Alert archive / North Carolina / Flash Flood Warnings in 2003
Flash Flood Warning 130, NWS Greenville-Spartanburg, SC
NWS Greenville-Spartanburg, SC issued this flash flood warning at Aug 27, 2003, 5:30 PM EDT for Caldwell County, North 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 27, 2003, 5:30 PM EDT (21:30 UTC)
- Expired
- Aug 27, 2003, 7:30 PM EDT
- In force
- 2 hr
- Issued by
- NWS Greenville-Spartanburg, SC
- Area
- Counties, with a storm outline in the text
County Caldwell County, NC
The radar
The Greer radar (KGSP), 144 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 21:30 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.
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, 9.5 hours before the alert went out and 152 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
- 1203 J/kg
- Mixed-layer CIN
- -141 J/kg
- Mixed-layer LCL
- 1787 m above ground
- 0-6 km bulk shear
- 18 kt
- 0-1 km storm-relative helicity
- 11 m²/s²
- 0-3 km storm-relative helicity
- 31 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 272133 FFWGSP NCC027-272330- BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED FLASH FLOOD WARNING NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC 530 PM EDT WED AUG 27 2003 THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG HAS ISSUED A * FLASH FLOOD WARNING FOR... NORTHWESTERN CALDWELL COUNTY IN WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA * UNTIL 730 PM EDT * AT 530 PM EDT...WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A CLUSTER OF THUNDERSTORMS PRODUCING VERY HEAVY RAINFALL ALONG THE ESCARPMENT IN NORTHWESTERN CALDWELL COUNTY. THESE THUNDERSTORMS WERE ANCHORED ALONG THE BLUE RIDGE AND WERE MOVING VERY LITTLE. RADAR INDICATED RAINFALL RATES OF 2 TO 3 INCHES PER HOUR OVER THE AFFECTED AREA. * FLOODING IS EXPECTED TO DEVELOP ALONG DIXON CREEK...RACKET CREEK...AND CURTIS CREEK THROUGH 730 PM. HIGH WATER CONDITIONS COULD ALSO RENDER ROADWAYS IMPASSABLE NEAR THESE STREAMS. HEAVY RAINFALL COULD ALSO PRODUCE MUDSLIDES IN STEEP TERRAIN. 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. LAT...LON 3613 8151 3603 8139 3597 8180 3611 8176 $$ HG
1 follow-up statement
000 WGUS72 KGSP 272238 FFSGSP NCC027-272330- FLASH FLOOD STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC 630 PM EDT WED AUG 27 2003 ...A FLASH FLOOD WARNING CONTINUES UNTIL 730 PM EDT FOR NORTHWESTERN CALDWELL COUNTY... AT 630 PM...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RADAR INDICATED THAT THE ANCHORED THUNDERSTORMS PRODUCING TORRENTIAL RAINFALL OVER NORTHWESTERN CALDWELL COUNTY HAD DIMINISHED TO STEADY LIGHT TO MODERATE RAIN. RADAR INDICATES THAT RAINFALL OF 3 TO 4 INCHES HAS AFFECTED THE AREA WEST OF UPTON OVER THE PAST THREE HOURS. ADDITIONAL THUNDERSTORMS MAY MOVE NORTHEAST ALONG THE ESCARPMENT AND AFFECT THE SAME AREA THROUGH 730 PM...SO THE FLASH FLOOD WARNING HAS BEEN ALLOWED TO CONTINUE. THE MOST SIGNIFICANT FLOODING IS STILL LIKELY ALONG DIXON CREEK...RACKET CREEK...AND CURTIS CREEK THROUGH 730 PM. FLOODING OF THESE STREAMS...AS WELL AS MUDSLIDES BROUGHT ABOUT BY THE HEAVY RAIN...COULD MAKE SOME ROADWAYS IMPASSABLE. DO NOT ATTEMPT TO CROSS FLOODED ROADS...THE ROAD COULD BE WASHED OUT FROM THE FLOW OF THE WATER...AND YOUR CAR COULD BE SWEPT AWAY BY THE SWIFTLY MOVING WATER. WHEN DRIVING ALONG ROADS WHERE THE TERRAIN IS STEEP OR ROCKY...REMAIN ALERT FOR POSSIBLE ROCK OR MUD SLIDES DUE TO THE HEAVY RAIN. $$ 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 27, 11:05 AM EDT, 6 hours 25 minutes earlier.
