Alert archive / North Carolina / Flash Flood Warnings in 2003
Flash Flood Warning 122, NWS Greenville-Spartanburg, SC
NWS Greenville-Spartanburg, SC issued this flash flood warning at Aug 16, 2003, 5:38 PM EDT for Union 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 outline as issued.
The facts
- Issued
- Aug 16, 2003, 5:38 PM EDT (21:38 UTC)
- Expired
- Aug 16, 2003, 8:30 PM EDT
- In force
- 3 hr
- Issued by
- NWS Greenville-Spartanburg, SC
- Area
- Counties, with a storm outline in the text
County Union County, NC
Did it verify
Not verified. The Iowa Environmental Mesonet's Cow found no qualifying storm report inside this flash flood warning while it was in force. That is not proof nothing happened: reports are thin where few people live.
Cow counts a report within 15 km of the polygon while the warning was in force: a tornado for a tornado warning; hail of 1 inch or more, a gust of 58 mph or more or wind damage for a severe thunderstorm warning; a flash flood report for a flash flood warning.
The nearest sounding before it
Greensboro/Hi Pt, NC (KGSO), launched 12:00Z, 9.6 hours before the alert went out and 134 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.
- Mixed-layer CAPE
- 1094 J/kg
- Mixed-layer CIN
- -41 J/kg
- Mixed-layer LCL
- 880 m above ground
- 0-6 km bulk shear
- 2 kt
- 0-1 km storm-relative helicity
- -34 m²/s²
- 0-3 km storm-relative helicity
- -33 m²/s²
- Significant tornado parameter
- 0.0
- Supercell composite
- 0.0
The text
As transmitted, in the capitals the NWS used until 2016.
000
WGUS52 KGSP 162138
FFWGSP
NCC179-170030-
BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
FLASH FLOOD WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
538 PM EDT SAT AUG 16 2003
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG HAS ISSUED A
* FLASH FLOOD WARNING FOR...
UNION COUNTY IN THE PIEDMONT OF NORTH CAROLINA
* UNTIL 830 PM EDT
* AT 535 PM EDT...WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED CLUSTERS
OF THUNDERSTORMS OVER UNION COUNTY. ONE BATCH WAS SINKING SOUTH
FROM THE AREA OF NEW SALEM TOWARDS STURDIVANTS AND MARSHVILLE.
THE OTHER BATCH WAS AFFECTING FLOOD PRONE AREAS OF WESTERN UNION COUNTY
BETWEEN WAXHAW AND INDIAN TRAIL...INCLUDING IN WEDDINGTON. THE
STORMS WERE DRIFTING SLOWLY TO THE SOUTHEAST.
* RADAR ESTIMATED BETWEEN 2 AND 3 INCHES OF RAIN HAD FALLEN IN
THE VICINITY OF NEW SALEM...AND MANY STREETS WERE COVERED BY
WATER. STREAMS AND CREEKS ACROSS ALL OF EASTERN UNION COUNTY
ARE EXPECTED TO RISE RAPIDLY TO NEAR BANKFULL...ESPECIALLY
BUCK AND RICHARDSON CREEKS. IN THE WEST...FLOODING CAN BE
EXPECTED ALONG BLYTHE CREEK AND RONE BRANCH NEAR WAXHAW...
AS WELL AS ALONG TWELVE MILE CREEK. URBAN FLOODING CAN BE
EXPECTED IN WEDDINGTON...INDIAN TRAIL AND FAIRVIEW.
TO REPORT FLOODING HAVE THE NEAREST LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCY RELAY
YOUR REPORT TO THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FORECAST OFFICE IN
GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG.
