Alert archive / South Carolina / Flash Flood Warnings in 2003

Flash Flood Warning 103, NWS Greenville-Spartanburg, SC

August 4, 2003Greenville County, South Carolina

NWS Greenville-Spartanburg, SC issued this flash flood warning at Aug 4, 2003, 10:36 PM EDT for Greenville County, South Carolina. It was in force for 3 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: Aug 4, 2003, 10:36 PM EDT (02:36 UTC)
Expired: Aug 5, 2003, 1:30 AM EDT
In force: 3 hr
Issued by: NWS Greenville-Spartanburg, SC
Area: Whole counties

County Greenville County, SC

The radar

The Greer radar (KGSP), 14 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 02:37 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

Peachtre/Fal Fld, GA (KFFC), launched 00:00Z, 2.6 hours before the alert went out and 259 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: 2177 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN: -10 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL: 868 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear: 35 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity: 47 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity: 101 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter: 0.7
Supercell composite: 3.7

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

000 
WGUS52 KGSP 050236
FFWGSP
SCC045-050530-

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
FLASH FLOOD WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
1036 PM EDT MON AUG 4 2003

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG HAS ISSUED A

* FLASH FLOOD WARNING FOR...
  CENTRAL GREENVILLE COUNTY IN UPSTATE SOUTH CAROLINA

* UNTIL 130 AM EDT

* AT 1022 PM EDT...WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED VERY HEAVY
  RAIN AFFECTING THE AREA FROM THE WEST SIDE OF GREENVILLE...ACROSS  
  THE CITY...TO TAYLORS AND GREER.  THUNDERSTORMS WERE REPEATEDLY    
  DEVELOPING AND MOVING ACROSS THE SAME AREAS.

* SEVERE URBAN FLOODING WILL DEVELOP IN TRADITIONAL FLOOD PRONE      
  AREAS...SUCH AS PLEASANTBURG DRIVE...WADE HAMPTON                  
  BOULEVARD...PARTS OF GREER AND TAYLORS.  ALSO...FLASH FLOODING     
  ALONG THE REEDY AND SOME TRIBUTARIES COULD OCCUR...AND FLASH       
  FLOODING WILL LIKELY DEVELOP ALONG UPPER REACHES OF THE ENOREE     
  RIVER AND BRUSHY CREEK.

$$
JONES

2 follow-up statements

000 
WGUS72 KGSP 050405
FFSGSP
SCC045-050530-

FLASH FLOOD STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
1206 AM EDT TUE AUG 5 2003

...A FLASH FLOOD WARNING CONTINUES UNTIL 130 AM EDT FOR CENTRAL 
GREENVILLE COUNTY...

AT MIDNIGHT...THUNDERSTORMS HAD ENDED ACROSS THE CENTRAL PART OF 
GREENVILLE COUNTY...BUT HAD REDEVELOPED BETWEEN FORK SHOALS AND 
SIMPSONVILLE. MOST OF THE URBAN FLOODING HAS SUBSIDED...BUT SOME 
STREAMS WERE STILL RISING IN RESPONSE TO THE ESTIMATED 2 TO 3 INCHES 
OF RAIN...WHICH FELL IN 1 TO 2 HOURS.  THE FLASH FLOOD WARNING WILL 
LIKELY EXPIRE ON SCHEDULE AT 130 AM EDT.

DO NOT BECOME A FATALITY DO NOT CROSS FLOODED ROADS...THE ROAD COULD
BE WASHED OUT FROM THE FLOW OF THE WATER...AND YOUR CAR COULD BE
SWEPT AWAY BY THE SWIFTLY MOVING WATER.

$$
JONES

000 
WGUS72 KGSP 050530
FFSGSP
SCC045-050530-

FLASH FLOOD STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
130 AM EDT TUE AUG 5 2003

...THE FLASH FLOOD WARNING FOR CENTRAL GREENVILLE COUNTY HAS 
EXPIRED...

THE HEAVY RAIN HAS ENDED OVER THE WARNED AREA. STREAMS AND CREEKS IN 
THE WARNED AREA HAVE RECEDED OR WERE BEGINNING TO RECEDE...AND ROAD 
FLOODING HAS SUBSIDED...ENDING THE FLASH FLOOD THREAT. EVEN THOUGH 
STREAMS AND CREEKS WERE RECEDING...SOME ROADWAYS STILL MAY BE 
COVERED WITH WATER. MOTORISTS ARE ADVISED TO AVOID DRIVING THROUGH 
FLOODED ROADWAYS.

BE ESPECIALLY CAUTIOUS AT NIGHT WHEN IT IS HARDER TO RECOGNIZE THE
DANGERS OF FLOODS AND FLASH FLOODS. USE CAUTION IN OR NEAR ANY SMALL
CREEK TONIGHT...AND AVOID ROUTES THAT YOU KNOW ARE FLOOD PRONE.

$$
JONES

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 Aug 4, 10:16 PM EDT, 20 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Aug 4, 10:16 PM EDT, 20 minutes before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
1016 PM EDT MON AUG 4 2003

IMMEDIATE SHORT TERM CONCERNS ARE WITH LINE OF STG TO SVR TSTMS
ALONG SE FRINGE OF WW838...NEAR I-85 CORRDIOR. MUCH OF WATCH
AREA...ESPECIALLY ACRS WRN NC HAS BEEN WORKED OVER...BUT A
FEW LINGERING CELLS EXIST...SO HESITENT TO CLEAR ANY CNTYS
JUST YET...PROBABLY WILL JUST HOLD ZFP UPDATE CLOSER TO
WATCH EXPIRATION. FOR THE OVERNIGHT HOURS...PLAN ON LEAVING
CHC POPS UP CWFA WIDE GIVEN SMALL POTENTIAL FOR ANY ORGANIZED
ACTIVITY...OR REMNANTS THEREOF...PROPAGATING INTO THE REGION.

