Alert archive / Georgia / Flash Flood Warnings in 2003

Flash Flood Warning 132, NWS Greenville-Spartanburg, SC

September 22, 2003Habersham County, Georgia

NWS Greenville-Spartanburg, SC issued this flash flood warning at Sep 22, 2003, 5:55 PM EDT for Habersham County, Georgia. 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
Sep 22, 2003, 5:55 PM EDT (21:55 UTC)
Expired
Sep 22, 2003, 8:45 PM EDT
In force
3 hr
Issued by
NWS Greenville-Spartanburg, SC
Area
Counties, with a storm outline in the text

County Habersham County, GA

The radar

The Greer radar (KGSP), 122 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 21:57 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

Peachtre/Fal Fld, GA (KFFC), launched 12:00Z, 9.9 hours before the alert went out and 166 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, Peachtre/Fal Fld, GA at 12:00Z on 2003-09-22Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 317 joules per kilogram.LCLLFCEL10008507005003002001001 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, Peachtre/Fal Fld, GA at 12:00Z on 2003-09-22The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 135 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
317 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-4 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
468 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
33 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
135 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
157 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.2
Supercell composite
1.0

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

000 
WGUS52 KGSP 222155
FFWGSP
GAC137-230045-

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
FLASH FLOOD WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
555 PM EDT MON SEP 22 2003

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG HAS ISSUED A

* FLASH FLOOD WARNING FOR...
  HABERSHAM COUNTY IN NORTHEAST GEORGIA

* UNTIL 845 PM EDT

* AT 550 PM EDT...WEATHER SERVICE RADAR INDICATED VERY HEAVY RAIN    
  MOVING BACK INTO SOUTHERN HABERSHAM...WITH REPEATING STORMS LIKELY 
  TO MOVE ACROSS THE AREA FROM BALDWIN TO CORNELIA UNTIL AS LATE AS  
  8 PM.

* CONSIDERABLE URBAN FLOODING HAS ALREADY BEEN REPORTED...WITH AT    
  LEAST ONE SECTION OF ROAD WASHED OUT ALONG HIGHWAY 105.  THE       
  ADDITIONAL HEAVY RAIN WILL CAUSE URBAN FLOODING TO BECOME          
  SEVERE...AND WILL CAUSE MORE CREEKS TO FLOOD.

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 3469 8364 3451 8351 3449 8342 3471 8339

$$
JONES
2 follow-up statements
000 
WGUS72 KGSP 222255
FFSGSP
GAC137-230045-

FLASH FLOOD STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
655 PM EDT MON SEP 22 2003

...A FLASH FLOOD WARNING CONTINUES UNTIL 845 PM EDT FOR HABERSHAM
COUNTY...

AT 645 PM...WEATHER RADAR SHOWED THAT THE HEAVIEST RAIN HAD MOVED 
EAST OF HABERSHAM COUNTY...BUT SOME MODERATE TO HEAVY RAIN 
LINGERED.  THE COUNTY COMMUNICATIONS CENTER HAS REPORTED ADDITIONAL 
FLOODING...ALONG ANTIOCH CHURCH ROAD AND GLADE ROAD AT HOLLY.  
EARLIER...FLOODING OF CREEKS AND BUSINESSES WAS REPORTED AROUND 
BALDWIN AND CORNELIA.

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 230028
FFSGSP
GAC137-230100-

FLASH FLOOD STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
829 PM EDT MON SEP 22 2003

...THE FLASH FLOOD WARNING WHICH FOR HABERSHAM COUNTY WILL EXPIRE AT 
845 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.

$$
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 Sep 22, 3:20 PM EDT, 2 hours 35 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Sep 22, 3:20 PM EDT, 2 hours 35 minutes before
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
320 PM EDT MON SEP 22 2003

COLD FRONT MOVES THROUGH THE AREA TONIGHT. SHOWERS AND A FEW TSRA
WILL MOVE THRU AS WELL. CANNOT RULE OUT ISOLATED SEVERE STORM GIVEN
STRONG WIND FIELDS ALOFT. WILL KEEP CATEGORICAL POP AND TREND PRECIP
ENDING FROM WEST TO EAST OVERNIGHT. WARMED UP MINS A LITTLE GIVEN
TIMING.

