Alert archive / South Carolina / Flash Flood Warnings in 2003
Flash Flood Warning 125, NWS Greenville-Spartanburg, SC
NWS Greenville-Spartanburg, SC issued this flash flood warning at Aug 17, 2003, 7:27 PM EDT for Pickens County, South Carolina. It was in force for 2 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 17, 2003, 7:27 PM EDT (23:27 UTC)
- Expired
- Aug 17, 2003, 9:30 PM EDT
- In force
- 2 hr
- Issued by
- NWS Greenville-Spartanburg, SC
- Area
- Counties, with a storm outline in the text
County Pickens County, SC
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
Peachtre/Fal Fld, GA (KFFC), launched 12:00Z, 11.5 hours before the alert went out and 238 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
- 154 J/kg
- Mixed-layer CIN
- -103 J/kg
- Mixed-layer LCL
- 1015 m above ground
- 0-6 km bulk shear
- 15 kt
- 0-1 km storm-relative helicity
- 4 m²/s²
- 0-3 km storm-relative helicity
- -36 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 172327
FFWGSP
SCC077-180130-
BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
FLASH FLOOD WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
727 PM EDT SUN AUG 17 2003
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG HAS ISSUED A
* FLASH FLOOD WARNING FOR...
PICKENS COUNTY IN UPSTATE SOUTH CAROLINA
* UNTIL 930 PM EDT
* AT 725 PM EDT...WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED SHOWERS
AND THUNDERSTORMS...WITH VERY HEAVY RAIN...OVER CENTRAL AND
NORTHERN PICKENS COUNTY. RADAR ESTIMATED AS MUCH AS 3 INCHES
OF RAIN HAD FALLEN SINCE LATE AFTERNOON IN CENTRAL PICKENS
COUNTY...JUST NORTH OF PICKENS AND WEST OF NINE TIMES.
* THROUGH 930 PM...STORMS WILL CONTINUE A SLOW MIGRATION TO THE WEST
BUT COULD STILL PRODUCE AN INCH OR MORE OF ADDITIONAL RAINFALL.
ADDITIONAL RAIN MAY BE ENOUGH TO SEND STREAMS AND CREEKS OUT OF
THEIR BANKS...MOST NOTABLY TWELVE MILE CREEK. FLOODING COULD ALSO
OCCUR ALONG AND NORTH OF HIGHWAY 11 THROUGH THE HIGHER TERRAIN
AREAS...WITH MILL CREEK SUSCEPTIBLE TO FLASH FLOODING THROUGH LATE
EVENING.
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.
TO REPORT FLOODING HAVE THE NEAREST LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCY RELAY YOUR
REPORT TO THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FORECAST OFFICE IN
GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG.
LAT...LON 3499 8262 3488 8254 3469 8273 3473 8287
3506 8289 3507 8270
$$
BURRUS2 follow-up statements
000 WGUS72 KGSP 180048 FFSGSP SCC077-180130- FLASH FLOOD STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC 849 PM EDT SUN AUG 17 2003 ...A FLASH FLOOD WARNING CONTINUES UNTIL 930 PM EDT FOR PICKENS COUNTY... AT 845 PM...WEATHER RADAR SHOWED SCATTERED SHOWERS OVER SOUTHWEST PICKENS COUNTY...BETWEEN CENTRAL AND CLEMSON. THE HEAVIEST RAIN HAD MOVED SOUTH TO ANDERSON COUNTY. THE COUNTY COMMUNICATIONS CENTER REPORTED FLOODING HAD OCCURRED IN NORRIS...AND OTHER COMMUNITIES. DETAILS WILL BE PROVIDED AS THEY BECOME AVAILABLE. DO NOT BECOME A FATALITY DO NOT CROSS FLOODED ROADS...THE ROAD COULD BE WASHED OUT FROM THE FLOW OF THE WATER...AND YOUR CAR COULD BE SWEPT AWAY BY THE SWIFTLY MOVING WATER. $$ BURRUS
000 WGUS72 KGSP 180135 FFSGSP SCC077-180230- FLASH FLOOD STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC 935 PM EDT SUN AUG 17 2003 ...THE FLASH FLOOD WARNING WHICH WAS IN EFFECT FOR PICKENS COUNTY HAS EXPIRED AS OF 930 PM EDT... THE HEAVY RAIN HAS ENDED OVER THE WARNED AREA. 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 17, 7:08 PM EDT, 19 minutes earlier.
Area forecast discussion, Aug 17, 7:08 PM EDT, 19 minutes before
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC 708 PM EDT SUN AUG 17 2003 UPDATE FORTHCOMING TO REMOVE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM HEADLINES FROM COUNTIES THAT WERE IN WEATHER WATCH 865. WILL ALSO LOWER POPS IN THE NORTHERN FOOTHILLS AND THE NORTH CAROLINA MOUNTAINS. FCSTID = 44 GSP 70 89 68 88 / 60 30 30 20 AND 70 90 69 89 / 60 30 30 20 CLT 70 89 69 88 / 60 30 30 20 HKY 69 88 67 87 / 40 30 30 20 AVL 64 85 64 83 / 40 30 30 20 .GSP... GA...NONE. NC...NONE. SC...NONE. BURRUS
Hazardous weather outlook, Aug 17, 5:45 AM EDT, 13 hours 42 minutes before
GAZ010-017-018-026-028-029-NCZ033>037-048>059-062>072-082-SCZ001>014- 019-171145- HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC 545 AM EDT SUN AUG 17 2003 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA... UPSTATE SOUTH CAROLINA...AND EXTREME NORTHEAST GEORGIA. .DAY ONE...TODAY A COLD FRONT WILL MOVE SLOWLY TOWARD THE WESTERN CAROLINAS AND NORTHEAST GEORGIA TODAY. SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL ACCOMPANY THIS FRONT INTO THE AREA. SOME OF THESE STORMS COULE PRODUCE SEVERE WEATHER AND LOCALIZED FLASH FLOODING. PLEASE SEE THE SEVERE WEATHER OUTLOOK...CAESPSGSP FOR FURTHER INFORMATION. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN... WIDELY SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED ON MONDAY. A FEW SEVERE STORMS WILL BE POSSIBLE. THE REMAINDER OF THE WEEK IS EXPECTED TO BE DRIER...WITH NO MORE THAN ISOLATED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS EXPECTED THROUGH THE PERIOD. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE REQUIRED TODAY. LANE
In the hours before
Local storm report, Aug 17, 4:46 PM EDT, 2 hours 41 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE SPARTANBURG SC
446 PM EDT SUN AUG 17 2003
TIME(EDT) .....CITY LOCATION..... STATE ...EVENT/REMARKS...
