Alert archive / North Carolina / Flash Flood Warnings in 1992

Flash Flood Warning 3, NWS Greenville-Spartanburg, SC

April 20, 1992Avery County, Caldwell County, Watauga County, North Carolina

NWS Greenville-Spartanburg, SC issued this flash flood warning at Apr 20, 1992, 8:19 PM EDT for Avery County, Caldwell County, Watauga County, North Carolina. It was in force for 116 min.

The area

The counties it named.

The facts

Issued
Apr 20, 1992, 8:19 PM EDT (00:19 UTC)
Expired
Apr 20, 1992, 10:15 PM EDT
In force
116 min
Issued by
NWS Greenville-Spartanburg, SC
Area
Whole counties

Counties Avery County, NC, Caldwell County, NC, Watauga County, NC

The nearest sounding before it

Greensboro/Hi Pt, NC (KGSO), launched 00:00Z, 0.3 hours before the alert went out and 164 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, Greensboro/Hi Pt, NC at 00:00Z on 1992-04-21Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 0 joules per kilogram.LCL10008507005003002001001 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, Greensboro/Hi Pt, NC at 00:00Z on 1992-04-21The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 87 square meters per square second.193958Sfc1 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
0 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
No buoyant parcel
Mixed-layer LCL
NaN m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
31 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
87 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
188 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
0.5

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

000 
TTAA00 KAVL 210022
FFWAVL
NCC011-027-189-210215-
 
BULLETIN - EBS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
FLASH FLOOD WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ASHEVILLE NC
819 PM EDT MON APR 20 1992
 
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN ASHEVILLE HAS ISSUED A
FLASH FLOOD WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL 1015 PM EDT
FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING LOCATIONS...
 
IN WEST NORTH CAROLINA
 
   ...AVERY COUNTY...CALDWELL COUNTY...WATAUGA COUNTY
 
RAIN CONTINUES TO FALL OVER THE NORTHERN MOUNTAINS. MANY RIVERS ARE
EITHER OUT OF THEIR BANKS OR ARE NEAR BANKFUL. IN WATAUGA
COUNTY...EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT REPORTED FLOODING ALONG THE NEW RIVER
WITH SEVERAL LOW WATER BRIDGES COVERED. PRICE LAKE...NEAR BLOWING
ROCK...WAS ALSO REPORTED TO BE NEARING THE CREST OF THE DAM. PARK
SERVICE PERSONNEL ARE MONITORING THIS SITUATION CLOSELY. PEOPLE ALONG
THE WATAUGA RIVER...ESPECIALLY IN THE HOUNDS EARS AREA...SHOULD REMAIN
ALERT FOR RISING WATERS.
 
WILSON CREEK WAS STILL OUT OF ITS BANKS IN BOTH AVERY AND CALDWELL
COUNTIES WITH SEVERAL LOW WATER BRIDGES COVERED.
 
RADAR INDICATED AREAS OF RAIN...HEAVY AT TIMES...MOVING TOWARD THE
NORTHERN MOUNTAINS. ADDITIONAL RAIN IN THIS ALREADY SOAKED AREA WILL
CAUSE MORE FLOODING.
 
SEVERAL OTHER COUNTIES HAD REPORTED MINOR FLOODING. IN YANCY COUNTY
THE TOE RIVER WAS REPORTED TO BE COVERING SEVERAL LOW WATER BRIDGES.
 
PEOPLE IN WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA SHOULD REMAIN ALERT THROUGH THE
NIGHT. BE READY TO MOVE TO HIGHER GROUND IMMEDIATELY IF RISING WATERS
THREATEN.
 
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.
 
R. JONES

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, Apr 20, 3:11 PM EDT, 5 hours 8 minutes before
NCZ007-009-010-011-012-013-202345-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ASHEVILLE NC
310 PM EDT MON APR 20 1992

...SOME LOCALLY HEAVY RAIN IN WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA...

PERSISTENT SOUTHEAST WINDS HAVE PRODUCED SOME LOCALLY HEAVY RAIN ACROSS
PARTS OF WESTHERN NORTH CAROLINA. THE HEAVIEST RAIN HAS BEEN ALONG THE
BLUE RIDGE IN THE NORTHERN MOUNTAINS. ANYWHERE FROM 1 TO 2 INCHES OF
RAIN HAVE FALLEN SIMCE LATE SUNDAY. HOWEVER...LOCALLY AMOUNTS HAVE BEEN
REPORTED TO BE AS MUCH AS 5 INCHES FROM THE PUBLIC IN SOME LOCATIONS.
AT 300 PM MT. MITCHELL IN YANCEY COUNTY REPORTED 4.91 INCHES OF RAIN.
ALSO THE DIVISION OF EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT IN AVERY COUNTY REPORTED THE
LINVILLE RIVER WAS NEAR BANKFULL AND WILL OVERFLOW DURING THE NEXT FEW
HOURS.

MORE LOCALLY HEAVY RAIN WILL OCCUR THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT. LATE
TONIGHT AND TUESDAY...HEAVY RAIN MAY BECOME MORE WIDESPREAD ACROSS
THE MOUNTAINS AND FOOTHILLS AS A COLD FRONT MOVES INT}O THE RGION FROM
THE WEST.

THE THREAT OF LOCAL SMALL STREAM AND URBAN FLOODING WILL CONTINUE
TONIGHT AND TUESDAY AS THE RISK OF WIDESPREAD HEAVY RAIN BECOMES
GREATER.

