Alert archive / Georgia / Flash Flood Warnings in 2003
Flash Flood Warning 134, NWS Greenville-Spartanburg, SC
NWS Greenville-Spartanburg, SC issued this flash flood warning at Oct 8, 2003, 10:49 AM EDT for Elbert County, Hart County, Georgia. It was in force for 4 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
- Oct 8, 2003, 10:49 AM EDT (14:49 UTC)
- Expired
- Oct 8, 2003, 2:45 PM EDT
- In force
- 4 hr
- Issued by
- NWS Greenville-Spartanburg, SC
- Area
- Counties, with a storm outline in the text
Counties Elbert County, GA, Hart County, GA
The radar
The Greer radar (KGSP), 89 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 14:48 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, 2.8 hours before the alert went out and 180 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
- 25 J/kg
- Mixed-layer CIN
- -52 J/kg
- Mixed-layer LCL
- 666 m above ground
- 0-6 km bulk shear
- 20 kt
- 0-1 km storm-relative helicity
- -29 m²/s²
- 0-3 km storm-relative helicity
- 26 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 081448
FFWGSP
GAC105-147-081845-
BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
FLASH FLOOD WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
1049 AM EDT WED OCT 8 2003
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG HAS ISSUED A
* FLASH FLOOD WARNING FOR...
HART COUNTY IN NORTHEAST GEORGIA
ELBERT COUNTY IN NORTHEAST GEORGIA
* UNTIL 245 PM EDT
* AT 1036 AM EDT...WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR SHOWED VERY HEAVY
RAIN CONTINUING ACROSS THESE COUNTIES. RADAR HAS ESTIMATED AS
MUCH AS 5 TO 6 INCHES OF RAIN SINCE ABOUT 6 AM...WITH LOCALLY
HEAVIER AMOUNTS LIKELY.
* THIS MUCH RAIN IN A SHORT TIME WILL CAUSE FLASH FLOODING OF CREEKS
AND LOW AREAS...AND WILL LIKELY FLOOD ROADS AND SOME BRIDGES.
EXCESSIVE RUNOFF FROM THIS STORM WILL CAUSE FLASH FLOODING OF
COUNTRY ROADS...NORMALLY DRY WASHES...AS WELL AS FARMLAND ALONG THE
BANKS OF CREEKS AND STREAMS.
TO REPORT FLOODING HAVE THE NEAREST LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCY RELAY YOUR
REPORT TO THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FORECAST OFFICE IN
GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG.
LAT...LON 3454 8297 3421 8268 3404 8286 3428 8309
3449 8312
$$
JONES3 follow-up statements
000 WGUS72 KGSP 081556 FFSGSP GAC105-147-081845- FLASH FLOOD STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC 1157 AM EDT WED OCT 8 2003 ...A FLASH FLOOD WARNING CONTINUES UNTIL 245 PM EDT FOR HART AND ELBERT COUNTIES... AT 1145 AM EDT...RADAR SHOWED HEAVY RAIN CONTINUING ACROSS THE WARNING AREA. RADAR HAS ESTIMATED 4 TO 5 INCHES OF RAIN ACROSS CENTRAL HART COUNTY...EXTENDING SOUTHEAST ACROSS THE NORTHERN