Alert archive / North Carolina / Flash Flood Warnings in 2003

Flash Flood Warning 110, NWS Greenville-Spartanburg, SC

August 7, 2003Cleveland County, North Carolina

NWS Greenville-Spartanburg, SC issued this flash flood warning at Aug 7, 2003, 12:07 AM EDT for Cleveland County, North 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 7, 2003, 12:07 AM EDT (04:07 UTC)
Expired
Aug 7, 2003, 3:00 AM EDT
In force
3 hr
Issued by
NWS Greenville-Spartanburg, SC
Area
Whole counties

County Cleveland County, NC

The radar

The Greer radar (KGSP), 78 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 04:09 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, 4.1 hours before the alert went out and 171 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 2003-08-07Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 413 joules per kilogram.LCLEL10008507005003002001001 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 2003-08-07The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 8 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
413 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-5 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
1235 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
31 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
8 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
16 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
0.1

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

000 
WGUS52 KGSP 070407
FFWGSP
NCC045-070700-

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
FLASH FLOOD WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
1207 AM EDT THU AUG 7 2003

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG HAS ISSUED A

* FLASH FLOOD WARNING FOR...
  NORTHERN CLEVELAND COUNTY IN THE PIEDMONT OF NORTH CAROLINA

* UNTIL 300 AM EDT

* AT 1149 PM EDT...WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED VERY HEAVY
  RAIN FALLING OVER THE NORTHERN HALF OF THE COUNTY. RADAR ESTIMATES 
  THAT IN EXCESS OF 3 INCHES OF RAIN HAS FALLEN IN AREAS NEAR THE    
  GASTON AND LINCOLN COUNTY LINES. AN ADDITIONAL 1 TO 2 INCHES OF    
  RAINFALL IS POSSIBLE ACROSS THESE AREAS THROUGH 2 AM.    

* COUNTY OFFICIALS HAVE REPORTED AT LEAST ONE FLOODED ROAD IN THE    
  NORTHEAST PART OF THE COUNTY. FLOODING IS LIKELY OCCURRING IN POOR 
  DRAINAGE AND LOW LYING AREAS ACROSS THIS PORTION OF THE COUNTY. AS 
  HEAVY RAINFALL CONTINUES ACROSS THE AREA THIS MORNING...SOME       
  CREEKS AND STREAMS ACROSS THE NORTHERN PART OF THE COUNTY WILL     
  LIKELY BEGIN TO FLOOD. THIS INCLUDES BUFFALO CREEK...SUCK          
  CREEK...AS WELL AS LONG BRANCH.   

DO NOT DRIVE YOUR VEHICLE INTO AREAS WHERE THE WATER COVERS THE
ROADWAY. THE WATER DEPTH MAY BE TOO GREAT TO ALLOW YOUR CAR TO CROSS
SAFELY. VEHICLES CAUGHT IN RISING WATER SHOULD BE ABANDONED QUICKLY.
MOVE TO HIGHER GROUND. EVEN MODERN SPORT UTILITY VEHICLES CANNOT BE
SAFELY DRIVEN THROUGH FLOOD WATERS.

$$

LANE
2 follow-up statements
000 
WGUS72 KGSP 070519
FFSGSP
NCC045-070700-

FLASH FLOOD STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
119 AM EDT THU AUG 7 2003

...A FLASH FLOOD WARNING CONTINUES UNTIL 3 AM EDT FOR NORTHERN 
CLEVELAND COUNTY...

AT 110 AM...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RADAR INDICATED MODERATE RAIN 
LINGERED OVER THE WARNED AREA. COUNTY OFFICIALS REPORTED FLOODING 
OF FALLSTON-WACO ROAD IN THE NORTHEAST PART OF CLEVELAND COUNTY. 
THIS MAY BE DUE TO BUFFALO CREEK OVERFLOWING ITS BANKS. IN 
ADDITION...RUNOFF FROM THE 3 TO 4 INCHES OF RAIN THAT HAS FALLEN 
ACROSS THE AREA SINCE WEDNESDAY EVENING...IS LIKELY RESULTING IN 
FLOODING ALONG SUCK CREEK AND LONG BRANCH.   

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.

