Alert archive / North Carolina / Flash Flood Warnings in 1993

Flash Flood Warning 9, NWS Greenville-Spartanburg, SC

March 23, 1993Buncombe County, North Carolina

NWS Greenville-Spartanburg, SC issued this flash flood warning at Mar 23, 1993, 7:44 PM EST for Buncombe County, North Carolina. It was in force for 76 min.

The area

The counties it named.

The facts

Issued: Mar 23, 1993, 7:44 PM EST (00:44 UTC)
Expired: Mar 23, 1993, 9:00 PM EST
In force: 76 min
Issued by: NWS Greenville-Spartanburg, SC
Area: Whole counties

County Buncombe County, NC

The nearest sounding before it

Athens Municipal, GA (KAHN), launched 00:00Z, 0.7 hours before the alert went out and 198 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-p

Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed.

Hodograph

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: 1151 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN: -3 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL: 575 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear: 40 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity: 183 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity: 235 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter: 1.1
Supercell composite: 7.1

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

000 
TTAA00 KAVL 240046
FFWAVL
NCC021-099-240200-
 
BULLETIN - EBS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
FLASH FLOOD WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ASHEVILLE NC
744 PM EST TUE MAR 23 1993
 
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN ASHEVILLE HAS ISSUED A
FLASH FLOOD WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL  900 PM EST
FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING LOCATIONS...
 
IN WEST NORTH CAROLINA
 
   ...BUNCOMBE COUNTY...JACKSON COUNTY
 
FLOODING CONTINUES IN PARTS OF BUNCOMBE AND JACKSON COUNTIES. WEATHER
RADAR INDICATES A BAND OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS MOVING THROUGH
EASTERN GRAHAM AND EASTERN CHEROKEE COUNTIES TOWARD THIS AREA. THE FLOOD
WATERS WILL LIKELY RECEDE FOR A BRIEF PERIOD OF TIME...ESPECIALLY IN
BUNCOMBE COUNTY...BUT WITH MORE HEAVY RAIN HEADED TOWARD THESE
AREAS...FLOOD PROBLEMS WILL CONTINUE.
 
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.
 
EJC/RCJ/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, Mar 23, 3:33 PM EST, 4 hours 11 minutes before

NCZ010-011-012-232130-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ASHEVILLE NC
333 PM EST TUE MAR 23 1993

...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS APPROACHING WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA...

AT 330 PM EST...WEATHER SERVICE RADAR SHOWED A LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS
EXTENDING THROUGH NORTHERN GEORGIA AND INTO THE SOUTHWESTERN MOUNTAINS
OF NORTH CAROLINA. THE STRONGEST THUNDERSTORMS WERE OVER NORTHERN
GEORGIA BUT WERE MOVING TO THE NORTHEAST AT 35 MPH. WITH THIS MOVEMENT
THE STRONGEST STORMS WILL MOVE INTO MACON AND JACKSON COUNTIES BY 4 PM.

THESE THUNDERSTORMS WERE PRODUCING VERY HEAVY RAIN AND FREQUENT DEADLY
LIGHTNING. STRONG GUSTY WINDS AND SOME HAIL ARE ALSO POSSIBLE WITH THE
STRONGEST STORMS.

IF THREATENING WEATHER APPROACHES YOUR AREA...MOVE INTO A STRONG
BUILDING AND REMAIN THERE UNTIL THE STORM HAS PASSED.

LISTEN TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO...OR LOCAL RADIO AND TELEVISION FOR LATER
INFORMATION.

EJC

Special weather statement, Mar 23, 4:22 PM EST, 3 hours 22 minutes before

SCZ001-002-004-232300-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE SPARTANBURG SC
422 PM EST TUE MAR 23 1993

...THUNDERSTORMS HEADED TOWARD UPSTATE SOUTH CAROLINA...

A BAND OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS EXTENDS FROM SOUTHWESTERN
NORTH CAROLINA TO JUST NORTH OF ATLANTA GEORGIA AT 410 THIS AFTERNOON
AND IS MOVING EASTWARD AROUND 25 MPH. THESE STORMS WILL BE
CROSSING INTO OCONEE COUNTY AROUND 500 PM AND WILL PRODUCE
LOCALLY HEAVY RAIN AND POSSIBLY SOME HAIL.

