Alert archive / North Carolina / Flash Flood Warnings in 1992

Flash Flood Warning 22, NWS Greenville-Spartanburg, SC

September 5, 1992Macon County, North Carolina

NWS Greenville-Spartanburg, SC issued this flash flood warning at Sep 5, 1992, 8:11 PM EDT for Macon County, North Carolina. It was in force for 2 hr.

The area

The counties it named.

The facts

Issued
Sep 5, 1992, 8:11 PM EDT (00:11 UTC)
Expired
Sep 5, 1992, 10:15 PM EDT
In force
2 hr
Issued by
NWS Greenville-Spartanburg, SC
Area
Whole counties

County Macon County, NC

The nearest sounding before it

Athens Municipal, GA (KAHN), launched 00:00Z, 0.2 hours before the alert went out and 134 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 1992-09-06Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 113 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 1992-09-06The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 14 square meters per square second.1939Sfc1 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
113 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-18 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
597 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
5 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
14 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
16 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
0.0

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

000 
TTAA00 KAVL 060013
FFWAVL
NCC113-060215-
 
BULLETIN - EBS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
FLASH FLOOD WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ASHEVILLE NC
811 PM EDT SAT SEP 5 1992
 
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN ASHEVILLE HAS ISSUED A
FLASH FLOOD WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL 1015 PM EDT
FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING LOCATION...
 
IN WEST NORTH CAROLINA
 
   ...SOUTHERN MACON COUNTY
 
WEATHER SERVICE RADAR DETECTED VERY HEAVY RAINS PERSISTING OVER
SOUTHERN MACON COUNTY. MACON COUNTY SHERIFFS DEPARTMENT REPORTS SOME
FLOODING IN THE SOUTHERN PORTION OF THE COUNTY AT THIS TIME.
 
THE SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS CAUSING THIS VERY HEAVY RAIN ARE
MOVING VERY SLOW AND SHOULD CONTINUE OVER THE SOUTHERN PORTION OF THE
COUNTY FOR AT LEAST TWO MORE HOURS CAUSING THE CONTINUATION OF THE
FLOODING PROBLEMS.
 
 
BE ESPECIALLY CAUTIOUS AT NIGHT WHEN IT IS HARDER TO RECOGNIZE
THE DANGERS OF FLOODS AND FLASH FLOODS.  IF FLASH FLOODING IS
OBSERVED...ACT QUICKLY.  MOVE UP TO ESCAPE FLOOD WATERS.  DO
NOT STAY IN AREAS SUBJECT TO FLOODING WHEN WATER BEGINS RISING.
 
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.
GGW

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, Sep 5, 2:12 PM EDT, 5 hours 59 minutes before
SCZ001-002-004-051915-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE SPARTANBURG SC
211 PM EDT SAT SEP 5 1992

...THUNDERSTORMS WITH VERY HEAVY RAINFALL OVER UPSTATE SOUTH CAROLINA...

WEATHER RADAR AT 205 EDT SHOWED THUNDERSTORMS WITH VERY HEAVY RAINFALL
FROM NEAR THE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG AIRPORT TO SPARTANBURG...FROM THE
CITY OF LAURENS ACROSS ABBEVILLE COUNTY...IN CENTRAL GREENWOOD COUNTY...
AND FROM EASLEY IN SOUTHEAST PICKENS COUNTY TO SENECA IN SOUTHERN OCONEE
COUNTY. THESE STORMS WERE MOVING NORTH AND NORTHEAST AT 15 MPH.

PEOPLE IN UPSTATE SOUTH CAROLINA CAN EXPECT VERY HEAVY RAINFALL...
INTENSE LIGHTNING...AND GUSTY WINDS WITH THESE THUNDERSTORMS. DUE TO
THE SLOW MOVEMENT OF THESE STORMS FLOODING OF SMALL STREAMS...LOW
LYING AREAS...AND PONDING OF WATER ON ROADWAYS IS POSSIBLE.

OTHER SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WITH HEAVY RAINFALL WERE IN CENTRAL
PICKENS COUNTY AND IN NORTHERN GREENVILLE COUNTY.

LISTEN FOR LATER STATEMENTS.