LAT...LON 3516 8059 3516 8023 3482 8032 3483 8077
3491 8080 3502 8079
$$
BURRUS2 follow-up statements
000 WGUS72 KGSP 162322 FFSGSP NCC179-170030- FLASH FLOOD STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC 722 PM EDT SAT AUG 16 2003 ...A FLASH FLOOD WARNING CONTINUES UNTIL 830 PM EDT FOR UNION COUNTY... AT 720 PM...WEATHER RADAR SHOWED ONLY SCATTERED SHOWERS STILL AFFECTING UNION COUNTY...FROM INDIAN TRAIL THROUGH MONROE TO THE BORDER WITH SOUTH CAROLINA. RAINFALL RATES HAD FALLEN DRAMATICALLY FROM EARLIER...WITH RADAR ESTIMATING LESS THAN AN INCH OF RAIN PER HOUR NOW...CONTRASTING SHARPLY WITH 2 TO 3 INCH PER HOUR RAINFALL RATES THAT OCCURRED LATE THIS AFTERNOON. COUNTY OFFICIALS REPORTED WATER FLOWING ACROSS FAIRVIEW-INDIAN TRAIL ROAD...AS WELL AS SECRET SHORTCUT ROAD AND THE OLD CHARLOTTE HIGHWAY. THERE WERE NUMEROUS AREAS OF STANDING WATER ON ROADS BUT NO FLOODING DUE TO STREAMS OR CREEKS THAT HAD OVERFLOWED THEIR BANKS. AT THE HEIGHT OF THE HEAVY RAIN...AROUND 6 PM...ONE HOUSE ON PATRIOT DRIVE CONTAINING AND ADULT AND THREE CHILDREN HAD TO BE EVACUATED BECAUSE WATER WAS FLOWING IN AND OUT OF THE HOUSE. DETAILS ARE STILL SKETCHY. WATER LEVELS SHOULD CONTINUE TO RECEDE THROUGH LATE EVENING UNLESS REDEVELOPMENT OF WIDESPREAD RAINFALL OCCURS. SINCE THERE ARE STILL SHOWERS IN A FEW AREAS...THE FLASH FLOOD WARNING WILL CONTINUE UNTIL ITS 830 PM EXPIRATION TIME. DO NOT BECOME A FATALITY DO NOT CROSS FLOODED ROADS...THE ROAD COULD BE WASHED OUT FROM THE FLOW OF THE WATER...AND YOUR CAR COULD BE SWEPT AWAY BY THE SWIFTLY MOVING WATER. $$ BURRUS
000 WGUS72 KGSP 170036 FFSGSP NCC179-170130- FLASH FLOOD STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC 835 PM EDT SAT AUG 16 2003 ...THE FLASH FLOOD WARNING WHICH WAS IN EFFECT FOR UNION COUNTY HAS EXPIRED AS OF 830 PM EDT... AT 833 PM...WEATHER RADAR SHOWED A BAND OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS COVERING SOUTHERN UNION COUNTY...FROM WAXHAW TO STURDIVANTS. THESE STORMS WERE STILL HEAVY PRECIPITATION PRODUCERS...WITH RADAR ESTIMATING AS MUCH AS 2 INCHES OF RAIN SINCE 730 PM NEAR WAXHAW. RADAR TRENDS SHOWED THE STORMS WEAKENING AS THEY MOVED TO THE EAST. COUNTY OFFICIALS WERE NOT REPORTING ANY ONGOING FLOODING AS OF 830 PM. THE STORMS OVER SOUTHERN UNION COUNTY WERE NOT AFFECTING AREAS THAT EXPERIENCED FLOODING EARLIER THIS EVENING...BUT COULD STILL PRODUCE ISOLATED AREAS OF STANDING WATER ON ROADS...AND IN POOR DRAINAGE AREAS. THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WILL CONTINUE TO CLOSELY MONITOR THIS SITUATION. WARNINGS COULD BE ISSUED AGAIN SHOULD THE STORMS BEGIN MOVING OVER THE SAME LOCATIONS REPEATEDLY. STREAMS AND CREEKS IN THE WARNED AREA HAVE RECEDED OR WERE BEGINNING TO RECEDE...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. 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. $$ 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 Aug 16, 1:45 PM EDT, 3 hours 53 minutes earlier.
