Alert archive / North Carolina / Flash Flood Warnings in 1998

Flash Flood Warning 48, NWS Greenville-Spartanburg, SC

April 17, 1998Caldwell County, North Carolina

NWS Greenville-Spartanburg, SC issued this flash flood warning at Apr 17, 1998, 2:33 AM EDT for Caldwell County, North Carolina. It was in force for 4 hr. No storm report in the archive falls inside the area while it was in force.

The area

The counties it named.

The facts

Issued
Apr 17, 1998, 2:33 AM EDT (06:33 UTC)
Expired
Apr 17, 1998, 6:30 AM EDT
In force
4 hr
Issued by
NWS Greenville-Spartanburg, SC
Area
Whole counties

County Caldwell County, NC

The radar

The Greer radar (KGSP), 134 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 06:35 UTC, the scan nearest the moment this went out.

Open the radar archive at this moment

The archived warnings, watches and discussions in force at that minute are drawn over the scan, this one among them.

The nearest sounding before it

Greensboro/Hi Pt, NC (KGSO), launched 00:00Z, 6.6 hours before the alert went out and 149 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 1998-04-17Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 51 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 1998-04-17The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 194 square meters per square second.19395878Sfc1 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
51 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-85 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
788 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
51 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
194 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
253 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
0.9

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

000 
TTAA00 KGSP 170634
FFWGSP
NCC027-171030-

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
FLASH FLOOD WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
233 AM EDT FRI APR 17 1998

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC HAS
ISSUED A

* FLASH FLOOD WARNING FOR...
  CALDWELL COUNTY IN WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA

* UNTIL 630 AM EDT

* AT 0230 AM... NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RADAR INDICATED
SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS MOVING ACROSS CALDWELL COUNTY WITH A
LARGE AREA OF PRECIPITATION UPSTREAM THAT WILL ALSO MOVE ACROSS
THE COUNTY DURING THE PREDAWN HOURS.

EMERGENCY MANAGMENT OFFICIALS REPORT THAT LOWER CREEK HAS
OVERFLOWED ITS BANKS IN AND AROUND THE CITY OF LENOIR...FLOODING
PARTS OF HIGHWAY 18 E AND W. ADDITIONAL FLOODING WAS REPORTED
DOWNSTREAM ALONG HIGHWAY 18E IN THE KINGS CREEK COMMUNITY.

REMEMBER THAT MOST FLOOD FATALITIES ARE THE RESULT OF DRIVING INTO
FLOODED STREETS...ROADS...OR STREAMS...OR OCCUR WHEN CHILDREN PLAY
IN OR NEAR STORM DRAINS OR STREAMS.

BURRUS

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.

NWS Greenville-Spartanburg, SC wrote its last area forecast discussion before this flash flood warning went out at Apr 16, 9:15 PM EDT, 5 hours 18 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Apr 16, 9:15 PM EDT, 5 hours 18 minutes before
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE/SPARTANBURG, SC
915 PM EDT THU APR 16 1998

CAE: CONCUR ON LIKELY POPS.
RAH: MENTION POSSIBILITY OF SEVERE E OF MOUNTAINS. DROP WINDY
     MOUNTAINS.
FFC: NONE.

SOUNDING FROM KFFC HAD CAPE OF 1340 AND HELICITY OF 425. GSO A BIT
MORE TAME WITH CAPE 415 AND HELICITY 100. CURRENT ACTIVITY IN W
NC MADE MOST OF ITS ENVIRONMENT...AND EXPECT AREA ALONG AND S OF
I-40 TO BE CAPABLE OF SUPPORTING CONVECTION OF EQUAL OR GREATER
STRENGTH/ORGANIZATION. MOUNTAIN REPORTS INDICATE WINDS TO BE 10
KNOTS OR LESS...EXCEPT IN PRESENCE OF THUNDERSTORMS. TEMPERATURES
AND POPS APPEAR IN ORDER.