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.

$$

LANE
000 
WGUS72 KGSP 070701
FFSGSP
NCC045-070715-

FLASH FLOOD STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
300 AM EDT THU AUG 7 2003

...THE FLASH FLOOD WARNING WHICH WAS IN EFFECT FOR CLEVELAND COUNTY
HAS EXPIRED AS OF 300 AM EDT...

AT 300 AM...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED THAT 
THE MODERATE TO HEAVY RAINFALL AFFECTING CLEVELAND COUNTY HAD 
LARGELY DISSIPATED. CLEVELAND COUNTY COMMUNICATIONS IS REPORTING NO 
FURTHER FLOODING...OTHER THAN THE EARLIER FLOODING ALONG BUFFALO 
CREEK NORTHEAST OF SHELBY. THE WARNING HAS THUS BEEN ALLOWED TO 
EXPIRE.

ALTHOUGH WATER LEVELS HAVE STARTED TO RECEDE...IT IS POSSIBLE THAT 
SOME ROADS MAY STILL BE FLOODED. BE ESPECIALLY CAREFUL WHILE DRIVING 
AT NIGHT SINCE IT WILL BE HARDER TO RECOGNIZE THE DANGERS OF 
FLOODING. USE CAUTION NEAR ANY SMALL CREEK THIS MORNING...AND AVOID 
ROUTES THAT YOU KNOW ARE FLOOD PRONE.

ALTHOUGH THE THREAT HAS MOMENTARILY DIMINISHED...CLEVELAND 
COUNTY REMAINS UNDER A FLOOD WATCH THROUGH THURSDAY NIGHT. ANY 
SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS TODAY COULD QUICKLY CREATE ADDITIONAL 
FLOODING PROBLEMS.
$$
HG

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 6, 9:05 PM EDT, 3 hours 2 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Aug 6, 9:05 PM EDT, 3 hours 2 minutes before
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
905 PM EDT WED AUG 6 2003

KGSP RADAR SHOWS MOST OF THE REMAINING CONVECTION CONFINED TO THE NC
FOOTHILLS AND THE SOUTHERN PART OF THE CLT METRO AREA. LAPS ANALYSIS
SHOWS MOST OF THE REMAINING SURFACE BASED INSTABILITY LIMITED TO THE
NC PIEDMONT...WHICH STANDS THE BEST CHANCE OF ADDITIONAL PRECIP FOR
THE REST OF THE EVENING. WATER VAPOR IMAGERY SHOWS VORT AXIS MOVING
IN FROM N GA. AS THIS FEATURE SWINGS THROUGH THE REGION OVERNIGHT...
IT COULD TRIGGER ADDITIONAL CONVECTION AT ANY TIME. WILL NOT LOWER
POP BELOW CHANCE RANGE FOR THAT REASON...BUT WILL ADJUST POPS TO
MATCH ONGOING CONVECTION. AS FOR TEMPS...AREAS OF THE LOWER SC
PIEDMONT ARE ALREADY AT FCST LOWS OWING TO COOL POOL IN THE WAKE OF
EARLIER CONVECTION. WILL TWEAK TEMPS DOWN THERE BY A DEGREE...BUT
WILL LEAVE TEMPS ALONE ELSEWHERE.

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

MOORE

...PREVIOUS DISCUSSION ISSUED AT 233 PM...
ANOMALOUS UPPER LEVEL LONGWAVE TROUGH TO REMAIN OVER EASTERN USA
THROUGH EARLY PART OF PACKAGE...WITH RIDGE TO W. CONVECTION IN N AL
THIS AFTERNOON TRACKING E TOWARD GA/SC...AND WILL KEEP LIKELY
EVENING POPS THOSE AREAS...WITH CHANCE NC. CONCERNED ABOUT SEVERE
POTENTIAL S PORTION...AND FLOOD POTENTIAL ENTIRE AREA. WILL LEAVE
CHANCE POPS WELL AFTER MIDNIGHT...AS CONVECTION HAS BEEN SLOW TO
DIE OFF. DENSE FOG WAS OBSERVED ACROSS MUCH OF AREA EARLY THIS
MORNING...AND WILL INCLUDE AGAIN THU.