AREAS OF THE UPSTATE HAVE RECEIVED ANYWHERE FROM 3/4 TO ALMOST
2 INCHES OF RAIN IN THE LAST 18 HOURS. WITH ADDITIONAL HEAVY
RAINS EXPECTED WITH THE SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS...SOME FLOODING
OF STREETS AND AREAS OF POOBR DRAINAGE IS POSSIBLE THIS EVENING.

LISTEN FOR LATER STATEMENTS AS THESE STORMS MOVE THROUGH THE AREA.
LEFKOF/GSP

Local storm report, Mar 23, 6:21 PM EST, 1 hour 23 minutes before

STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
620 PM EST TUE MAR 23 1993

550 PM    POSSIBLE TORNADO...DAMAGED BOAT HIGHWAY 188 SOUTH COVE
          AREA.
602 PM    HAIL UNKNOWN SIZE OCONEE/PICKENS LINE HWY 183.
605 PM    DOWNED TREES AND SHINGLES OFF ROOFS...KEOWEE SUBDIVISION
          NEAR SENECA...TOWARD CLEMSON.

WAJ

Local storm report, Mar 23, 6:25 PM EST, 1 hour 19 minutes before

STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
624 PM EST TUE MAR 23 1993

618 PM    DIME HAIL NEAR EASLEY FROM SHERIFF DEPARMENT...OUT AHEAD
          OF MAIN PART OF STORM.

WAJ

Local storm report, Mar 23, 7:03 PM EST, 41 minutes before

STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
701 PM EST TUE MAR 23 1993

658 PM    AMATEUR RADIO TORNADO ON GROUND BACK UP BACK DOWN WEST OF
          IVA...NO INFO ON WHETHER DAMAGE OC4CURRED.

WAJ

Special weather statement, Mar 23, 7:11 PM EST, 33 minutes before

NCZ007-009-010-011-012-013-240115-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ASHEVILLE NC
710 PM EST TUE MAR 23 1993

...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS MOVING THROUGH WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA...

AT 705 PM EST...WEATHER SERVICE RADAR SHOWED A LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS
EXTENDING FROM NEAR RUTHERFORDTON IN THE SOUTHERN FOOTHILLS...THROUGH
THE NORTHERN FOOTHILLS AND INTO ASHE COUNTY NEAR WEST JEFFERSON IN THE
NORTHERN MOUNTAINS. ANOTHER BAND OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WERE
MOVING INTO EXTREME SOUTHWESTERN NORTH CAROLINA. THE SHOWERS AND STORMS
WERE MOVING TOWARD THE EAST AT AROUND 30 MPH.

THESE THUNDERSTORMS WERE PRODUCING VERY HEAVY RAIN AND FREQUENT DEADLY
LIGHTNING. STRONG GUSTY WINDS AND SOME HAIL ARE ALSO POSSIBLE WITH THE
STRONGEST STORMS.

IF THREATENING WEATHER APPROACHES YOUR AREA...MOVE INTO A REINFORCED
BUILDING AND REMAIN THERE UNTIL THE STORM HAS PASSED.
.
LISTEN TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO...OR LOCAL RADIO AND TELEVISION FOR LATE.R
INFORMATION.

EJC

The office that day

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

Issued	Product	Office	Counties	Lasted
Mar 23, 7:05 PM EST	Flash Flood Warning	GSP	Burke	115 min
Mar 23, 7:44 PM EST	Flash Flood Warning	GSP	Jackson	76 min
Mar 24, 2:35 AM EST	Flash Flood Warning	GSP	Mecklenburg	115 min
Mar 24, 4:27 AM EST	Flash Flood Warning	GSP	Mecklenburg	3 hr
Mar 24, 2:36 PM EST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	GSP	Union	69 min
Mar 24, 3:10 PM EST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	GSP	Stanly	50 min
Mar 24, 3:30 PM EST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	GSP	Anson	60 min
Mar 24, 4:10 PM EST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	GSP	Montgomery, Richmond	65 min
Mar 24, 4:33 PM EST	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	GSP	Anson	27 min

Nearby

Flash Flood Warnings in North Carolina, 1993 Every flash flood warning in 1993

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.