....COUNTY LOCATION....
410 PM 7 E LINCOLNTON NC WIND DAMAGE
08/17/03 LINCOLN TRAINED HAM SPOTTER
REPORTED TWO TREES DOWN
ON HWY 150...ONE 18 IN
DIAMETER AND THE OTHER
ABOUT 12.
415 PM 3 E CHERRYVILLE NC NON-SVR REPORT
08/17/03 GASTON HAM REPORTED 45-50 MPH
WIND GUST...TORRENTIAL
RAIN PARTIALLY IMPEDING
TRAFFIC AND FREQUENT
LIGHTNING.
LAMBLocal storm report, Aug 17, 5:07 PM EDT, 2 hours 20 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE SPARTANBURG SC
507 PM EDT SUN AUG 17 2003
TIME(EDT) .....CITY LOCATION..... STATE ...EVENT/REMARKS...
....COUNTY LOCATION....
448 PM WACO NC WIND DAMAGE
08/17/03 CLEVELAND EMERGENCY PERSONNEL
REPORTED TREES DOWN.
459 PM SHELBY NC WIND DAMAGE
08/17/03 CLEVELAND EMERGENCY PERSONNEL
REPORTED TREES DOWN.
RBLocal storm report, Aug 17, 5:08 PM EDT, 2 hours 19 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE SPARTANBURG SC
508 PM EDT SUN AUG 17 2003
TIME(EDT) .....CITY LOCATION..... STATE ...EVENT/REMARKS...
....COUNTY LOCATION....
450 PM BELWOOD NC 1.75 INCH HAIL
08/17/03 CLEVELAND SPOTTER REPORTED GOLFBALL
SIZE HAIL AND 40 MPH WIND
GUST.
LAMBLocal storm report, Aug 17, 6:00 PM EDT, 1 hour 27 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE SPARTANBURG SC
600 PM EDT SUN AUG 17 2003
TIME(EDT) .....CITY LOCATION..... STATE ...EVENT/REMARKS...
....COUNTY LOCATION....
530 PM GROVER NC WIND DAMAGE
08/17/03 CLEVELAND COUNTY 911 REPORTED A
TREE DOWN ON A HOUSE.
ALSO WATERSON RD FLOODED.
EVENT TIME ESTIMATED.
545 PM 2 N BLACKSBURG SC WIND DAMAGE
08/17/03 CHEROKEE 911 CENTER REPORTED TREES
DOWN.
LAMBLocal storm report, Aug 17, 6:06 PM EDT, 1 hour 21 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE SPARTANBURG SC
606 PM EDT SUN AUG 17 2003
TIME(EDT) .....CITY LOCATION..... STATE ...EVENT/REMARKS...
....COUNTY LOCATION....
550 PM CORNELIA GA WIND DAMAGE
08/17/03 HABERSHAM TREES AND POWER LINES
DOWN ACROSS THE SOUTHERN
PART OF THE COUNTY.
REPORTED BY COUNTY COMMS
CENTER.
MCAVOYLocal storm report, Aug 17, 6:34 PM EDT, 53 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE SPARTANBURG SC
634 PM EDT SUN AUG 17 2003
TIME(EDT) .....CITY LOCATION..... STATE ...EVENT/REMARKS...
....COUNTY LOCATION....
605 PM GAFFNEY SC WIND DAMAGE
08/17/03 CHEROKEE COUNTY 911 REPORTED
WINDOWS BLOWN OUT OF A
BUILDING. ALSO CARS
FLOODED IN A PARKING LOT.
630 PM 2 S ROCKWELL NC FLASH FLOOD
08/17/03 ROWAN SPOTTER REPORTED
TRIBUTARY OF JENNIE WOLF
CREEK OUT OF BANKS ONTO
SHUPING MILL RD AT
ROWAN-CABARRUS COUNTY
LINE. ROAD IS IMPASSABLE.
SEVERAL OTHER ROADS IN
SOUTHERN ROWAN ARE
COVERED IN WATER.
LAMBThe office that day
Everything else NWS Greenville-Spartanburg, SC issued on the same UTC day.
| Issued | Product | Office | Counties | Lasted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 17, 5:11 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | GSP | Cherokee | 64 min |
| Aug 17, 6:15 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | GSP | Cherokee | 45 min |
| Aug 17, 6:26 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | GSP | Spartanburg | 64 min |
| Aug 17, 6:48 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | GSP | Pickens | 57 min |
Nearby
Flash Flood Warnings in South 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.