REU
Special weather statement, Apr 20, 3:49 PM EDT, 4 hours 30 minutes before
NCZ007-202145-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHARLOTTE N
345 PM EDT APR 20 1992

... A FLASH FLOOD WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR THE NORTHERN MOUNTAINS AND
FOOTHILLS OF NORTH CAROLINA FOR THIS EVENING AND TONIGHT ...

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HAS ISSUED A FLASH FLOOD WATCH FOR A
PORTION OF WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA ... INCLUDING CATAWBA COUNTY FOR
THIS EVENING AND TONIGHT.

A FLASH FLOOD WATCH MEANS THAT CONDITIONS ARE FAVORABLE FOR FLASH
FLOODING.  STAY TUNED TO THIS STATION FOR ADDITIONAL DETAILS.

AT 340 PM EDT ... NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RADAR SHOWED A LARGE AREA
OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORM OVER THE WESTERN CAROLINAS.  THIS
PRECIPITATION WAS MOVING TOWARD THE NORTH AT AROUND 15 MPH.  THIS
PATTERN WILL LIKELY CONTINUE THROUGH THE HOURS OF DARKNESS.

THE NEXT STATEMENT WILL BE ISSUED BY THIS OFFICE AROUND 545 PM EDT.

CLARK
Special weather statement, Apr 20, 3:50 PM EDT, 4 hours 29 minutes before
NCZ007-202145-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CHARLOTTE NC
345 PM EDT APR 20 1992

... A FLASH FLOOD WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR THE NORTHERN MOUNTAINS AND
FOOTHILLS OF NORTH CAROLINA FOR THIS EVENING AND TONIGHT ...

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HAS ISSUED A FLASH FLOOD WATCH FOR A
PORTION OF WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA ... INCLUDING CATAWBA COUNTY FOR
THIS EVENING AND TONIGHT.

A FLASH FLOOD WATCH MEANS THAT CONDITIONS ARE FAVORABLE FOR FLASH
FLOODING.  STAY TUNED TO THIS STATION FOR ADDITIONAL DETAILS.

AT 340 PM EDT ... NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RADAR SHOWED A LARGE AREA
OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORM OVER THE WESTERN CAROLINAS.  THIS
PRECIPITATION WAS MOVING TOWARD THE NORTH AT AROUND 15 MPH.  THIS
PATTERN WILL LIKELY CONTINUE THROUGH THE HOURS OF DARKNESS.

THE NEXT STATEMENT WILL BE ISSUED BY THIS OFFICE AROUND 545 PM EDT.

CLARK
Special weather statement, Apr 20, 6:58 PM EDT, 1 hour 21 minutes before
NCZ010-011-210000-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ASHEVILLE NC
653 PM EDT MON APR 20 1992

AT 650 PM EDT...WEATHER RADAR INDICATED STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WITH VERY
HEAVY RAIN MOVING INTO CHEROKEE COUNTY. THESE THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE
ACCOMPANIED BY GUSTY WINDS...FREQUENT DEADLY
LIGHTNING...LOCALLY HEAVY RAIN...AND POSSIBLY SMALL HAIL.

PEOPLE IN EXTREME WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA SHOULD BE ALERT AND MOVE TO A
SAFE SHELTER IMMEDIATELY IF THREATENING WEATHER APPROACHES.

THE THUNDERSTORMS WERE MOVING NORTHEAST AT 30 MILES AN HOUR.

STAY TUNED TO LOCAL RADIO...TELEVISION...OR NOAA WEATHER RADIO FOR
ADDITIONAL STATEMENTS AND POSSIBLE WARNINGS.

R. JONES
Special weather statement, Apr 20, 7:21 PM EDT, 58 minutes before
SCZ001-002-004-210215-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE SPARTANBURG SC
720 PM EDT MON APR 20 1992

...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS POSSIBLE IN THE UPSTATE LATER TONIGHT...

AT 715 THIS EVENING A BAND OF STRONG TO SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WAS
OCCURRING IN CENTRAL GEORGIA FROM JUST WEST OF ATLANTA EXTENDING
SOUTHWARD TOWARD COLUMBUS GEORGIA. THESE STORMS ARE PRODUCING HEAVY
RAINFALL...FREQUENT LIGHTNING AND POSSIBLY HAIL AS THEY MOVE RAPIDLY
NORTHEASTWARD AROUND 30 TO 40 MPH.

MANY AREAS IN THE UPSTATE...ESPECIALLY TOWARD THE MOUNTAINS...HAVE
RECEIVED ANYWHERE FROM 1/2 TO 2 INCHES OF RAIN SINCE LAST NIGHT AND ANY
ADDITIONAL RAIN TONIGHT COULD AGGREVATE THE WEATHER SITUATION FURTHER.

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WILL MONITOR THIS SITUATION CLOSELY AND
PROVIDE THE LATEST INFORMATION ON THESE STORMS AS THEY APPROACH THE
UPSTATE OF SOUTH CAROLINA.

LEFKOF

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Apr 20, 10:45 PM EDTFlash Flood WarningGSPAvery, Burke, McDowell, Mitchell, Yancey4 hr
Apr 20, 10:45 PM EDTFlash Flood WarningGSPCaldwell, Watauga4 hr
Apr 21, 2:54 AM EDTFlash Flood WarningGSPAshe, Avery, Caldwell, Watauga3 hr
Apr 21, 2:54 AM EDTFlash Flood WarningGSPMcDowell, Mitchell, Yancey3 hr
Apr 21, 2:54 AM EDTFlash Flood WarningGSPBurke3 hr
Apr 21, 4:28 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningGSPCleveland32 min
Apr 21, 6:29 PM EDTFlash Flood WarningGSPMecklenburg3 hr
Apr 21, 6:57 PM EDTFlash Flood WarningGSPCabarrus3 hr

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.