Area forecast discussion, Aug 16, 1:45 PM EDT, 3 hours 53 minutes before
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC 145 PM EDT SAT AUG 16 2003 UPPER TROF APPROACHING FROM THE NW WILL MOVE THRU BY LATE THIS EVE AND CONVECTION WILL MOVE E WITH IT. WITH WEAK RIDGE BUILDING OVERNIGHT EXPECT PATCHY FOG EARLY SUN MORNING. ANOTHER SHORTWAVE TROF FCST TO MOVE THRU THE AREA TOMORROW. EXPECT STRONGEST PVA/BEST LIFT IN THE AFTN-EARLY EVE PERIODS. ON MON AFTN GFS SHOWS ANOTHER SHRTWV APPROACHING AND ALTHOUGH DEEPER MOISTURE MOVES SE...WILL HOLD ON TO AT LEAST SLIGHT CHANCE POPS. SURFACE RIDGE BUILDS OVER AREA TUE-FRI AND HAVE SLIGHT CHANCE LATE DAY POPS IN THE GRIDS. A SFC BOUNDARY IS PROGGED TO MOVE IN SAT...BRINGING ANOTHER CHANCE OF CONVECTION TO THE AREA. FCSTID = 77 GSP 71 88 69 88 / 40 40 40 20 AND 71 88 70 89 / 40 40 40 20 CLT 71 88 69 88 / 40 40 40 20 HKY 69 87 68 87 / 40 40 40 20 AVL 65 84 64 84 / 40 40 40 20 .GSP... GA...NONE. NC...NONE. SC...NONE. RB
Hazardous weather outlook, Aug 16, 6:10 AM EDT, 11 hours 28 minutes before
GAZ010-017-018-026-028-029-NCZ033>037-048>059-062>072-082-SCZ001>014- 019-161200- HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC 610 AM EDT SAT AUG 16 2003 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA... UPSTATE SOUTH CAROLINA...AND EXTREME NORTHEAST GEORGIA. .DAY ONE...TODAY SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED TO DEVELOP ACROSS THE REGION THROUGHOUT THE DAY AND EVENING. THERE IS A CHANCE THAT A FEW THUNDERSTORMS COULD PRODUCE LARGE HAIL OR DAMAGING WIND GUSTS FOR A BRIEF TIME. THERE IS ALSO THE POSSIBILITY THAT A FEW OF THE STORMS COULD PRODUCE ENOUGH RAIN TO CAUSE FLOODING OF URBAN AND POOR DRAINAGE AREAS IN LOCATIONS THAT HAVE RECEIVED EXCESSIVE RAIN IN THE LAST FEW WEEKS. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN... ANOTHER ROUND OF SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS IS EXPECTED SUNDAY AND SUNDAY EVENING. THERE IS A SLIGHTLY BETTER CHANCE OF SEVERE WEATHER LATE IN THE DAY. SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS ARE ALSO EXPECTED MONDAY. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE REQUIRED ON SUNDAY. MOORE
In the hours before
Local storm report, Aug 16, 1:33 PM EDT, 4 hours 5 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE SPARTANBURG SC
133 PM EDT SAT AUG 16 2003
TIME(EDT) .....CITY LOCATION..... STATE ...EVENT/REMARKS...
....COUNTY LOCATION....
900 AM 5-10 SE SALISBURY NC FLASH FLOOD
08/16/03 ROWAN SPOTTER REPORTED FLASH
FLOODING OF SMALL STREAMS
AROUND GRANITE QUARRY AND
ROCKWELL RESULTED IN
FLOODED ROADS...HOUSES...
APARTMENTS...AND CARS.
UNTIL 11 AM...BUT SOME
ROADS STILL FLOODED AFTER
NOON.
JONESLocal storm report, Aug 16, 2:09 PM EDT, 3 hours 29 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE SPARTANBURG SC
209 PM EDT SAT AUG 16 2003
TIME(EDT) .....CITY LOCATION..... STATE ...EVENT/REMARKS...
....COUNTY LOCATION....
145 PM 2 W PAULINE SC .75 INCH HAIL
08/16/03 SPARTANBURG PUBLIC/SPOTTER REPORT.
ALSO LOTS OF LIGHTNING.
JONESSpecial weather statement, Aug 16, 4:52 PM EDT, 46 minutes before
NCZ068-162200- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC 452 PM EDT SAT AUG 16 2003 ...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WITH TORRENTIAL RAIN TO AFFECT SOUTHERN CLEVELAND COUNTY THROUGH 6 PM... AT 450 PM...WEATHER RADAR INDICATED A CLUSTER OF STRONG THUNDERSTORMS OVER SOUTHERN CLEVELAND COUNTY...SOUTH OF LINE FROM SHELBY TO MOORESBORO. THESE STORMS WERE SLIDING SLOWLY TO THE SOUTH...AND WERE ASSOCIATED WITH FREQUENT CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING...WIND GUSTS TO 45 MPH...AND TORRENTIAL RAIN. RADAR ESTIMATED BETWEEN 2 AND 3 INCHES OF RAIN HAD FALLEN SINCE MID AFTERNOON IN THE VICINITY OF PATTERSON SPRINGS. ADDITIONAL RAINFALL WILL RESULT IN PONDING OF WATER ON ROADS...AND IN POOR DRAINAGE AREAS...OF SOUTHERN CLEVELAND COUNTY. SIGNIFICANT RISES ON SHALLOWER STREAMS AND CREEKS CAN BE EXPECTED AS WELL...ESPECIALLY FROM PATTERSON SPRINGS TO EARL AND KINGS MOUNTAIN. THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WILL CONTINUE TO MONITOR THE PROGRESS OF THIS DEVELOPING WEATHER SITUATION. NEVER DRIVE THROUGH AREAS WHERE WATER COVERS THE ROADWAY. IF STANDING WATER IS ENCOUNTERED...STOP TURN AROUND AND FIND ANOTHER ROUTE TO REACH YOUR DESTINATION SAFELY. TO REPORT SEVERE WEATHER OR FLOODING...NOTIFY YOUR LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCY AND ASK THEM TO FORWARD THE REPORT TO THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE AT GREENVILLE SPARTANBURG. BURRUS
Local storm report, Aug 16, 5:10 PM EDT, 28 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE SPARTANBURG SC
510 PM EDT SAT AUG 16 2003
TIME(EDT) .....CITY LOCATION..... STATE ...EVENT/REMARKS...