JAT

In the hours before

Local storm report, Apr 16, 9:22 PM EDT, 5 hours 11 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE SPARTANBURG SC
922 PM EDT THU APR 16 1998

TIME (EDT) .....CITY LOCATION....... ST   ...EVENT/REMARKS...
           .....COUNTY LOCATION.....

735 PM     2 NW ALMOND               NC   TORNADO
04/16/98   SWAIN                          WLOS-TV RELAYED UNCONFIRMED
                                          REPORT AT GRAHAM LINE -
                                          TREE DAMAGE

840 PM     JUST N OF AVL AIRPORT     NC   2.00 INCH HAIL
04/16/98   BUNCOMBE                       RELAYED BY WLOS-TV
                                          AT HENDERSON COUNTY LINE

JONES
Local storm report, Apr 16, 9:22 PM EDT, 5 hours 11 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE SPARTANBURG SC
922 PM EDT THU APR 16 1998

TIME (EDT) .....CITY LOCATION....... ST   ...EVENT/REMARKS...
           .....COUNTY LOCATION.....

735 PM     2 NW ALMOND               NC   TORNADO
04/16/98   SWAIN                          WLOS-TV RELAYED UNCONFIRMED
                                          REPORT AT GRAHAM LINE -
                                          TREE DAMAGE

840 PM     JUST N OF AVL AIRPORT     NC   2.00 INCH HAIL
04/16/98   BUNCOMBE                       RELAYED BY WLOS-TV
                                          AT HENDERSON COUNTY LINE

JONES
Local storm report, Apr 16, 10:38 PM EDT, 3 hours 55 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE SPARTANBURG SC
1038 PM EDT THU APR 16 1998

TIME (EDT) .....CITY LOCATION....... ST   ...EVENT/REMARKS...
           .....COUNTY LOCATION.....

1033 PM    NEAR MAIDEN               NC   1.00 INCH HAIL
04/16/98   CATAWBA                        AT LINCOLN COUNTY LINE
                                          CHARLOTTE AREA SKYWARN
                                          REPORT
JONES
Local storm report, Apr 16, 10:38 PM EDT, 3 hours 55 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE SPARTANBURG SC
1038 PM EDT THU APR 16 1998

TIME (EDT) .....CITY LOCATION....... ST   ...EVENT/REMARKS...
           .....COUNTY LOCATION.....

1033 PM    NEAR MAIDEN               NC   1.00 INCH HAIL
04/16/98   CATAWBA                        AT LINCOLN COUNTY LINE
                                          CHARLOTTE AREA SKYWARN
                                          REPORT
JONES
Special weather statement, Apr 16, 10:58 PM EDT, 3 hours 35 minutes before
GAZ010-017-018-026-028-029-NCZ033>037-048>059-062>072-082-SCZ001>014-
019-170900-

SEVERE WEATHER OUTOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
1058 PM EDT THU APR 16 1998

...TORNADO WATCH FOR ALL OF WESTERN AND MUCH OF CENTRAL NORTH CAROLINA
UNTIL 5 AM AND FOR RABUN AND HABERSHAM COUNTIES IN GEORGIA UNTIL 4 AM...
...FLASH FLOOD WATCH FOR TONIGHT AND FRIDAY INCLUDES NORTHEAST
GEORGIA...
...SEVERE WEATHER POSSIBLE TONIGHT ACROSS UPSTATE SOUTH CAROLINA AND
THE REMAINDER OF NORTHEAST GEORGIA...

A STEADY STATE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM CROSSED THE MOUNTAINS OF NORTH
CAROLINA THIS EVENING AND WAS STILL CAUSING LARGE HAIL AS IT MOVED INTO
THE PIEDMONT NORTH OF LINCOLNTON.  SOME TORNADOES AND WIND DAMAGE MAY
HAVE OCCURRED...ESPECIALLY FROM NEAR THE TENNESSEE BORDER TO WEST OF
ASHEVILLE...BUT THE STORM CROSSED RUGGED TERRAIN AND INFORMATION HAS
BEEN DIFFICULT TO OBTAIN TONIGHT.