D. ROBBINS/GSP
Special weather statement, Sep 5, 2:55 PM EDT, 5 hours 16 minutes before
NCZ008-051955-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHARLOTTE NC
255 PM EDT SAT SEP 05 1992

DO NOT BROADCAST THIS STATEMENT AFTER 355 PM

    ...THUNDERSTORMS WITH HEAVY RAIN CONTINUE OVER NORTH CAROLINAS
SOUTHERN PIEDMONT ...

AT 250 PM EDT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RADAR INDICATED THUNDERSTORMS
CONTINUING OVER THE NORTH CAROLINA COUNTIES OF GASTON ... CABARRUS
... AND MECKLENBURG. THESE STORMS CONTINUED TO MAINTAIN THEIR
INTENSITY AND WERE MOVING SLOWLY TOWARD THE NORTH AT AROUND 5 MPH. IF
YOU ARE IN THESE COUNTIES BE ALERT TO THE POSSIBILITY OF HEAVY
RAINFALL ... DEADLY LIGHTNING AND STRONG GUSTY WINDS

THE SLOW MOVEMENT OF THESE STORMS AND HEAVY RAINFALL ASSOCIATED WITH
THEM MAY CAUSE LOCALIZED POOLING OF WATER ON ROADWAYS AND FLOODING OF
LOW LYING AREAS.

IF THESE STORMS APPROACH BE PREPARED TO SEEK SAFE SHELTER.

THE NEXT SCHEDULED STATEMENT ON THIS WEATHER EVENT WILL BE ISSUED
AROUND 355 PM EDT OR EARLIER DSHOULD CONDITIONS WORSEN.

MATT
Special weather statement, Sep 5, 3:11 PM EDT, 5 hours before
SCZ001-002-004-052015-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE SPARTANBURG SC
310 PM EDT SAT SEP 5 1992

...THUNDERSTORMS WITH VERY HEAVY RAINFALL CONTINUE OVER UPSTATE
   SOUTH CAROLINA...

WEATHER RADAR AT 305 EDT SHOWED THUNDERSTORMS WITH VERY HEAVY RAINFALL
ACROSS CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN LAURENS...IN SOUTHEAST ABBEVILLE...AND IN
CENTRAL AND EASTERN ANDERSON COUNTIES...AND ALSO MOVING INTO SOUTHERN
PICKENS COUNTY. THESE STORMS WERE MOVING NORTH AND NORTHEAST AT 15 MPH.

PEOPLE IN THE AREA OF THESE THUNDERSTORMS CAN EXPECT VERY HEAVY
RAINFALL...INTENSE LIGHTNING...AND GUSTY WINDS. DUE TO THE SLOW
MOVEMENT OF THESE STORMS FLOODING OF SMALL STREAMS...LOW LYING AREAS...
AND PONDING OF WATER ON ROADWAYS IS POSSIBLE.

A LARGER AREA OF RAIN WITH EMBEDDED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS...SOME
WITH VERY HEAVY RAINFALL WAS INDICATED ACROSS CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN
GEORGIA. THIS AREA SHOULD AFFECT UPSTATE SOUTH CAROLINA LATER
THlIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING.

LISTEN FOR LATER STATEMENTS.

D. ROBBINS/GSP
Special weather statement, Sep 5, 3:34 PM EDT, 4 hours 37 minutes before
NCZ008-051900-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHARLOTTE NC
335 PM EDT SAT SEP 5 1992

...TORRENTIAL RAIN FALLING IN SECTIONS OF THE SOUTHERN PIEDMONT OF
NORTH CAROLINA...

TOM KARR.30 IT WAS
RAINING VERY HARD AT CHARLOTTES DOUGLAS AIRPORT WHERE FOUR TENTHS OF
AN INCH HAD ACCUMULATED IN THE PAST 10 MINUTES.

POOLING OF WATER ON HIGHWAYS... ESPECIALLY AT INTERSECTIONS WILL BE A
PROBLEM FOR SEVERAL HOURS THIS AFTERNOON AS RAIN CONTINUES.  AND...
DRAINAGE DITCHES WILL FILL QUICKLY FROM THE RAPID RUNOFF.

...BY 333 THIS AFTERNOON THE RAINFALL TOTAL IN JUST 13 MINUTES HAD
EXCEEDED 0.60 INCH AT THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN CHARLOTTE.
AND... IT WAS STILL RAINING VERY HARD...

