Alert archive / North Carolina / Flash Flood Warnings in 1993

Flash Flood Warning 5, NWS Raleigh, NC

May 6, 1993Franklin County, North Carolina

NWS Raleigh, NC issued this flash flood warning at May 6, 1993, 2:50 AM EDT for Franklin County, North Carolina. It was in force for 115 min.

The area

The counties it named.

The facts

Issued
May 6, 1993, 2:50 AM EDT (06:50 UTC)
Expired
May 6, 1993, 4:45 AM EDT
In force
115 min
Issued by
NWS Raleigh, NC
Area
Whole counties

County Franklin County, NC

The nearest sounding before it

Greensboro/Hi Pt, NC (KGSO), launched 00:00Z, 6.8 hours before the alert went out and 145 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 1993-05-06Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 794 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, Greensboro/Hi Pt, NC at 00:00Z on 1993-05-06The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 32 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
794 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-10 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
1357 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
28 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
32 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
40 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
0.7

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

000 
TTAA00 KRDU 060651
FFWRDU
NCC069-060845-
 
BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
FLASH FLOOD WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RALEIGH/DURHAM NC
250 AM EDT THU MAY 6 1993
 
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN RALEIGH/DURHAM HAS ISSUED A
FLASH FLOOD WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL  445 AM EDT
FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING LOCATION...
 
IN NORTH CENTRAL NORTH CAROLINA
 
   ...FRANKLIN COUNTY
 
STRONG THUNDERSTORMS AND VERY HEAVY RAINFALL HAVE PERSISTED OVER
FRANKLIN COUNTY FOR NEARLY THREE HOURS. RAINFALL AMOUNTS HAVE LIKELY
EXCEEDED THREE INCHES IN SOME AREAS OF THE COUNTY.
 
THE HEAVIEST RAIN HAS MOVED INTO SOUTHERN AND EASTERN PARTS OF THE
COUNTY WHERE ANOTHER 1 TO 2 INCHES MAY FALL BEFORE ENDING.
 
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.

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, May 6, 1:40 AM EDT, 1 hour 10 minutes before
NCZ003-004-005-060630-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RALEIGH/DURHAM, NC
140 AM EDT THU MAY 6 1993

...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS ACROSS THE TRIANGLE AREA...

AT 140 AM STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WERE IN SOUTHEASTERN DURHAM AND
NORTHWESTERN WAKE COUNTY. ONE QUARTER TO ONE HALF INCH SIZE HAIL
WAS REPORTED IN THE CITY OF DURHAM ALONG WITH FREQUENT LIGHTNING
AND HEAVY RAINS.

THE STORMS WERE MOVING TO THE SOUTHEAST AT 15 TO 20 MPH AND WILL
BE AFFECTING MUCH OF THE TRIANGLE AREA BETWEEN 140 AM AND 240 AM.

ALL PERSONS IN THE TRIANGLE AREA SHOULD REMAIN ALERT FOR HAIL AND
POSSIBLY STRONG GUSTY WINDS AND DANGEROUS LIGHTNING EARLY THIS MORNING.
REPORT ANY HAIL OR DAMAGING WINDS TO LJOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICIALS
FOR RELAY TO THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE.
^
GAF
Special weather statement, May 6, 1:40 AM EDT, 1 hour 10 minutes before
NCZ003-004-005-060630-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RALEIGH/DURHAM, NC
140 AM EDT THU MAY 6 1993

...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS ACROSS THE TRIANGLE AREA...

AT 140 AM STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WERE IN SOUTHEASTERN DURHAM AND
NORTHWESTERN WAKE COUNTY. ONE QUARTER TO ONE HALF INCH SIZE HAIL
WAS REPORTED IN THE CITY OF DURHAM ALONG WITH FREQUENT LIGHTNING
AND HEAVY RAINS.

THE STORMS WERE MOVING TO THE SOUTHEAST AT 15 TO 20 MPH AND WILL
BE AFFECTING MUCH OF THE TRIANGLE AREA BETWEEN 140 AM AND 240 AM.