PRECIP SHOULD END BY 12Z TUE AS DRY HIGH PRESSURE BUILDS IN.
THICKNESSES HOLDING UP A LITTLE AND FULL SUN SO ACCEPTED SLIGHTLY
WARMER GUIDANCE MAXES. NEAR NORMAL TEMPS WED AS THICKNESSES FALL.

DRY FRONTAL SYSTEM MOVES THRU THURSDAY WITH NEARLY STEADY TEMPS.
MDLS TRENDING WETTER SAT/SUN AS LOW MOVES NORTHEAST NEAR ATLANTIC
COAST. DECENT UPGLIDE AND MOISTURE DEVELOP AND CONTINUES UNTIL LOW
PULLS OUT LATE SUNDAY. HAVE ADDED CHC RAIN WITH WARMER LOWS AND
COOLER HIGHS DURING THIS TIME. COOL DRY HIGH PRESSURE BUILDS BACK IN
MONDAY.

FCSTID = 81

GSP 64 84 56 80 / 99 10 00 00
AND 64 84 56 81 / 99 10 00 00
CLT 64 84 56 80 / 99 10 00 00
HKY 62 82 53 79 / 99 10 00 00
AVL 58 78 49 77 / 99 10 00 00

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

RWH
Hazardous weather outlook, Sep 22, 6:00 AM EDT, 11 hours 55 minutes before
GAZ010-017-018-026-028-029-NCZ033>037-048>059-062>072-082-SCZ001>014-
019-221200-

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
600 AM EDT MON SEP 22 2003

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

.DAY ONE...TODAY

THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED TO DEVELOP AHEAD AND ALONG A COLD FRONT
APPROACHING FROM THE WEST. THERE IS A SLIGHT RISK THAT SOME OF THE
THUNDERSTORMS COULD PRODUCE DAMAGING WIND GUSTS THIS AFTERNOON AND
TONIGHT...MAINLY ACROSS THE FOOTHILLS AND PIEDMONT. THERE IS ENOUGH
WIND SHEAR IN THE LOWER ATMOSPHERE THAT A TORNADO WILL ALSO BE
POSSIBLE. FOR MORE INFORMATION...SEE THE SEVERE WEATHER OUTLOOK
(SPSGSP) ISSUED AT 507 AM. HEAVY RAIN IS ALSO POSSIBLE.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...

NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE REQUIRED TODAY AND TONIGHT.

MOORE

In the hours before

Special weather statement, Sep 22, 4:40 PM EDT, 1 hour 15 minutes before
GAZ010-017-018-026-028-SCZ001-002-004-005-010-222130-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
440 PM EDT MON SEP 22 2003

...HEAVY RAIN SHOWERS COULD PRODUCE ISOLATED STRONG WIND GUSTS
ACROSS EXTREME NORTHEAST GEORGIA AND THE WESTERN UPSTATE...

AT 430 PM...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RADAR INDICATED AN AREA OF
HEAVY RAIN SHOWERS MOVING INTO EXTREME NORTHEAST GEORGIA. THROUGH
530 PM...THESE SHOWERS WILL AFFECT AREAS FROM CLAYTON TO WALHALLA...
SOUTH TO CLARKESVILLE...TOCCOA...AND CARNESVILLE. THE MAIN THREAT
WITH THESE SHOWERS WILL BE HEAVY RAINFALL AMOUNTS IN EXCESS OF ONE
INCH PER HOUR. HOWEVER...THERE IS A POSSIBILITY THAT SOME OF THESE
SHOWERS COULD PRODUCE ISOLATED...BRIEF PERIODS OF DAMAGING WIND GUSTS
IN EXCESS OF 50 MPH. WIND GUSTS OF THIS MAGNITUDE COULD BLOW DOWN
POWER LINES...AS WELL AS SMALL TREES AND LARGE TREE BRANCHES.

STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO FOR LATER STATEMENTS AND POSSIBLE
WARNINGS.

LANE
Special weather statement, Sep 22, 4:55 PM EDT, 1 hour before
NCZ033-048>053-058-059-062>065-222200-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
455 PM EDT MON SEP 22 2003

...HEAVY RAIN SHOWERS COULD PRODUCE ISOLATED STRONG WIND GUSTS
ACROSS THE NORTH CAROLINA MOUNTAINS...

