Alert archive / North Carolina / Flash Flood Warnings in 1990
Flash Flood Warning 38, NWS Greenville-Spartanburg, SC
NWS Greenville-Spartanburg, SC issued this flash flood warning at Oct 12, 1990, 2:23 PM EDT for Avery County, North Carolina. It was in force for 4 hr.
The area
The counties it named.
The facts
- Issued
- Oct 12, 1990, 2:23 PM EDT (18:23 UTC)
- Expired
- Oct 12, 1990, 6:30 PM EDT
- In force
- 4 hr
- Issued by
- NWS Greenville-Spartanburg, SC
- Area
- Whole counties
County Avery 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
Greensboro/Hi Pt, NC (KGSO), launched 12:00Z, 6.4 hours before the alert went out and 182 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
- 92 J/kg
- Mixed-layer CIN
- -1 J/kg
- Mixed-layer LCL
- 590 m above ground
- 0-6 km bulk shear
- 44 kt
- 0-1 km storm-relative helicity
- 86 m²/s²
- 0-3 km storm-relative helicity
- 209 m²/s²
- Significant tornado parameter
- 0.0
- Supercell composite
- 0.3
The text
As transmitted, in the capitals the NWS used until 2016.
000
TTAA00 KAVL 121823
FFWAVL
NCC011-122230-
BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED/EBS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
FLASH FLOOD WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ASHEVILLE NC
223 PM EDT FRI OCT 12 1990
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HAS ISSUED A FLASH FLOOD WARNING
EFFECTIVE UNTIL 630 PM EDT FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING COUNTY
IN THE STATE OF NORTH CAROLINA
AVERY
EXCESSIVE RAINFALL OVER THE NORTHERN MOUNTAINS HAS CAUSED PORTIONS
OF THE LINVILLE RIVER TO OVERFLOW ITS BANKS. FLOODING HAS OCCURRED
OVER THE CAMP LIN HAVEN BRIDGE AS WELL AS OTHER LOW LYING AREAS
THROUGH OUT AVERY COUNTY. RAIN HAS BECOME ENHANCED ONCE AGAIN OVER
THE NORTHERN MOUNTAINS WHICH WILL ONLY ADD TO AN ALREADY DANGEROUS
FLOOD SITUATION.
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.
THE STONEY FORK CREEK IN WATUAGA COUNTY HAS FLOODED FROM THE
TRIPLETT AREA TO THE SOUTHEAST IN WATUAGA COUNTY. SEVERAL OTHER
CREEKS IN WATUAGA COUNTY WERE ALSO REPORTED TO HAVE FLOODED. THE
FLASH FLOOD WARNING FOR WATUAGA COUNTY CONTINUES UNTIL 4 PM EDT.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, Oct 12, 9:27 AM EDT, 4 hours 56 minutes before
SCZ001>004-121400-
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE SPARTANBURG SC
925 AM EDT FRI OCT 12 1990
...RAIN AND STORMS SLIPPING NORTHEAST...
...FLASH FLOOD WATCH TODAY THROUGHOUT THE SOUTH CAROLINA UPSTATE...
...FLASH FLOOD WARNING CANCELLED FOR GREENWOOD COUNTY...
AT 925 THIS MORNING A BAND OF RAIN AND THUNDERSTOMS WAS PRODUCING
HEAVY RAIN OVER THE SOUTH CAROLINA PIEDMONT AND EASTERN FOOTHILLS.
THE SHOWERS NEAR GREENWOOD HAVE WEAKENED AND THE FLOOD PROBLEMS THERE
ARE EXPECTED TO SLOWLY SUBSIDE.
THE BACK EDGE OF THE PRECIPITATION WAS INCIDTAED BY RADAR FROM
TABLE ROCK TO EASLEY TO GREENWOOD. ALONG THIS LINE THE WINDS HAVE
BECOME STRONG AND GUSTY AS THE RAIN TAPERED OFF. A BRIEF GUST OF
46 MILES AN HOUR WAS REPORTED AT THE ANDERSON AIRPORT AND STRONG
WINDS OCCURRED NEAR EASLEY DURING THE PAST HOUR.
.
THUNDERSTORMS WITH STRON GUSTY WINDS AND jLOCALLY HEAVY RAIN
CAN BE EXPECTED ALONG THE I-85 CORRIDOR DURING THE NEXT TWO
HOURS FROM GREENVILLE TO BLACKSBURG.
