Alert archive / North Carolina / Flash Flood Warnings in 1990

Flash Flood Warning 3, NWS Greenville-Spartanburg, SC

February 16, 1990Graham County, Macon County, North Carolina

NWS Greenville-Spartanburg, SC issued this flash flood warning at Feb 16, 1990, 7:53 AM EST for Graham County, Macon County, North Carolina. It was in force for 3 hr.

The area

The counties it named.

The facts

Issued
Feb 16, 1990, 7:53 AM EST (12:53 UTC)
Expired
Feb 16, 1990, 11:00 AM EST
In force
3 hr
Issued by
NWS Greenville-Spartanburg, SC
Area
Whole counties

Counties Graham County, NC, Macon 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, 0.9 hours before the alert went out and 148 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 12:00Z on 1990-02-16Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 41 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 12:00Z on 1990-02-16The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 269 square meters per square second.19395878Sfc1 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
41 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-67 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
698 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
55 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
269 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
289 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
0.1

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

000 
TTAA00 KAVL 161253
FFWAVL
NCC113-099-075-089-021-149-161600-

BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED/EBS ACTIVATION REQUESTED 
FLASH FLOOD WARNING 
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ASHEVILLE NC
753 AM EST FRI FEB 16 1990

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HAS ISSUED A FLASH FLOOD WARNING 
EFFECTIVE UNTIL 1100 AM EST FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING 
COUNTIES

   IN THE STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA
      MACON...GRAHAM...HENDERSON...BUNCOMBE...POLK...

   IN THE WEST PART OF NORTH CAROLINA
      JACKSON...

SHOWERS AND HEAVY THUNDERSTORMS HAVE PRODUCED RAINFALL AMOUNTS
OF 2 TO 4 INCHES DURING THE PAST 6 HOURS CAUSING STREAMS AND
TRIBUTARIES TO GO OUT OF THEIR BANKS CAUSING FLOODING.  THE HEAVY
RAIN SHOULD CONTINUE FOR THE NEXT COUPLE OF HOURS.

DO NOT DRIVE YOUR VEHICLE INTO AREAS WHERE THE WATER COVERS THE
ROADWAY.  THE WATER DEPTH MAY BE TOO GREAT TO ALLOW YOU TO CROSS
SAFELY.  VEHICLES CAUGHT IN RISING WATER SHOULD BE ABANDONED
QUICKLY.  MOVE TO HIGHER GROUND

A FLASH FLOOD WARNING MEANS THAT FLOODING IS OCCURRING OR IS
IMMINENT.  MOST FLASH FLOOD DEATHS OCCUR IN AUTOMOBILES.  DO NOT
ATTEMPT TO CROSS BRIDGES, DIPS OR LOW SPOTS IF WATER COVERS THE
ROADWAY.  NEVER TRY TO CROSS A FLOWING STREAM, EVEN A SMALL ONE,
ON FOOT.  TO ESCAPE RISING WATER MOVE UP TO HIGHER GROUND.

SLUDER

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, Feb 16, 5:10 AM EST, 2 hours 43 minutes before
NCZ-009-010-011-012-161300-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ASHEVILLE NC
510 AM EST FRI FEB 16 1990

...HEAVY RAIN ACROSS WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA THIS MORNING...

RAINFALL AMOUNTS OF ONE TO TWO INCHES WERE COMMON OVERNIGHT. THE HEAVY
RAIN CONTINUES ACROSS THE MOUNTAINS THIS FRIDAY MORNING.

SMALL STREAMS MAY QUICKLY GET OUT OF THIER BANKS RESULTING IN FLOODING.
STREETS AND HIGHWAYS WITH POOR DRAINAGE RISK GETTING WATER COVERED.)

PERSONS IN FLOOD PRONE AREAS SHOULD BE ALERT AND PREPARED TO MOVE
TO HIGHER GROUND. DRIVERS THIS MORNING SHOULD BE ON THE WATCH FOR
WATER COVERED ROADS.
AS
Special weather statement, Feb 16, 5:13 AM EST, 2 hours 40 minutes before
NCZ-009-010-011-012-161300-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT...CORRECTION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ASHEVILLE NC
510 AM EST FRI FEB 16 1990

...HEAVY RAIN ACROSS WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA THIS MORNING...