NUMEROUS SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS HAVED OCCURRED FROM THIS AFTERNOON
THROUGH THE EVENING ACROSS TENNESSEE AND NORTH ALABAMA.  LARGE
HAIL...DAMAGING WINDS...AND TORNADOES HAVE BEEN REPORTED.

THIS COULD BE A VERY DANGEROUS WEATHER SITUATION OVERNIGHT...AND PEOPLE
SHOULD MONITOR THE SITUATION CAREFULLY AND LISTEN FOR LATER STATEMENTS
AND WARNINGS.  HEAVY RAINFALL MAY BECOME A REAL THREAT OVERNIGHT...AND
THE FLASH FLOOD WATCH COULD BE EXPANDED TO INCLUDE OTHER AREAS.

JONES
Special weather statement, Apr 16, 10:58 PM EDT, 3 hours 35 minutes before
GAZ010-017-018-026-028-029-NCZ033>037-048>059-062>072-082-SCZ001>014-
019-170900-

SEVERE WEATHER OUTOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
1058 PM EDT THU APR 16 1998

...TORNADO WATCH FOR ALL OF WESTERN AND MUCH OF CENTRAL NORTH CAROLINA
UNTIL 5 AM AND FOR RABUN AND HABERSHAM COUNTIES IN GEORGIA UNTIL 4 AM...
...FLASH FLOOD WATCH FOR TONIGHT AND FRIDAY INCLUDES NORTHEAST
GEORGIA...
...SEVERE WEATHER POSSIBLE TONIGHT ACROSS UPSTATE SOUTH CAROLINA AND
THE REMAINDER OF NORTHEAST GEORGIA...

A STEADY STATE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM CROSSED THE MOUNTAINS OF NORTH
CAROLINA THIS EVENING AND WAS STILL CAUSING LARGE HAIL AS IT MOVED INTO
THE PIEDMONT NORTH OF LINCOLNTON.  SOME TORNADOES AND WIND DAMAGE MAY
HAVE OCCURRED...ESPECIALLY FROM NEAR THE TENNESSEE BORDER TO WEST OF
ASHEVILLE...BUT THE STORM CROSSED RUGGED TERRAIN AND INFORMATION HAS
BEEN DIFFICULT TO OBTAIN TONIGHT.

NUMEROUS SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS HAVED OCCURRED FROM THIS AFTERNOON
THROUGH THE EVENING ACROSS TENNESSEE AND NORTH ALABAMA.  LARGE
HAIL...DAMAGING WINDS...AND TORNADOES HAVE BEEN REPORTED.

THIS COULD BE A VERY DANGEROUS WEATHER SITUATION OVERNIGHT...AND PEOPLE
SHOULD MONITOR THE SITUATION CAREFULLY AND LISTEN FOR LATER STATEMENTS
AND WARNINGS.  HEAVY RAINFALL MAY BECOME A REAL THREAT OVERNIGHT...AND
THE FLASH FLOOD WATCH COULD BE EXPANDED TO INCLUDE OTHER AREAS.

JONES

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Apr 16, 8:14 PM EDTTornado WarningGSPBuncombe, Henderson61 min
Apr 16, 8:59 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningGSPRutherford61 min
Apr 16, 10:12 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningGSPLincoln48 min
Apr 16, 10:27 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningGSPCatawba33 min
Apr 16, 10:42 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningGSPIredell33 min
Apr 17, 5:32 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningGSPIredell28 min
Apr 17, 6:02 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningGSPDavie28 min

Nearby

Flash Flood Warnings in North Carolina, 1998Every flash flood warning in 1998

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; radar from the NEXRAD Level II archive.