THIRD OF ELBERT COUNTY. A FEW PLACES WITHIN THAT AREA SHOWED ESTIMATES OF 5 TO 6 INCHES OF RAIN. SOME ACTUAL REPORTS FROM COOPERATIVE OBSERVERS JUST OUTSIDE THE AREA OF MAXIMUM RAINFALL ESTIMATES...HARTWELL DAM 3.82 INCHES...HARTWELL CITY 4.71 INCHES...ELBERTON 3.85 INCHES. DO NOT BECOME A FATALITY DO NOT CROSS FLOODED ROADS...THE ROAD COULD BE WASHED OUT FROM THE FLOW OF THE WATER...AND YOUR CAR COULD BE SWEPT AWAY BY THE SWIFTLY MOVING WATER. $$ JONES
000 WGUS72 KGSP 081716 FFSGSP GAC105-147-081845- FLASH FLOOD STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC 117 PM EDT WED OCT 8 2003 ...A FLASH FLOOD WARNING CONTINUES UNTIL 245 PM EDT FOR HART AND ELBERT COUNTIES... AT 1 PM...WEATHER RADAR SHOWED HEAVY RAINFALL IN A BAND FROM NORTHERN HART COUNTY...EXTENDING SOUTHEAST ACROSS HARTWELL LAKE INTO SOUTHWEST ANDERSON COUNTY...AND WESTERN ABBEVILLE COUNTY. HEAVY RAIN WAS ALSO SHOWN ACROSS PARTS OF STEPHENS COUNTY GEORGIA AND OCONEE COUNTY SOUTH CAROLINA. A SMALL AREA OF SHOWERS WAS SHOWN OVER NORTHERN ELBERT COUNTY. THE ELBERT COUNTY ROADS AND BRIDGES DEPARTMENT REPORTED SIGNIFICANT ROAD FLOODING ACROSS THE NORTHERN PART OF THE COUNTY...WITH A NUMBER OF CULVERTS WASHED OUT...AND LOTS OF DEBRIS FROM FLOOD WATER. A SPOTTER...COUNTY OFFICIALS...AND THE UNITED STATES ARMY CORPS OF ENGINEERS IN HART COUNTY...REPORTED LOTS OF STREAMS RUNNING VERY HIGH...AND SOME ROAD FLOODING. HOWEVER...THERE HAVE NOT BEEN REPORTS OF SIGNIFICANT FLOODING YET. IT IS LIKELY SOME STREAMS AND ROADS ARE FLOODED...ESPECIALLY IN THE SOUTHERN PART OF THE COUNTY NEAR THE ELBERT LINE. THESE MAY NOT HAVE BEEN REPORTED TO COUNTY OFFICIALS YET. MOTORISTS ACROSS THE WARNING AREA...ESPECIALLY SCHOOL BUS DRIVERS...SHOULD BE ESPECIALLY ALERT FOR FLOODED ROADS AND BRIDGES THIS AFTERNOON. 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. $$ JONES
000 WGUS72 KGSP 081852 FFSGSP GAC105-147-081900- FLASH FLOOD STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC 252 PM EDT WED OCT 8 2003 ...THE FLASH FLOOD WARNING WHICH WAS IN EFFECT FOR HART AND ELBERT COUNTIES HAS EXPIRED AS OF 245 PM EDT... THE HEAVY RAIN HAS ENDED OVER THE WARNED AREA. STREAMS AND CREEKS IN THE WARNED AREA HAVE RECEDED OR WERE BEGINNING TO RECEDE...ENDING THE FLASH FLOOD THREAT. EVEN THOUGH STREAMS AND CREEKS WERE RECEDING... SOME ROADWAYS STILL MAY BE COVERED WITH WATER. MOTORISTS ARE ADVISED TO AVOID DRIVING THROUGH FLOODED ROADWAYS. DO NOT BECOME A FATALITY DO NOT CROSS FLOODED ROADS...THE ROAD COULD BE WASHED OUT FROM THE FLOW OF THE WATER...AND YOUR CAR COULD BE SWEPT AWAY BY THE SWIFTLY MOVING WATER. $$ 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 Oct 8, 9:40 AM EDT, 1 hour 9 minutes earlier.