FCSTID = 55
GSP   67  87  69  85 / 100  30  30  40
AND   68  88  69  85 /  80  30  30  40
CLT   67  88  70  85 / 100  30  30  40
HKY   65  85  67  83 /  60  30  30  40
AVL   60  83  64  81 / 100  40  40  40

.GSP...
GA...NONE.
NC...NONE.
SC...NONE.

Hazardous weather outlook, Aug 4, 5:17 AM EDT, 17 hours 19 minutes before

GAZ010-017-018-026-028-029-NCZ033>037-048>059-062>072-082-SCZ001>014-
019-041115-

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
517 AM EDT MON AUG 4 2003

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA...
UPSTATE SOUTH CAROLINA...AND EXTREME NORTHEAST GEORGIA.

.DAY ONE...TODAY

SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED TO BECOME NUMEROUS
TODAY...ESPECIALLY FROM THIS AFTERNOON TO MIDNIGHT. SOME OF THESE
STORMS COULD BECOME QUITE STRONG AND A FEW COULD REACH SEVERE
LEVELS. LOCALIZED HEAVY RAINFALL CAN ALSO BE ANTICIPATED. SEE THE
LATEST SEVERE WEATHER OUTLOOK (CAESPSGSP) FOR MORE DETAILED
INFORMATION.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...

MAINLY AFTERNOON AND EVENING SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL CONTINUE
THROUGH THE WEEK. ADDITIONAL RAINFALL WILL AUGMENT ONGOING ELEVATED
WATER LEVELS...INCREASING THE CHANCES FOR FLOODING. IN
ADDITION...THESE STORMS COULD ALSO BECOME QUITE STRONG AND A FEW
COULD REACH SEVERE LEVELS.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE REQUIRED THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING.

NED

In the hours before

Local storm report, Aug 4, 10:10 PM EDT, 26 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE SPARTANBURG SC
1010 PM EDT MON AUG 04 2003

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

900 PM     1 MILE S  FOREST CITY     NC   WIND DAMAGE
08/05/03   RUTHERFORD                     TREES DOWN IN CITY

PAT

Local storm report, Aug 4, 10:10 PM EDT, 26 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT...CORRECTED FOR DATE
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE SPARTANBURG SC
1010 PM EDT MON AUG 04 2003

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

900 PM     FOREST CITY               NC   WIND DAMAGE
08/04/03   RUTHERFORD                     TREES DOWN IN THE CITY

PAT

Local storm report, Aug 4, 10:13 PM EDT, 23 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE SPARTANBURG SC
1013 PM EDT MON AUG 04 2003

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

1000 PM    SANDY MUSH                NC   FLASH FLOOD
08/04/03   RUTHERFORD                     ROADS FLOODED IN SANDY
                                          MUSH AREA.

PAT

Local storm report, Aug 4, 10:15 PM EDT, 21 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE SPARTANBURG SC
1015 PM EDT MON AUG 04 2003

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

930 PM     HENDERSONVILLE            NC   FLASH FLOOD
08/04/03   HENDERSON                      ROADS ALL OVER COUNTY
                                          FLOODED

PT

Local storm report, Aug 4, 10:19 PM EDT, 17 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE SPARTANBURG SC
1019 PM EDT MON AUG 04 2003

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

955 PM     BLACKSBURG                SC   WIND DAMAGE
08/04/03   CHEROKEE                       TREES DOWN ON YORK AND
                                          DOVER ROAD. REPORTED BY
                                          COUNTY 911.

NED

Local storm report, Aug 4, 10:31 PM EDT, 5 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE SPARTANBURG SC
1031 PM EDT MON AUG 04 2003

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

940 PM     TAYLORS                   SC   WIND DAMAGE
08/04/03   GREENVILLE                     GREENVILLE COUNTY 911
                                          REPORTS ONE TREE DOWN ON
                                          AIKEN CHAPEL ROAD IN
                                          TAYLORS. THE TREE TOOK
                                          SOME POWER LINES DOWN
                                          WITH IT AS IT FELL.

BURRUS

The office that day

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

Issued	Product	Office	Counties	Lasted
Aug 4, 9:19 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	GSP	Oconee	56 min
Aug 4, 9:27 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	GSP	Greenville, Spartanburg	48 min
Aug 4, 9:47 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	GSP	Pickens	28 min
Aug 5, 2:37 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	GSP	Laurens	38 min
Aug 5, 3:58 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	GSP	Cherokee, York	62 min
Aug 5, 7:01 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	GSP	Spartanburg	44 min
Aug 5, 7:11 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	GSP	Union	64 min

Nearby

Flash Flood Warnings in South Carolina, 2003 Every flash flood warning in 2003

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.