THE NEXT STATEMENT WILL BE ISSUED JUST PRIOR TO 4 OCLOCK THIS
AFTERNOON.

RK
Special weather statement, Sep 5, 3:38 PM EDT, 4 hours 33 minutes before
NCZ008-051900-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHARLOTTE NC
335 PM EDT SAT SEP 5 1992

...TORRENTIAL RAIN FALLING IN SECTIONS OF THE SOUTHERN PIEDMONT OF
NORTH CAROLINA...

TOM KARR... A COOPERATIVE WEATHER OBSERVER FOR THE NATIONAL WEATHER
SERVICE... RECORDED 2.93 INCHES OF RAIN BETWEEN 1:30 AND 3:00 THIS
AFTERNOON IN CONCORD... CABARRUS COUNTY OF NORTH CAROLINA.

A CHECK WITH LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICIALS IN CABARRUS COUNTY SHOWS NO
STREAM FLOODING FROM THE HEAVY DOWNPOUR. HOWEVER, THERE HAVE BEEN
NUMEROUS ACCIDENTS INVOLVING AUTOMOBILES. MOST OF THESE WERE WHERE
THE WATER WAS FLOWING SLOWLY ACROSS THE HIGHWAY.

HEAVY RAIN WAS ALSO FALLING IN SURROUNDING COUNTIES... AT 330 IT WAS
RAINING VERY HARD AT CHARLOTTES DOUGLAS AIRPORT WHERE FOUR TENTHS OF
AN INCH HAD ACCUMULATED IN THE PAST 10 MINUTES.

POOLING OF WATER ON HIGHWAYS... ESPECIALLY AT INTERSECTIONS WILL BE A
PROBLEM FOR SEVERAL HOURS THIS AFTERNOON AS RAIN CONTINUES.  AND...
DRAINAGE DITCHES WILL FILL QUICKLY FROM THE RAPID RUNOFF.

...BY 333 THIS AFTERNOON THE RAINFALL TOTAL IN JUST 13 MINUTES HAD
EXCEEDED 0.60 INCH AT THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN CHARLOTTE.
AND... IT WAS STILL RAINING VERY HARD...

THE NEXT STATEMENT WILL BE ISSUED JUST PRIOR TO 4 OCLOCK THIS
AFTERNOON.

RK
Special weather statement, Sep 5, 5:16 PM EDT, 2 hours 55 minutes before
SCZ001-002-004-052230-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE SPARTANBURG SC
515 PM EDT SAT SEP 5 1992

WEATHER RADAR AT 510 EDT SHOWED SHOWERS AND A FEW THUNDERSTORMS...
SOME PRODUCEING HEAVY RAINFALL OVER THE UPSTATE AREA...MOVING VERY
SLOWLY TO THE NORTH. THE HEAVIEST RAINFALL WAS FALLING IN ANDERSON
COUNTY BETWEEN ANDERSON AND WILLIAMSTON. A COUPLE OF SHOWERS WITH
HEAVY RAIN WERE ALSO OCCURRING OVER NORTHERN ABBEVILLE COUNTY AND
IN THE NORTHEAST PORTION OF LAURENS COUNTY. MOVEMENT WAS ALSO TO
THE NORTH.

PEOPLE IN THE THESE AREAS WHERE THUNDERSTORMS ARE OCCURRING CAN EXPECT
HEAVY RAINFALL...INTENSE LIGHTNING...AND GUSTY WINDS. DUE TO THE SLOW
MOVEMENT OF THESE STORMS...FLOODING OF SMALL STREAMS...LOW LYING AREAS...
AND PONDING OF WATER ON ROADWAYS IS POSSIBLE.

A LARGER AREA OF RAIN WITH EMBEDDED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WAS
LOCATED OVER CENTRAL GEORGIA AND MOVING TOWARD THE UPSTATE AREA.
THIS AREA OF PR ECIPITATION SHOULD AFFECT UPSTATE SOUTH CAROLINA LATER
THIS EVENING.

LISTEN FOR LATER STATEMENTS OR POSSIBLE WARNINGS ON NOAA WEATHER RADIO...
LOCAL RADIO...OR TV.

CURTIS/GSP

Nearby

Flash Flood Warnings in North Carolina, 1992Every flash flood warning in 1992

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.