Area forecast discussion, Oct 8, 9:40 AM EDT, 1 hour 9 minutes before
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC 940 AM EDT WED OCT 8 2003 .DISCUSSION... UPDATED ZONES TO GO CAT POPS MOST AREAS E OF THE MTNS. UPPER LOW IS VERIFYING A LITTLE STRONGER AND MORE CUT OFF THAN ORIGINALLY EXPECTED. THIS IS RESULTING IN A WEAK DEFORMATION ZONE ACROSS THE UPSTATE AND NE GA...W/EMBEDDED HEAVY RAIN PRODUCING TSRA. THE STRONG UPGLIDE STAYS WELL E OF THE CWFA TDA. HOWEVER...LAPSE RATES REMAIN STEEP...AND UPSLOPE FLOW BECOMES STRONGER. THE ETA INCREASES VERTICAL VELOCITIES AS THE DAY PROGRESSES...PARTICULARLY ACROSS THE NRN UPSTATE AND THE NC PIEDMONT AND FOOTHILLS. PATH OF LEAST REGRET IS SIMPLY TO RAISE POPS. WL ALSO LOWER MAX TEMPS SEVERAL DEGREES IN THE NC FOOTHILLS AND PIEDMONT. DRY AIR TRAPPED ALONG THE LEE COMBINED W/THE HEAVIER THAN EXPECTED PCPN WL RESULT IN IN SITU DAMMING AND TEMPS WL BE HARD PRESSED TO RISE MORE THAN A FEW DEGREES. IF THE PCPN IS HEAVY ENUF...THEY MAY EVEN FALL A DEGREE OR TWO ALONG AND NORTH OF I-40. && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... GSP 64 56 69 56 / 90 60 40 40 AND 65 56 71 58 / 90 40 30 30 CLT 64 56 68 57 / 90 70 40 40 HKY 60 54 66 56 / 80 80 60 50 AVL 60 52 66 54 / 70 60 40 40 && .GSP WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... GA...NONE. NC...NONE. SC...NONE. && MCAVOY
Hazardous weather outlook, Oct 8, 5:00 AM EDT, 5 hours 49 minutes before
GAZ010-017-018-026-028-029-NCZ033>037-048>059-062>072-082-SCZ001>014- 019-081100- HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC 500 AM EDT WED OCT 8 2003 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA... UPSTATE SOUTH CAROLINA...AND EXTREME NORTHEAST GEORGIA. .DAY ONE...TODAY NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN... NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT ANTICIPATED.
In the hours before
Special weather statement, Oct 8, 7:12 AM EDT, 3 hours 37 minutes before
GAZ018-026-028-029-SCZ004-005-010-011-081400- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC 712 AM EDT WED OCT 8 2003 AT 705 AM...WEATHER RADAR SHOWED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS MOVING SLOWLY NORTHWARD ACROSS EAST CENTRAL GEORGIA...EXTREME NORTHEAST GEORGIA AND EXTREME WESTERN SOUTH CAROLINA. THE HEAVIEST RAIN HAD FALLEN ACROSS HART AND NORTHERN ELBERT COUNTIES IN EXTREME NORTHEEAST GEORGIA...WHERE RADAR ESTIMATED AS MUCH AS TWO INCHES OF RAIN HAD FALLEN IN THE PREDAWN HOURS. THROUGH MID MORNING...EXPECT HEAVY RAIN TO OVERSPREAD LOCATIONS FROM ELBERTON AND HARTWELL...NORTH AND EAST TO ABBEVILLE AND ANDERSON...AS WELL AS PICKENS AND CLEMSON. RAINFALL COULD BE ENOUGH TO CAUSE PONDING OF WATER ON ROADS...AND IN POOR DRAINAGE AREAS. WITH THE RECENT LACK OF RAINFALL...THE GROUND OVER NORTHEAST GEORGIA AND WESTERN SOUTH CAROLINA HAS BECOME HARD IN SOME AREAS. AS HEAVY RAIN FALLS ONTO THE HARD GROUND...RUNOFF INTO STREAMS AND CREEKS WILL BE MAXIMIZED IN SOME LOCATIONS. BY MID MORNING...THE HEAVIEST RAINFALL SHOULD SHIFT NORTHWARD TOWARD GREENVILLE...SPARTANBURG AND THE SOUTH CAROLINA MOUNTAINS. STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR THE MEDIA FOR THE LATEST INFORMATION CONCERNING THIS DEVELOPING WEATHER SITUATION.
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.