 17, 1:30 PM EDT, 1 hour 46 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREER SC 130 PM EDT SUN AUG 17 1986 THE THUNDERSTORMS OVER UPSTATE SOUTH CAROLINA HAVE DECREASED IN INTENSITY THIS AFTERNOON. THUNDERSTORMS...SOME WITH HEAVY RAIN... CONTINUE OVER CHEROKEE AND NORTHEAST SPARTANBURG COUNTIES OF UPSTATE SOUTH CAROLINA. THESE STORMS WERE MOVING EASTWARD AT 10 TO 15 MPH. RESIDENTS OF NORTHERN SPARTANBURG COUNTY AND ALL OF CHEROKEE COUNTY SHOULD REMAIN ALERT THIS AFTERNOON FOR POSSIBLE FLOODING OF SMALL STREAMS AND LOW LYING AREAS. BE PREPARED TO MOVE TO HIGHER GROUND IF THE NEED ARISES. THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WILL CONTINUE TO MONITOR CONDITIONS OVER THE UPSTATE THIS AFTERNOON AND WILL ISSUE WARNINGS OR STATEMENTS IF REDEVELOPMENT OCCURRS. ROBBINS/GSP
Special weather statement, Aug 17, 2:31 PM EDT, 45 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREER SC 230 PM EDT SUN AUG 17 1986 AN AREA OF RAIN WITH EMBEDDED THUNDERSTORMS...SOME WITH VERY HEAVY RAIN CONTINUED OVER UPSTATE SOUTH CAROLINA THIS AFTERNOON IN CHEROKEE COUNTY. FLOODING OF SMALL STREAMS AND LOW LYING AREAS IN CHEROKEE COUNTY WILL CONTINUE TO BE A POSSIBILITY THIS AFTERNOON. RESIDENTS SHOULD REMAIN ALERT AND BE PREPARED TO SEEK HIGHER GROUND IF THE NEED ARISES. WIDELY SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS HAVE DEVELOPED OVER THE REMAINDER OF UPSTATE SOUTH CAROLINA THIS AFTERNOON. THE HEAVIEST THUNDERSTORMS WERE IN NORTHEAST OF PICKENS...OVER THE CITY OF GREENVILLE...AND JUST SOUTHWEST OF THE CITY OF SPARTANBURG. ALL THUNDERSTORMS CONTINUED TO MOVE EASTWARD AT 10 MPH. ROBBINS/GSP
Special weather statement, Aug 17, 2:35 PM EDT, 41 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT...CORRECTION FOR PICKENS COUNTY NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREER SC 230 PM EDT SUN AUG 17 1986 AN AREA OF RAIN WITH EMBEDDED THUNDERSTORMS...SOME WITH VERY HEAVY RAIN CONTINUED OVER UPSTATE SOUTH CAROLINA THIS AFTERNOON IN CHEROKEE COUNTY. FLOODING OF SMALL STREAMS AND LOW LYING AREAS IN CHEROKEE COUNTY WILL CONTINUE TO BE A POSSIBILITY THIS AFTERNOON. RESIDENTS SHOULD REMAIN ALERT AND BE PREPARED TO SEEK HIGHER GROUND IF THE NEED ARISES. WIDELY SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS HAVE DEVELOPED OVER THE REMAINDER OF UPSTATE SOUTH CAROLINA THIS AFTERNOON. THE HEAVIEST THUNDERSTORMS WERE IN NORTHEAST OF PICKENS COUNTY...OVER THE CITY OF GREENVILLE...AND JUST SOUTHWEST OF THE CITY OF SPARTANBURG. ALL THUNDERSTORMS CONTINUED TO MOVE EASTWARD AT 10 MPH. ROBBINS/GSP
The office that day
Everything else NWS Greenville-Spartanburg, SC issued on the same UTC day.
| Issued | Product | Office | Counties | Lasted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 17, 3:16 PM EDT | Flash Flood Warning | GSP | Polk | 4 hr |
Nearby
Flash Flood Warnings in North Carolina, 1986Every flash flood warning in 1986
Sources
The product and its follow-ups from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service and Storm Prediction Center text; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive.