Alert archive / North Carolina / Flash Flood Warnings in 1998

Flash Flood Warning 76, NWS Blacksburg, VA

May 27, 1998Surry County, North Carolina

NWS Blacksburg, VA issued this flash flood warning at May 27, 1998, 5:03 PM EDT for Surry County, North Carolina. It was in force for 62 min. No storm report in the archive falls inside the area while it was in force.

The area

The counties it named.

The facts

Issued: May 27, 1998, 5:03 PM EDT (21:03 UTC)
Expired: May 27, 1998, 6:05 PM EDT
In force: 62 min
Issued by: NWS Blacksburg, VA
Area: Whole counties

County Surry County, NC

The nearest sounding before it

Greensboro/Hi Pt, NC (KGSO), launched 12:00Z, 9.1 hours before the alert went out and 80 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: 186 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN: -113 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL: 540 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear: 51 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity: 181 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity: 245 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter: 0.0
Supercell composite: 0.0

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

000 
TTAA00 KROA 272103
FFWRNK
NCC171-272205-

BULLETIN--IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
FLOOD WARNING FOR SMALL CREEKS AND STREAMS
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BLACKSBURG VA
503 PM EDT WED MAY 27 1998

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN BLACKSBURG HAS ISSUED A

* FLOOD WARNING FOR SMALL CREEKS AND STREAMS FOR...
  SURRY COUNTY IN NORTHWESTERN NORTH CAROLINA.

* UNTIL 605 PM EDT.

* AT 502 PM EDT... AREA LAW ENFORCEMENT INDICATED FLOODING ON
  ZEPHYR ROAD NEAR THE TOWN OF DOBSON.  THIS FLOODING WAS CAUSED
  BY HEAVY RAINS ASSOCIATED WITH A THUNDERSTORM THAT CROSSED THIS
  AREA BETWEEN 440 AND 500 PM.

* ADDITIONAL RAINFALL WILL BE LIGHT...BUT THE FLOODING CAUSED BY
  THE HEAVY RAINFALL WILL PERSIST THROUGH 600 PM.

<< CALL PTO ACTION >> DON'T DRIVE INTO AREAS WHERE WATER COVERS THE
ROAD!

.END/DD

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 Blacksburg, VA wrote its last area forecast discussion before this flash flood warning went out at May 27, 2:45 PM EDT, 2 hours 18 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, May 27, 2:45 PM EDT, 2 hours 18 minutes before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BLACKSBURG VA
245 PM EDT WED MAY 27 1998

DISC...

A FEW TSTMS OVR NC FOOTHILLS AND IN THE FAR SW PTN OF RNK CWA. NOT
SURPRISING THAT THERE WE BE SOME STUFF IN VA... SAT PICS SHOW THAT
THERE HAVE BEEN SVRL HRS OF SUNSHINE IN THIS AREA. FURTHER
NORTH...LINE OF DIMINISHING SHRWS PERSISTS FM ARND TAZEWELL TO
HIGHLANDS TO CNTRL VA.

LOW LVL CLDS AND COLR TEMPS HAVE PERSISTED THRU THE ERLY AFTN IN
CNTRL VA AND NCNTRL NC...BUT SRN EDGE OF THESE CLDS BEGINNING TO
ERODE.  THIS CD BE A PROBLEM AREA LTR IF THIS TREND CONTS.

WEAK S/WV STILL TO CROSS THE FA DURG THE LATE AFTN/ERLY EVE... THIS
SHD HELP EHNANCE CRNT ACTIVITY AND MAYBE SPARK A FEW SHRWS ELSEWERE.
WD LIKE TO CONT CHC POPS THRU THE EVENING AS I THINK ALL AREAS TO BE
AFFECTED ONE WAY OR ANOTHER.

AFTR THIS AFTN...BLDG HGHTS SHD FORCE THE ACTION NORTH OF THE CWA...
LEAVING DRYER AND WARMER CONDITIONS ACRS THE CWA FOR THE LATTER PART
OF THE WEEK.  PUT FOG IN THE TAFS FOR TNT...THINK ERODING CLDS WL
PERMIT SOME RADIATION AND GRND WET FM THE PCPN.

TEMP PROFILES NOT PROGGED TO CHG A WHILE LOT IN THE SHORT TERM... AT
LEAST PER THE NGM WHICH GOT MORE WEIGHT TODAY DUE TO IT/S MORE
COMPLETE RAOB INPUT.  SCTD CU LIKELY TMRW.  PTLY CLDY AGAIN FRI.

FWC TEMPS LUK RSNBL... MAYBE A SHADE TO HIGH ON FRI AT ROA/BLF.

ROA 56/83/59/89 3000   RNK 53/77/55/82 3000
LYH 57/82/60/90 3000   BLF 54/78/57/83 3000
DAN 63/84/63/92 3000

DESROSIERS

In the hours before

Special weather statement, May 27, 12:40 PM EDT, 4 hours 23 minutes before

NCZ001>006-018>020-VAZ007-009>020-022>024-032>035-043>047-058-
059-WVZ042>045-272205-

SEVERE WEATHER OUTLOOK...CORRECTED TYPO
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BLACKSBURG VA
1240 PM EDT WED MAY 27 1998

...THERE IS A SLIGHT RISK OF SEVERE WEATHER TODAY ACROSS NORTHWEST
NORTH CAROLINA AND SOUTHERN VIRGINIA...

