Alert archive / South Carolina / Flash Flood Warnings in 1990

Flash Flood Warning 22, NWS Greenville-Spartanburg, SC

March 17, 1990Greenville County, Pickens County, South Carolina

NWS Greenville-Spartanburg, SC issued this flash flood warning at Mar 17, 1990, 6:07 AM EST for Greenville County, Pickens County, South Carolina. It was in force for 3 hr.

The area

The counties it named.

The facts

Issued
Mar 17, 1990, 6:07 AM EST (11:07 UTC)
Expired
Mar 17, 1990, 9:15 AM EST
In force
3 hr
Issued by
NWS Greenville-Spartanburg, SC
Area
Whole counties

Counties Greenville County, SC, Pickens County, SC

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 00:00Z, 11.1 hours before the alert went out and 125 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.

Skew-T log-pSkew-T log-p diagram, Athens Municipal, GA at 00:00Z on 1990-03-17Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 60 joules per kilogram.LCLLFCEL10008507005003002001001 km2 km3 km6 km9 km12 km15 km-30°-20°-10°0°10°20°30°40°
Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed.
HodographHodograph, Athens Municipal, GA at 00:00Z on 1990-03-17The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 428 square meters per square second.1939587897Sfc1 km3 km6 km9 kmRMLM
The wind turning with height, colored by layer: ground to 1 km, 1 to 3 km, 3 to 6 km, 6 to 10 km.
Mixed-layer CAPE
60 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-108 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
953 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
77 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
428 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
525 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
1.3

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

As transmitted, in the capitals the NWS used until 2016.

000 
TTAA00 KGSP 171107
FFWGSP
SCC045-077-171415-

BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED/EBS ACTIVATION REQUESTED 
FLASH FLOOD WARNING 
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREER SC
607 AM EST SAT MAR 17 1990

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HAS ISSUED A FLASH FLOOD WARNING 
EFFECTIVE UNTIL 915 AM EST FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING 
COUNTIES

   IN THE STATE OF SOUTH CAROLINA
      GREENVILLE...PICKENS

A FLASH FLOOD WARNING MEANS FLOODING IS IMMINENT OR HAS BEEN
REPORTED. TAKE THE NECESSARY PRECAUTIONS TO PROTECT LIFE AND
PROPERTY IMMEDIATELY.

HEAVY RAIN CONTINUES ACROSS PICKENS AND GREENVILLE COUNTIES. THE
REEDY RIVER IN GREENVILLE IS AT 10 FEET...2 FEET ABOVE FLOOD STAGE
AND IS EXPECTED TO CREST AT ABOUT 13 FEET AROUND 8 AM EST. REPORTS
FROM THE GREENVILLE COUNTY SHERIFFS DEPARTMENT OF FLOODING IN THE
CITY OF GREENVILLE AND SURROUNDING AREAS HAVE BEEN RECEIVED.
ALSO THE MIDDLE SALUDA RIVER NEAR MARIETTA IS BETWEEN 7 AND 8 FEET
WITH FLOOD STAGE OF 9 FEET...AND CONTINUING TO RISE.

LOWLAND AREAS SUBJECT TO FLOODING SHOULD BE EVACUATED. PEOPLE
IN AREAS THAT ARE PRONE TO FLOODING SHOULD BE ALERT FOR RAPIDLY
RISING WATER .. AND GO TO HIGHER GROUND IMMEDIATELY.

AVOID ALREADY FLOODED AREAS. TRAVELERS SHOULD NOT ATTE-MPT
TO CROSS FLOODED ROADS. IF YOUR VEHICLE STALLS .. LEAVE IT
IMMEDIATELY AND GO TO HIGHER GROUND.

 A FLASH FLOOD WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR TODAY FOR THE MOUNTAINS
 AND FOOTHILLS OF SOUTH CAROLINA.

 ROBBINS

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, Mar 17, 1:22 AM EST, 4 hours 45 minutes before
NCZ007-008-170830-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHARLOTTE NC
125 AM EST SAT MAR 17 1990

A FLOOD WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR THIS MORNING AND SATURDAY FOR THE
NORTHERN FOOTHILLS OF NORTH CAROLINA WHICH INCLUDES CATAWBA COUNTY.

AT 120 AM EST WEATHER RADAR SHOWED MOSTLY LIGHT RAIN OVER SECTIONS OF
MECKLENBURG, GASTON, CATAWBA, AND LINCOLN COUNTIES, HOWEVER, AN AREA
OF HEAVIER SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS EXTENDED FROM THE MOUNTAINS OF
NORTH CAROLINA SOUTHWARD THROUGH CLEVELAND COUNTY AND INTO WESTERN
SECTIONS OF SOUTH CAROLINA. THIS AREA OF RAIN WAS MOVING TOWARD THE
NORTHEAST AT ABOUT 45 MPH.

NO REPORTS OF SEVERE WEATHER HAVE BEEN RECIEVED BUT HEAVY
DOWNPOURS, INTENSE LIGHTNING, GUSTY WINDS, AND SMALL HAIL
COULD ACCOMPANY THUNDERSTORMS ALONG WITH SOME FLOODING.

CONTINUE TO LISTEN TO YOUR LOCAL RADIO...TV OR NOAA WEATHER RADIO
FOR UP TO DATE INFORMATION.

THE NEXT STATEMENT WILL BE ISSUED AROUND 330 AM OR SOOpNER IF
CONDITIONS WORSEN

JDS
Special weather statement, Mar 17, 1:41 AM EST, 4 hours 26 minutes before
NCZ007-008-170830-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT...CORRECTION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHARLOTTE NC
145 AM EST SAT MAR 17 1990

THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH FOR PORTIONS OF SOUTH CAROLINA INCLUDING
THE COU
Special weather statement, Mar 17, 3:34 AM EST, 2 hours 33 minutes before
NCZ007-008-171030-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHARLOTTE NC
335 AM EST SAT MAR 17 1990

A FLOOD WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR THIS MORNING AND SATURDAY FOR THE
NORTHERN FOOTHILLS OF NORTH CAROLINA WHICH INCLUDES CATAWBA COUNTY.

AT 330 AM EST WEATHER RADAR SHOWED SCATTERED LIGHT AND MODERATE
SHOWERS OVER SECTIONS OF THE SOUTHERN PIEDMONT AND CATAWBA COUNTY OF
NORTH CAROLINA. THERE WAS ALSO A LARGE AREA OF LIGHT AND MODERATE RAIN
OVER MOUNTAIN SECTIONS OF THE CAROLINAS ALONG WITH SOME NEW SHOWER
DEVELOPMENT IN THE PIEDMONT OF SOUTH CAROLINA. THESE AREAS OF RAIN
HAVE BEEN MOVING TO THE NORTHEAST AT ABOUT 40 MPH. SOME
INTENSIFICATION OF THE RAIN IS POSSIBLE WITHIN THE NEXT SEVERAL HOURS.

HEAVY RAIN AND THUNDERSTORMS COVERED MUCH OF NORTHERN AND CENTRAL
GEORGIA. THIS HEAVY RAIN IS MOVING TO THE NORTHEAST AND IS EXPECTED TO
REACH THE CAROLINAS DURING THE MORNING HOURS.

NO REPORTS OF SEVERE WEATHER OR FLOODING HAVE BEEN RECIEVED BUT HEAVY
DOWNPOURS, INTENSE LIGHTNING, GUSTY WINDS, AND SMALL HAIL
COULD ACCOMPANY THUNDERSTORMS ALONG WITH SOME FLOODING.

CONTINUE TO LISTEN TO YOUR LOCAL RADIO...TV OR NOAA WEATHER RADIO
FOR UP TO DATE INFORMATION.

THE NEXT S	TATEMENT WILL BE ISSUED AROUND 530 AM OR SOONER IF
CONDITIONS WORSEN

//CORRECTION...DELETE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH FOR SOUTH CAROLINA//

JDS
Special weather statement, Mar 17, 5:13 AM EST, 54 minutes before
NCZ007-008-171230-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHARLOTTE NC
515 AM EST SAT MAR 17 1990

A FLOOD WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR THIS MORNING AND SATURDAY FOR THE
NORTHERN FOOTHILLS OF NORTH CAROLINA WHICH INCLUDES CATAWBA COUNTY.

AT 510 AM EST WEATHER RADAR SHOWED AN EXTENSIVE AREA OF SHOWERS AND
THUNDERSTORMS OVER THE MOUNTAINS AND SOUTHERN FOOTHILLS OF NORTH
CAROLINA JUST WEST OF CATAWBA, LINCOLN, AND GASTON COUNTIES. THIS AREA
EXTENDED SOUTH INTO THE FOOTHILLS AND LOWER PIEDMONT OF SOUTH
CAROLINA. THIS AREA OF RAIN HAS INTENSIFIED OVER THE LAST TWO HOURS
WHILE CONTINUING TO MOVE TO THE NORTHEAST AT AROUND 45 MPH.
PEOPLE IN CATAWBA AND LINCOLN COUNTIES CAN EXPECT SOME HEAVIER RAIN TO
MOVE IN WITHIN THE NEXT COUPLE OF HOURS.

MORE HEAVY RAIN AND THUNDERSTORMS COVERED MOST OF NORTHERN AND CENTRAL
GEORGIA. THIS HEAVY RAIN WAS MOVING TO THE NORTHEAST AND IS EXPECTED
TO REACH THE CAROLINAS DURING THE MORNING HOURS.

NO REPORTS OF SEVERE WEATHER OR FLOODING HAVE BEEN RECIEVED BUT HEAVY
DOWNPOURS, INTENSE LIGHTNING, GUSTY WINDS, AND SMALL HAIL
COULD ACCOMPANY THUNDERSTORMS ALONG WITH SOME FLOODING.

CONTINUE TO LISTEN TO YOUR LOCAL RADIO...TV OR NOAA WEATHER RADIO
FOR UP TO DATE INFORMATION.

THE NEXT STATEMENT WILL BE ISSUED AROUND 730 AM OR SOONER IF
CONDITIONS WORSEN

JDS

The office that day

Everything else NWS Greenville-Spartanburg, SC issued on the same UTC day.

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Mar 16, 8:12 PM ESTTornado WarningGSPAnderson63 min
Mar 16, 8:16 PM ESTTornado WarningGSPAbbeville59 min
Mar 16, 8:57 PM ESTSevere Thunderstorm WarningGSPGreenwood33 min
Mar 16, 8:57 PM ESTSevere Thunderstorm WarningGSPLaurens63 min
Mar 17, 4:47 AM ESTFlash Flood WarningGSPGreenville118 min

Nearby

Flash Flood Warnings in South Carolina, 1990Every flash flood warning in 1990

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.