ALL PERSONS IN THE TRIANGLE AREA SHOULD REMAIN ALERT FOR HAIL AND
POSSIBLY STRONG GUSTY WINDS AND DANGEROUS LIGHTNING EARLY THIS MORNING.
REPORT ANY HAIL OR DAMAGING WINDS TO LJOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICIALS
FOR RELAY TO THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE.
^
GAF
Local storm report, May 6, 1:52 AM EDT, 58 minutes before
STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RALEIGH/DURHAM, NC
152 AM EDT THU MAY 06 1993

TIME           EVENT
 151 AM EDT    FRANKLIN COUNTY...MARBLE SIZE HAIL NEAR LOUISBURG.
Local storm report, May 6, 1:53 AM EDT, 57 minutes before
STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RALEIGH/DURHAM, NC
152 AM EDT THU MAY 06 1993

TIME           EVENT
 151 AM EDT    FRANKLIN COUNTY...MARBLE SIZE HAIL NEAR LOUISBURG.
Special weather statement, May 6, 2:35 AM EDT, 15 minutes before
NCZ003-004-005-060730-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RALEIGH/DURHAM, NC
235 AM EDT THU MAY 6 1993

...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS CONTINUE IN PARTS OF THE NORTHEAST PIEDMONT
AND NORTHERN AND CENTRAL COASTAL PLAIN...

AT 235 AM...SHOWERS AND STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WERE SCATTERED ACROSS
WAKE...FRANKLIN...NASH...EDGECOMBE...AND WILSON COUNTIES. THE STRONGEST
STORM WAS IN EASTERN FRANKLIN COUNTY 7 MILES EAST OF LOUISBURG NEAR
THE TOWN OF JUSTICE.

THE STRONGEST STORMS STILL ARE CAPABLE OF PRODUCING LOCALLY HEAVY
RAINS AND SMALL HAIL. DANGEROUS CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING HAS BEEN
ACCOMPANYING MANY OF THE STORMS.

REMEMBER...STAY AWAY FROM ELECTRICAL APPLIANCES WHEN LIGHTNING IS IN THE
AREA. PLEASE REPORT ANY HAIL OR STRONG WINDS TO LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT
OFFICIALS FOR RELAY TO THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE.

GAF
Special weather statement, May 6, 2:38 AM EDT, 12 minutes before
NCZ003-004-005-060730-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RALEIGH/DURHAM, NC
235 AM EDT THU MAY 6 1993

...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS CONTINUE IN PARTS OF THE NORTHEAST PIEDMONT
AND NORTHERN AND CENTRAL COASTAL PLAIN...

AT 235 AM...SHOWERS AND STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WERE SCATTERED ACROSS
WAKE...FRANKLIN...NASH...EDGECOMBE...AND WILSON COUNTIES. THE STRONGEST
STORM WAS IN EASTERN FRANKLIN COUNTY 7 MILES EAST OF LOUISBURG NEAR
THE TOWN OF JUSTICE.

THE STRONGEST STORMS STILL ARE CAPABLE OF PRODUCING LOCALLY HEAVY
RAINS AND SMALL HAIL. DANGEROUS CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING HAS BEEN
ACCOMPANYING MANY OF THE STORMS.

REMEMBER...STAY AWAY FROM ELECTRICAL APPLIANCES WHEN LIGHTNING IS IN THE
AREA. PLEASE REPORT ANY HAIL OR STRONG WINDS TO LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT
OFFICIALS FOR RELAY TO THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE.

GAF

The office that day

Everything else NWS Raleigh, NC issued on the same UTC day.

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
May 5, 11:10 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningRAHGranville50 min
May 6, 12:11 AM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningRAHFranklin64 min
May 6, 1:22 AM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningRAHFranklin53 min

Nearby

Flash Flood Warnings in North Carolina, 1993Every 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.