MUSGROVESpecial weather statement, Oct 12, 9:41 AM EDT, 4 hours 42 minutes before
NCZ 007-009-010-011-012-013-121530- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ASHEVILLE NC 940 AM EDT FRI OCT 12 1990 ...FLOOD WATCH IN EFFECT TODAY AND TONIGHT FOR WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA... STEADY RAIN CONTINUES TO FALL OVER THE MOUNTAINS AND FOOTHILLS THIS FRIDAY MORNING. HEAVIER RAIN CONTINUES TO STREAM NORTH FROM GEORGIA AND SOUTH CAROLINA INTO THE FOOTHILLS OF WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA. RAINFALL TOTALS OF 3 TO 6 INCHES ARE POSSIBLE OVER THE WATCH AREA. THE LINVILLE RIVER AREA IN AVERY COUNTY LOOKS LIKE IT WILL BE THE FIRST FLOOD PRONE AREA ALONG WITH THE TOE RIVER IN THE MOUNTAINS TODAY. PEOPLE IN WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA ARE URGED TO STAY ALERT FOR THE LATEST STATEMENTS OR POSSIBLE FLOOD WARNINGS. BE PREPARED TO SEEK HIGHER GROUND IF YOU ARE NEAR ANY STREAMS...CREEKS...RIVERS OR LOW LYING AREAS. SOME 24 HOUR RAINFALL TOTALS IN WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA... BOONE.... 1.47 INCHES GRANDFATHER MOUNTAIN-... 1.90 " ASHEVILLE AIRPORT 2.50 " HENDERSONVILLE 2.00 " MT. MITCHELL 3.00 " AVERY COUNTY (TOE RIVER) 2.49 " CARPENTER
Special weather statement, Oct 12, 10:21 AM EDT, 4 hours 2 minutes before
NCZ007-008-121500- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHARLOTTE NC 1015 AM EDT FRI OCT 12 1990 ...THUNDERSTORMS WITH VERY HEAVY BECOMING CONCENTRATED OVER A PORTION OF THE SOUTHERN PIEDMONT OF NORTH CAROLINA AND ADJACENT SOUTH CAROLINA... AT 1010 THIS MORNING WEATHER RADAR SHOWED THUNDERSTORMS WITH VERY HEAVY RAIN OVER LINCOLN COUNTY OF NORTH CAROLINA AND SOUTH ACROSS WESTERN YORK COUNTY AND EASTERN CHEROKEE COUNTIES OF SOUTH CAROLINA. ...THESE COUNTIES ARE ALL WEST OF THE CATAWBA RIVER AND GENERALLY WEST OF I-77 THROUGH CHARLOTTE... TWO AREAS OF QUITE HEAVY RAIN WERE NOTED... THE FIRST WAS OVER EXTREME NORTHEASTERN GASTON COUNTY AND MOVING RAPIDLY TOWARD EASTERN LINCOLN COUNTY AND THE CENTRAL AND UPPER PORTIONS OF LAKE NORMAN. THE SECOND AREA OF VERY HEAVY RAIN WAS OVER SOUTHWESTERN GASTON COUNTY AND APPROACHING GASTONIA. THE THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY IN YORK AND CHEROKEE COUNTIES WAS INCREASING IN INTENSITY AS IT MOVED TOWARD THE NORTHEAST AT ABOUT 40 MILES AN HOUR. GASTON AND LINCOLN COUNTIES WILL LIKELY HAVE HEAVY RAIN FROM THESE SOUTH CAROLINA STORMS THROUGH THE NOON HOUR TODAY. AS THUNDERSTORMS MOVE THROUGH LINCOLN AND GASTON COUNTIES RAINFALL WILL BE QUITE HEAVY FOR SHORT INTERVALS. THE GROUND IS WELL SATURATED AND RUNOFF WILL BE RAPID. PROBLEMS OF HIGH WATER WILL BE COMPOUNDED BY THE FACT THAT SEVERAL THUNDERSTORMS WILL PASS THROUGH ANY GIVEN AREA. EVERYONE IN LINCOLN AND GASTON uCOUNTIES AND ALONG THE CENTRAL AND UPPER PORTIONS OF LAKE NORMAN MUST BE ALERT FOR RAPID INCREASES IN WATER LEVELS... DANGEROUS LIGHTNING AND STRONG GUSTY WINDS THROUGH NOON TODAY. RK
The office that day
Everything else NWS Greenville-Spartanburg, SC issued on the same UTC day.
| Issued | Product | Office | Counties | Lasted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Oct 12, 10:02 AM EDT | Flash Flood Warning | GSP | Avery | 4 hr |
| Oct 12, 12:27 PM EDT | Flash Flood Warning | GSP | Gaston, Mecklenburg | 4 hr |
| Oct 12, 1:00 PM EDT | Flash Flood Warning | GSP | Watauga | 3 hr |
| Oct 12, 2:23 PM EDT | Flash Flood Warning | GSP | Watauga | 97 min |
| Oct 12, 3:17 PM EDT | Flash Flood Warning | GSP | Ashe | 4 hr |
| Oct 12, 3:34 PM EDT | Flash Flood Warning | GSP | Burke | 4 hr |
| Oct 12, 3:58 PM EDT | Flash Flood Warning | GSP | Watauga | 3 hr |
| Oct 12, 4:55 PM EDT | Flash Flood Warning | GSP | Polk, Rutherford | 2 hr |
| Oct 12, 5:55 PM EDT | Flash Flood Warning | GSP | Cleveland | 2 hr |
| Oct 12, 6:37 PM EDT | Flash Flood Warning | GSP | Gaston | 2 hr |
| Oct 12, 7:03 PM EDT | Flash Flood Warning | GSP | Avery, Burke, Caldwell, McDowell | 3 hr |
| Oct 12, 7:08 PM EDT | Flash Flood Warning | GSP | Polk, Rutherford | 2 hr |
| Oct 12, 7:25 PM EDT | Flash Flood Warning | GSP | Watauga | 3 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.