RAINFALL AMOUNTS OF ONE TO TWO INCHES WERE COMMON OVERNIGHT. THE HEAVY
RAIN CONTINUES ACROSS THE MOUNTAINS THIS FRIDAY MORNING.

SMALL STREAMS MAY QUICKLY GET OUT OF THIER BANKS RESULTING IN FLOODING.
STREETS AND HIGHWAYS WITH POOR DRAINAGE RISK GETTIN/G WATER COVERED.

A FLOOD WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR ALL OF THE MOUNTAINS TODAY.
PERSONS IN FLOOD PRONE AREAS SHOULD BE ALERT AND PREPARED TO MOVE
TO HIGHER GROUND. DRIVERS THIS MORNING SHOULD BE ON THE WATCH FOR
WATER COVERED ROADS.
AS
Special weather statement, Feb 16, 5:32 AM EST, 2 hours 21 minutes before
SCZ001-002-161300-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREER SC
530 AM EST FRI FEB 16 1990

...THUNDERSTORMS WITH VERY HEAVY RAIN BEGIN TO AFFECT SOUTH CAROLINA
MOUNTAINS...MORE ON THE WAY...
AT 525 AM EST WEATHER RADAR SHOWED THUNDERSTORMS JUST MOVING INTO
THE SOUTH CAROLINA MOUNTAINS.  THESE STORMS WILL MOVE ACROSS NORTHERN
SECTIONS OF OCONEE...PICKENS...GREENVILLE...AND SPARTANBURG COUNTIES.

THESE STORMS ARE JUST THE BEGINNING.  THUNDERSTORMS HAVE BEEN CAUSING
SOME SEVERE WEATHER AND SOME RATHER SERIOUS FLASH FLOOD PROBLEMS
ACROSS PARTS OF ALABAMA AND NORTHERN GEORGIA OVERNIGHT.

THERE IS A CHANCE SOME THUNDERSTORMS COULD BECOME SEVERE ACROSS THE
UPSTATE TODAY...AND THEURE IS ALSO POTENTIAL FOR LARGE AMOUNTS OF RAIN.
THEREFORE...PEOPLE IN THE UPSTATE SHOULD KEEP ALERT FOR LATEST WEATHER
INFORMATION.
WAJ
Special weather statement, Feb 16, 7:15 AM EST, 38 minutes before
SCZ001>004-161400-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREER SC
715 AM EST FRI FEB 16 1990

...TORNADO WATCH UNTIL 100 PM EST FOR ALL UPSTATE COUNTIES...
AT 710 AM EST WEATHER RADAR SHOWED A LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS ACROSS
PARTS OF NORTHEAST AND NORTH CENTRAL GEORGIA.  THE NATIONAL WEATHER
SERVICE IN ATHENS AND ATLANTA HAVE ISSUED SEVERE THUNDERSTORM
WARNINGS FOR SOME OF THESE STORMS.  THERE WAS SOME WIND DAMAGE
REPORTED EARLIER THIS MORNING FROM THIS LINE.

BASED ON THE CURRENT MOVEMENT...PART OF THIS LINE COULD AFFECT
WESTERN UPSTATE COUNTIES /OCONEE AND ANDERSON/ BY ABOUT 800 AM.
ANOTHER PART OF THE LINE COULD MOVE TOWARD ABBEVILLE AND GREENWOOD
COUNTIES A LITTLE LATER THIS MORNING.

LISTEN FOR LATER STATEMENTS AND POSSIBLE WARNINGS.

WAJ

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Feb 16, 6:02 AM ESTFlash Flood WarningGSPCherokee3 hr
Feb 16, 7:05 AM ESTFlash Flood WarningGSPTransylvania3 hr
Feb 16, 7:53 AM ESTFlash Flood WarningGSPHenderson, Polk3 hr
Feb 16, 7:53 AM ESTFlash Flood WarningGSPBuncombe3 hr
Feb 16, 9:10 AM ESTFlash Flood WarningGSPCherokee2 hr
Feb 16, 9:10 AM ESTFlash Flood WarningGSPMcDowell2 hr
Feb 16, 10:12 AM ESTFlash Flood WarningGSPTransylvania3 hr
Feb 16, 12:52 PM ESTFlash Flood WarningGSPCleveland4 hr
Feb 16, 2:06 PM ESTFlash Flood WarningGSPCabarrus, Gaston, Lincoln, Mecklenburg4 hr

Nearby

Flash Flood Warnings in North 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.