Alert archive / North Carolina / Flash Flood Warnings in 1992

Flash Flood Warning 4, NWS Greenville-Spartanburg, SC

April 20, 19925 counties in North Carolina

NWS Greenville-Spartanburg, SC issued this flash flood warning at Apr 20, 1992, 10:45 PM EDT for 5 counties in North Carolina. It was in force for 4 hr.

The area

The counties it named.

The facts

Issued
Apr 20, 1992, 10:45 PM EDT (02:45 UTC)
Expired
Apr 21, 1992, 2:45 AM EDT
In force
4 hr
Issued by
NWS Greenville-Spartanburg, SC
Area
Whole counties

Counties Avery County, NC, Burke County, NC, McDowell County, NC, Mitchell County, NC, Yancey County, NC

The nearest sounding before it

Greensboro/Hi Pt, NC (KGSO), launched 00:00Z, 2.8 hours before the alert went out and 193 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 210249
FFWAVL
NCC011-023-027-111-121-189-199-210645-
 
BULLETIN - EBS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
FLASH FLOOD WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ASHEVILLE NC
1045 PM EDT MON APR 20 1992
 
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN ASHEVILLE HAS ISSUED A
FLASH FLOOD WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL  245 AM EDT
FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING LOCATIONS...
 
IN WEST NORTH CAROLINA
 
   ...AVERY COUNTY...NORTHWESTERN BURKE COUNTY
   ...NORTHERN CALDWELL COUNTY...NORTHERN MCDOWELL COUNTY
   ...SOUTHEASTERN MITCHELL COUNTY...WATAUGA COUNTY...SOUTHERN YANCEY 
 
RAIN CONTINUES OVER MUCH OF WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA. WHILE MOSTLY LIGHT
RAIN IS INDICATED BY WEATHER RADAR...SOME PATCHES OF HEAVIER RAIN HAS
BEEN REPORTED.
 
IN WATAUGA COUNTY...PARK SERVICE PERSONNEL CONTINUE TO MONITOR WATER
LEVELS IN PRICE LAKE. EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT REPORTS SEVEN DEVILS LAKE
IS AT CAPACITY. FLOODING CONTINUES ALONG NEW RIVER AND NEAR THE BOONE
AIRPORT.
 
THE TOE RIVER LEVEL WAS 4.6 FEET...OR ABOUT 2 AND A HALF FEET ABOVE
NORMAL...IN MITCHELL COUNTY.
 
FLOODING ALONG WILSON CREEK IN BOTH AVERY AND CALDWELL COUNTY
CONTINUES WITH SEVERAL LOW WATER BRIDGES COVERED WITH WATER.
 
PEOPLE IN WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA SHOULD REMAIN ALERT AND READY TO MOVE
TO SAFER GROUND IMMEDIATELY IF RISING WATERS THREATEN. STAY TUNED TO
LOCAL RADIO OR TELEVISION OR NOAA WEATHER RADIO FOR OFFICIAL
INFORMATION.
 
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.
 
 
 
RCJ/GGW/HM

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, 6:58 PM EDT, 3 hours 47 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, 3 hours 24 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
Special weather statement, Apr 20, 8:57 PM EDT, 1 hour 48 minutes before
SCZ001-002-004-210200-

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

...THUNDERSTORMS MOVING RAPIDLY TOWARD THE UPSTATE TONIGHT...

AT 850 THIS EVENING AN AREA OF STRONG TO SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WAS
MOVING IN NORTH GEORGIA EXTENDING SOUTH TO JUST WEST OF ATHENS
GEORGIA. THESE STORMS HAVE A HISTORY OF HAIL..STRONG WINDS..FREQUENT
LIGHTNING AND HEAVY RAIN. THEY HAVE ACCELERATED IN THE PAST HOUR TOWARD
THE NORTHEAST AT 40 TO 50 MPH AND COULD AFFECT THE WESTERN PARTS
OF OCONEE..ANDERSON..AND ABBEVILLE COUNTIES BETWEEN 930 AND 1030 PM
TONIGHT.
STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO..LOACAL TV AND RAIO STATIONS FOR FURTHER
INFORMATION CONCERNIN	G THESE STORMS.

LEFKOF
Special weather statement, Apr 20, 10:20 PM EDT, 25 minutes before
SCZ001-002-004-210330-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE SPARTANBURG SC
1020 PM EDT MON APR 20 1992

...THUNDERSTORMS MOVING TOWARD THE UPSTATE...

AT 1015 THIS EVENING A LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS EXTENDS FROM CLAYTON GEORGIA
SOUTHWARD TOWARD MACON GEORGIA. ALTHOUGH THE LINE HAS DECREASED IN
INTENSITY IN THE LAST HOUR THUNDERSTORMS CONTINUE TO MOVE TOWARD THE
NORTHEAST AT AROUND 30 MPH.
RESIDENTS IN OCONEE...ANDERSON...AND ABBEVILLE SHOULD BE ALERT FOR
HEAVY DOWNPOURS GUSTY WINDS AND FREQUENT LIGHTNING DURING THE NEXT FEW
HOURS.

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WILL CONTINUE TO WATCH THIS SITUATION THROUGH
THE NIGHT. LISTEN FOR LATER STATEMENTS AND POSSIBLE WARNINGS.

LEFKOF

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Apr 20, 8:19 PM EDTFlash Flood WarningGSPAvery, Caldwell, Watauga116 min
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.