A VERY SLOW MOVING FRONTAL BOUNDARY WILL LIFT NORTH ACROSS NORTH
CAROLINA THIS AFTERNOON AS LOW PRESSURE TRACKS EAST FROM TENNESSEE
INTO SOUTHWEST VIRGINIA.

THUNDERSTORMS WILL DEVELOP ALONG AND NEAR THE FRONT TODAY. MEANWHILE
...DAYTIME HEATING WILL INCREASE THE INSTABILITY OF THE ATMOSPHERE
ACROSS THE RISK AREA...HELPING TO INTENSIFY THE ACTIVITY.  SOME OF
THE STORMS COULD BECOME SEVERE WITH DAMAGING WINDS AND LARGE HAIL
POSSIBLE.  IN ADDITION... THE WINDS THROUGH THE LOWER PORTION OF THE
ATMOSPHERE ARE FAVORABLE FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF ISOLATED TORNADOES.

STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO...RADIO OR TELEVISION FOR THE
LATEST UPDATES AND FOR POSSIBLE WATCHES AND WARNINGS CONCERNING THIS
SEVERE WEATHER POTENTIAL.

SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE NEEDED THIS AFTERNOON.

JDS/DSD

Special weather statement, May 27, 12:40 PM EDT, 4 hours 23 minutes before

NCZ001>006-018>020-VAZ007-009>020-022>024-032>035-043>047-058-
059-WVZ042>045-272205-

SEVERE WEATHER OUTLOOK...CORRECTED TYPO
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BLACKSBURG VA
1240 PM EDT WED MAY 27 1998

...THERE IS A SLIGHT RISK OF SEVERE WEATHER TODAY ACROSS NORTHWEST
NORTH CAROLINA AND SOUTHERN VIRGINIA...

A VERY SLOW MOVING FRONTAL BOUNDARY WILL LIFT NORTH ACROSS NORTH
CAROLINA THIS AFTERNOON AS LOW PRESSURE TRACKS EAST FROM TENNESSEE
INTO SOUTHWEST VIRGINIA.

THUNDERSTORMS WILL DEVELOP ALONG AND NEAR THE FRONT TODAY. MEANWHILE
...DAYTIME HEATING WILL INCREASE THE INSTABILITY OF THE ATMOSPHERE
ACROSS THE RISK AREA...HELPING TO INTENSIFY THE ACTIVITY.  SOME OF
THE STORMS COULD BECOME SEVERE WITH DAMAGING WINDS AND LARGE HAIL
POSSIBLE.  IN ADDITION... THE WINDS THROUGH THE LOWER PORTION OF THE
ATMOSPHERE ARE FAVORABLE FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF ISOLATED TORNADOES.

STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO...RADIO OR TELEVISION FOR THE
LATEST UPDATES AND FOR POSSIBLE WATCHES AND WARNINGS CONCERNING THIS
SEVERE WEATHER POTENTIAL.

SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE NEEDED THIS AFTERNOON.

JDS/DSD

Local storm report, May 27, 3:35 PM EDT, 1 hour 28 minutes before

LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BLACKSBURG VA
335 PM EDT WED MAY 27 1998

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

323 PM     WILKESBORO                NC   1.00 INCH HAIL
05/27/98   WILKESBORO                     QUARTER SIZED HAIL
                                          REPORTED BY COUNTY
                                          SHERIFF.

DESROSIERS

Local storm report, May 27, 3:35 PM EDT, 1 hour 28 minutes before

LOCAL STORM REPORT...CORRECTED COUNTY NAME
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BLACKSBURG VA
335 PM EDT WED MAY 27 1998

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

323 PM     WILKESBORO                NC   1.00 INCH HAIL
05/27/98   WILKES                         QUARTER SIZED HAIL
                                          REPORTED BY COUNTY
                                          SHERIFF.

DESROSIERS

Local storm report, May 27, 3:35 PM EDT, 1 hour 28 minutes before

LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BLACKSBURG VA
335 PM EDT WED MAY 27 1998

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

323 PM     WILKESBORO                NC   1.00 INCH HAIL
05/27/98   WILKESBORO                     QUARTER SIZED HAIL
                                          REPORTED BY COUNTY
                                          SHERIFF.

DESROSIERS

Local storm report, May 27, 3:35 PM EDT, 1 hour 28 minutes before

LOCAL STORM REPORT...CORRECTED COUNTY NAME
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BLACKSBURG VA
335 PM EDT WED MAY 27 1998

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

323 PM     WILKESBORO                NC   1.00 INCH HAIL
05/27/98   WILKES                         QUARTER SIZED HAIL
                                          REPORTED BY COUNTY
                                          SHERIFF.

DESROSIERS

The office that day

Everything else NWS Blacksburg, VA issued on the same UTC day.

Issued	Product	Office	Counties	Lasted
May 26, 8:24 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	RNK	Stokes	36 min
May 27, 3:51 AM EDT	Tornado Warning	RNK	Stokes	34 min
May 27, 4:21 AM EDT	Tornado Warning	RNK	Rockingham	49 min
May 27, 3:02 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	RNK	Wilkes	48 min
May 27, 4:45 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	RNK	Surry	50 min

Nearby

Flash Flood Warnings in North Carolina, 1998 Every 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.