IMPULSE ROUNDING BASE OF TROUGH THU MORE IMPRESSIVE THAN TODAY...AND
WILL CARRY LIKELY POP ENTIRE AREA. WITH UPPER ENERGY STILL UPSTREAM
THU NIGHT...LOW CHANCE POP WILL CONTINUE OVERNIGHT. ANOTHER VIGOROUS
VORT LOBE APPROACHES AREA FRI...TAKING UNTIL LATE NIGHT TO MOVE
THROUGH. CARRIED SLIGHTLY LOWER POP WITH THIS FEATURE AS IT IS A BIT
WEAKER THAN THURSDAY IMPULSE. YET ANOTHER VORT LOBE APPROACHES SAT
INTO SAT NIGHT. THOUGH MORE IMPRESSIVE THAN FRIDAY VORT...WILL KEEP
POP ABOUT LIKE FRI...AS CONFIDENCE DECREASES ON STRENGTH/TIMING.
TEMPERATURES NEAR PERSISTENCE WITH NO CHANGE IN AIR MASS.

EXTENDED FORECAST STARTS MUCH AS EARLY PACKAGE ENDS. BY MON GFS HAS
STRONG SHORTWAVE DIGGING INTO BASE OF TROUGH...CLOSING OF LOW IN S
MS RIVER VALLEY. IF THIS SCENARIO UNFOLDS...W ATLANTIC RIDGE COULD
RETROGRADE OVER AREA...WARMING/DRYING AREA. CURRENT NCEP SOLUTION
MAINTAINS WEAK BOUNDARY OVER AREA ON E SIDE OF UPPER TROUGH THROUGH
TUE...LEADING TO MORE PERSISTENCE IN FORECAST. BY WED BOUNDARY OUT
OF AREA AND WEAKENING...AND WILL CARRY SLIGHT CHANCE POP.

FCSTID =    7
GSP   69  85  68  85 /  60  60  60  40
AND   70  85  69  85 /  60  60  60  40
CLT   69  85  68  85 /  50  60  60  40
HKY   67  83  66  83 /  50  60  60  30
AVL   64  81  63  81 /  50  60  60  30

O7
Hazardous weather outlook, Aug 6, 5:08 AM EDT, 18 hours 59 minutes before
GAZ010-017-018-026-028-029-NCZ033>037-048>059-062>072-082-SCZ001>014-
019-061100-

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
508 AM EDT WED AUG 6 2003

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

.DAY ONE...TODAY

SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL DEVELOP TODAY OVER THE
FORECAST AREA. ISOLATED SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS MAY DEVELOP LATE THIS
AFTERNOON AND EVENING. IN ADDITION...SLOW STORM MOTIONS WILL ALLOW
FOR HIGH RAINFALL RATES. PLEASE SEE THE LATEST SEVERE WEATHER
OUTLOOK (CAESPSGSP) FOR ADDITIONAL INFORMATION ON THE SEVERE
THUNDERSTORM AND FLOODING THREAT.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...

SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL LINGER OVER THE AREA THROUGH THE
PERIOD. WITH THE GROUND NEARLY SATURATED...ADDITIONAL RAINFALL WILL
QUICKLY RUNOFF INTO NEARBY STREAMS AND CREEKS. IF THESE HEAVY RAIN
PRODUCING THUNDERSTORMS DEVELOP THROUGHOUT THE WEEK AS
EXPECTED...FLOODING MAY RESULT. PLEASE SEE THE LATEST FLOOD
POTENTIAL OUTLOOK (ESFGSP) FOR MORE DETAILED INFORMATION.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE REQUIRED THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING.

NED

In the hours before

Local storm report, Aug 7, 12:07 AM EDT, 0 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE SPARTANBURG SC
1207 AM EDT THU AUG 07 2003

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

1200 AM    HICKORY                   NC   FLASH FLOOD
08/07/03   CATAWBA                        COUNTY COMMUNICATIONS
                                          REPORTS SEVERAL STREETS
                                          CLOSED DUE TO FLOODING
                                          WITH AT LEAST ONE VEHICLE
                                          TRAPPED.

1200 AM    LONGVIEW                  NC   FLASH FLOOD
08/07/03   CATAWBA                        COUNTY COMMUNICATIONS
                                          REPORTS SEVERAL STREETS
                                          CLOSED DUE TO FLOODING.

HG

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Aug 6, 11:20 PM EDTFlash Flood WarningGSPCatawba3 hr
Aug 7, 3:47 PM EDTFlash Flood WarningGSPCaldwell118 min

Nearby

Flash Flood Warnings in North Carolina, 2003Every 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.