AT 445 PM...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RADAR INDICATED A LARGE AREA OF
MODERATE RAIN...WITH ISOLATED HEAVY SHOWERS ACROSS THE MOUNTAINS OF
NORTH CAROLINA. THE MAIN THREAT THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING WILL BE
HEAVY RAINFALL AMOUNTS IN EXCESS OF ONE INCH PER HOUR. HOWEVER...
THERE IS A POSSIBILITY THAT SOME OF THE ISOLATED SHOWERS COULD
PRODUCE BRIEF PERIODS OF WIND GUSTS IN EXCESS OF 50 MPH. WIND GUSTS
OF THIS MAGNITUDE COULD BLOW DOWN SMALL TREES AND LARGE TREE
BRANCHES.

STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO FOR LATER STATEMENTS AND POSSIBLE
WARNINGS.

LANE
Special weather statement, Sep 22, 5:37 PM EDT, 18 minutes before
NCZ033-048>053-058-059-062>065-222245-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
537 PM EDT MON SEP 22 2003

...HEAVY RAIN SHOWERS COULD PRODUCE ISOLATED STRONG WIND GUSTS
AND URBAN FLOODING ACROSS THE WESTERN UPSTATE...

AT 530 PM...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RADAR INDICATED AN AREA OF
HEAVY RAIN SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ACROSS WESTERN OCONEE COUNTY.
THROUGH 645 PM...THESE SHOWERS WILL AFFECT MUCH OF OCONEE COUNTY...
INCLUDING WALHALLA...AND MUCH OF WESTERN PICKENS COUNTY...INCLUDING
THE CITY OF CLEMSON. THE MAIN THREAT WITH THESE SHOWERS WILL BE HEAVY
RAINFALL AMOUNTS IN EXCESS OF ONE INCH PER HOUR. THIS HEAVY RAINFALL
COULD PRODUCE FLOODING OF POOR DRAINAGE AND LOW LYING AREAS. THERE IS
ALSO A POSSIBILITY THAT THE SHOWERS COULD PRODUCE ISOLATED...BRIEF
PERIODS OF DAMAGING WIND GUSTS IN EXCESS OF 50 MPH. WIND GUSTS OF
THIS MAGNITUDE COULD BLOW DOWN SMALL TREES AND LARGE TREE BRANCHES.
OCCASIONAL CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING WILL ALSO BE POSSIBLE.

STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO FOR LATER STATEMENTS AND POSSIBLE
WARNINGS.

LANE
Special weather statement, Sep 22, 5:37 PM EDT, 18 minutes before
GAZ018-SCZ001>006-222245-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT...CORRECTED UGC
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
537 PM EDT MON SEP 22 2003

...HEAVY RAIN SHOWERS COULD PRODUCE ISOLATED STRONG WIND GUSTS
AND URBAN FLOODING ACROSS THE WESTERN UPSTATE...

AT 530 PM...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RADAR INDICATED AN AREA OF
HEAVY RAIN SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ACROSS WESTERN OCONEE COUNTY.
THROUGH 645 PM...THESE SHOWERS WILL AFFECT MUCH OF OCONEE COUNTY...
INCLUDING WALHALLA...AND MUCH OF WESTERN PICKENS COUNTY...INCLUDING
THE CITY OF CLEMSON. THE MAIN THREAT WITH THESE SHOWERS WILL BE HEAVY
RAINFALL AMOUNTS IN EXCESS OF ONE INCH PER HOUR. THIS HEAVY RAINFALL
COULD PRODUCE FLOODING OF POOR DRAINAGE AND LOW LYING AREAS. THERE IS
ALSO A POSSIBILITY THAT THE SHOWERS COULD PRODUCE ISOLATED...BRIEF
PERIODS OF DAMAGING WIND GUSTS IN EXCESS OF 50 MPH. WIND GUSTS OF
THIS MAGNITUDE COULD BLOW DOWN SMALL TREES AND LARGE TREE BRANCHES.
OCCASIONAL CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING WILL ALSO BE POSSIBLE.

STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO FOR LATER STATEMENTS AND POSSIBLE
WARNINGS.

LANE

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Sep 22, 4:45 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningGSPHabersham45 min

Nearby

Flash Flood Warnings in Georgia, 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.