Area forecast discussion, Aug 27, 11:05 AM EDT, 6 hours 25 minutes before
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC 1105 AM EDT WED AUG 27 2003 TODAY LOOKS CLOSE TO A CARBON COPY OF TUESDAY. 12Z OBSERVED SOUNDINGS SHOW LOTS OF INSTABILITY AVAILABLE TODAY. STRONG DIFFERENTIAL HEATING WILL OCCUR OVER THE MTNS WITH FULL SUN ABOVE DENSE VALLEY FOG. IN FACT...LFC A LITTLE LOWER TODAY ALONG WITH WET BULB ZERO. THIS IS CONSISTENT WITH FCST SOUNDINGS AND FCST COOLING OF H7/5 TEMPS. EXPECT STRONG TO ISOLATED SVR STORMS OVER THE MTNS GIVEN THE OCCURRENCE YESTERDAY AND OBSERVED PARAMETERS THIS MORNING. WILL ISSUE SPS COVERING THIS. STILL LACK TRIGGER OUTSIDE OF MTNS SO STILL NO POP THERE. ONLY MINOR CHANGE TO AFT HIGHS. MAINLY OPENING UP OF RANGE JUST IN CASE TOO HIGH MOS FINALLY VERIFIES. .GSP... GA...NONE. NC...NONE. SC...NONE. RWH
Hazardous weather outlook, Aug 27, 6:03 AM EDT, 11 hours 27 minutes before
GAZ010-017-018-026-028-029-NCZ033>037-048>059-062>072-082-SCZ001>014- 019-271200- HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC 603 AM EDT WED AUG 27 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 OVER THE MOUNTAINS OF THE WESTERN CAROLINAS AND NORTHEAST GEORGIA THIS AFTERNOON. A FEW OF THE THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED TO BE STRONG WITH 40 TO 50 MPH WINDS...FREQUENT CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING AND SMALL HAIL. IN ADDITION...THE STORMS WILL BE SLOW MOVING...AND LOCALLY HEAVY RAIN WILL BE POSSIBLE AS WELL. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN... SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE POSSIBLE OVER THE MOUNTAINS AGAIN THURSDAY AND FRIDAY...AND ACROSS THE REGION THROUGH THE LABOR DAY WEEKEND. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE REQUIRED. MCAVOY
In the hours before
Special weather statement, Aug 27, 11:45 AM EDT, 5 hours 45 minutes before
GAZ010-017-NCZ033-048>053-058-059-062>065-SCZ001>003-272000- SEVERE WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC 1145 AM EDT WED AUG 27 2003 ...ISOLATED SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS POSSIBLE IN THE MOUNTAINS OF THE CAROLINAS AND EXTREME NORTHEAST GEORGIA LATE THIS AFTERNOON AND THIS EVENING... EVEN THOUGH A HIGH PRESSURE SYSTEM CONTINUES TO CONTROL THE WEATHER ACROSS THE SOUTHEASTERN UNITED STATES... VERY UNSTABLE AIR EXISTS ALOFT OVER THE SOUTHERN APPALACHIANS. DAYTIME HEATING WILL ENCOURAGE THE DEVELOPMENT OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ALONG THE HIGHEST RIDGES DURING THE MID TO LATE AFTERNOON. AS THESE STORMS BUILD INTO THE UNSTABLE AIR IN THE UPPER ATMOSPHERE... RAPID DEVELOPMENT COULD PRODUCE THUNDERSTORMS THAT SPAWN DAMAGING DOWNBURST WINDS AND LARGE HAIL. THE WIND FLOW ACROSS THE REGION IS VERY LIGHT... SO SLOWLY MOVING THUNDERSTORMS WILL PRESENT A FLASH FLOOD THREAT. OF COURSE... ALL THUNDERSTORMS PRODUCE LIGHTNING. STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR YOUR FAVORITE MEDIA OUTLET FOR THE LATEST UPDATES CONCERNING THIS POTENTIAL SEVERE WEATHER SITUATION. LGL
Special weather statement, Aug 27, 5:15 PM EDT, 15 minutes before
NCZ034-272150- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC 515 PM EDT WED AUG 27 2003 ...A CLUSTER OF STRONG THUNDERSTORMS EXPECTED TO REMAIN OVER NORTHERN CALDWELL COUNTY THROUGH 550 PM... AT 515 PM...A CLUSTER OF STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WAS REMAINING NEARLY STATIONARY OVER THE NORTHERN EDGE OF CALDWELL COUNTY. AREAS FROM FROM 4 MILES EAST OF SUGAR MOUNTAIN...THROUGH UPTON...TO 3 MILES WEST OF ELKVILLE MAY ENCOUNTER GUSTY WINDS TO 40 MPH AND HAIL UP TO AN HALF INCH. IN ADDITION...HEAVY RAINFALL WILL ACCOMPANY THESE STORMS...POSSIBLE LEADING TO MUDSLIDES OR ISOLATED FLOODING. THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WILL CONTINUE TO MONITOR THE PROGRESS OF THIS DEVELOPING WEATHER SITUATION. NED
The office that day
Everything else NWS Greenville-Spartanburg, SC issued on the same UTC day.
| Issued | Product | Office | Counties | Lasted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 27, 6:05 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | GSP | McDowell, Mitchell | 40 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.