....COUNTY LOCATION....
500 PM BELTON SC FLASH FLOOD
08/16/03 ANDERSON BELTON F.D. REPORTED
SEVERAL FLOODED STREETS
IN BELTON...INCLUDING N
MAIN...S MAIN...AND
MYRTLE AVE. WATER VARIES
FROM 4 TO 8 INCHES DEEP.
345 PM SENECA SC WIND DAMAGE
08/16/03 OCONEE OCONEE 911 REPORTED
SEVERAL TREES DOWN IN
SENECA AND CROSSROADS.
400 PM EASLEY SC WIND DAMAGE
08/16/03 PICKENS EASLEY PD REPORTED TREES
AND POWERLINES DOWN
EVERYWHERE. MAJOR POWER
OUTAGE.
403 PM EASLEY SC WIND DAMAGE
08/16/03 PICKENS PICKENS 911 REPORTED 1-2
TREES DOWN.
355 PM GREENVILLE SC WIND DAMAGE
08/16/03 GREENVILLE GMU TOWER REPORTED 40 KT
MICROBURST. DAMAGED 7
AIRPLANES...SEVERAL
HANGARS...AND BLEW OVER A
BRICK WALL.
445 PM PELZER SC WIND DAMAGE
08/16/03 ANDERSON ANDERSON 911 REPORTED 1
TREE DOWN. SEVERAL
POWERLINES DOWNED AT 457
PM IN BELTON.
LAMBSpecial weather statement, Aug 16, 5:27 PM EDT, 11 minutes before
NCZ036-056-069>071-162300- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC 527 PM EDT SAT AUG 16 2003 ...THUNDERSTORMS WITH TORRENTIAL RAINFALL TO AFFECT THE CHARLOTTE METRO AREA THROUGH 7 PM... AT 525 PM...WEATHER RADAR SHOWED A LINE OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS STRETCHING FROM STATESVILLE...WEST TO HICKORY. RADAR ALSO SHOWED STRONG THUNDERSTORMS STRETCHING FROM WEDDINGTON AND WAXHAW...NORTHEAST THROUGH MONROE TO NEW SALEM. THE STORMS WERE SLIDING SLOWLY SOUTHWARD...AND WERE ASSOCIATED WITH RAINFALL RATES OF 1 TO 2 INCHES PER HOUR. THROUGH 7 PM...STORMS WILL MOVE INTO THE CHARLOTTE METROPOLITAN AREA FROM THE NORTH AND AFFECT LOCATIONS FROM CHARLOTTE AND HUNTERSVILLE...WEST TO LINCOLNTON...MOUNT HOLLY AND GASTONIA...AND WILL CONTINUE TO MOVE SOUTH OVER UNION COUNTY. FLOODING OF STREETS AND POOR DRAINAGE AREAS COULD OCCUR IN THE LARGER CITIES...SUCH AS CHARLOTTE...GASTONIA AND MONROE...AND COULD RESULT IN SIGNIFICANT RISES ON STREAMS AND CREEKS ACROSS PART OF THE SOUTHERN PIEDMONT OF NORTH CAROLINA. THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WILL CONTINUE TO MONITOR THE PROGRESS OF THIS DEVELOPING WEATHER SITUATION. BURRUS
The office that day
Everything else NWS Greenville-Spartanburg, SC issued on the same UTC day.
| Issued | Product | Office | Counties | Lasted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 16, 9:32 AM EDT | Flash Flood Warning | GSP | Rowan | 3 hr |
| Aug 16, 5:29 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | GSP | Union | 46 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.