Alert archive / North Carolina / Flash Flood Warnings in 2003

Flash Flood Warning 29, NWS Greenville-Spartanburg, SC

June 7, 2003Mecklenburg County, North Carolina; York County, South Carolina

NWS Greenville-Spartanburg, SC issued this flash flood warning at Jun 7, 2003, 8:40 PM EDT for Mecklenburg County, North Carolina; York County, South 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 counties it named.

The facts

Issued
Jun 7, 2003, 8:40 PM EDT (00:40 UTC)
Expired
Jun 7, 2003, 11:30 PM EDT
In force
3 hr
Issued by
NWS Greenville-Spartanburg, SC
Area
Whole counties

Counties Mecklenburg County, NC, York County, SC

The radar

The Greer radar (KGSP), 113 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 00:40 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.

The nearest sounding before it

Greensboro/Hi Pt, NC (KGSO), launched 00:00Z, 0.7 hours before the alert went out and 147 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, Greensboro/Hi Pt, NC at 00:00Z on 2003-06-08Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 0 joules per kilogram.LCL10008507005003002001001 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, Greensboro/Hi Pt, NC at 00:00Z on 2003-06-08The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity -33 square meters per square second.19395878Sfc1 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
0 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
No buoyant parcel
Mixed-layer LCL
850 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
32 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
-33 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
3 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
-0.0

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

000 
WGUS52 KGSP 080043
FFWGSP
NCC119-SCC091-080330-

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
FLASH FLOOD WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
840 PM EDT SAT JUN 7 2003

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG HAS ISSUED A

* FLASH FLOOD WARNING FOR...
  MECKLENBURG COUNTY IN THE PIEDMONT OF NORTH CAROLINA
  YORK COUNTY IN UPSTATE SOUTH CAROLINA

* UNTIL 1130 PM EDT

* AT 840 PM EDT...AN AUTOMATED RAIN GAGE AT THE CHARLOTTE-DOUGLAS 
INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT REPORTED 1 INCH OF RAIN HAD FALLEN BETWEEN 8 
AND 830 PM. THIS SAME AREA OF THUNDERSTORMS WAS INTENSIFYING AS IT 
WAS MOVING INTO THE CHARLOTTE METRO AREA. IN ADDITION...OTHER 
SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WERE DEVELOPING OVER NORTHERN YORK COUNTY 
WHERE RADAR INDICATED THAT RAINFALL RATES WERE APPROACHING AN INCH 
AN HOUR. 

* AN ADDITIONAL 1 TO 2 INCHES OF RAIN IS EXPECTED TO FALL FROM THE 
CHARLOTTE METRO AREA SOUTHWEST INTO NORTHERN YORK COUNTY WITH THIS 
AREA OF TRAINING THUNDERSTORMS. THIS WILL CAUSE MANY STREAMS TO 
LEAVE THEIR BANKS AND RESULT IN WIDESPREAD URBAN FLOODING. 

EXCESSIVE RUNOFF FROM THESE STORMS WILL CAUSE FLASH FLOODING OF SMALL
CREEKS AND STREAMS...HIGHWAYS AND UNDERPASSES. ADDITIONALLY...COUNTRY
ROADS AND FARMLANDS ALONG THE BANKS OF CREEKS AND STREAMS AND OTHER
LOW LYING AREAS ARE SUBJECT TO FLASH FLOODING.

$$
MCAVOY
1 follow-up statement
000 
WGUS72 KGSP 080157
FFSGSP
NCC119-SCC091-080345-

FLASH FLOOD STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
957 PM EDT SAT JUN 7 2003

...SEVERE URBAN FLOODING IN THE CHARLOTTE METROPOLITAN AREA...
...FLASH FLOOD WARNINGS CONTINUE FOR MECKLENBURG AND YORK COUNTIES 
UNTIL 1130 PM...

AT 955 PM...WEATHER RADAR CONTINUED TO SHOW SHOWERS AND 
THUNDERSTORMS LINED UP ALONG...AND SOUTH...OF INTERSTATE 85...FROM 
HARRISBURG...THROUGH CHARLOTTE...SOUTHWEST TO HICKORY GROVE IN 
NORTHERN YORK COUNTY. SOME OF THESE STORMS HAVE BEEN PRODUCING RAIN 
AT THE RATE OF NEARLY 2 INCHES PER HOUR...ESPECIALLY IN 
CHARLOTTE...AND NEAR HICKORY GROVE. 

A MAJOR URBAN FLOODING EVENT WAS UNFOLDING IN CHARLOTTE. SEVERAL 
AUTOMATED RAIN GAGES IN...AND ON THE SOUTH SIDE...OF CHARLOTTE 
REPORTED BETWEEN 2 AND 3 INCHES OF RAIN BETWEEN 7 PM AND 930 
PM...BOTH IN THE VICINITY OF FREEDOM PARK. THE AIRPORT RECEIVED 1.28 
INCHES OF RAIN BETWEEN 8 PM AND 9 PM. 

COUNTY LAW ENFORCEMENT IN MECKLENBURG COUNTY REPORT EVERY MAJOR 
THOROUGHFARE HAS BEEN AT LEAST PARTIALLY SHUT DOWN BY HIGH 
WATER...INCLUDING STRETCHES OF SOUTH TRYON STREET AND INDEPENDENCE 
BOULEVARD. ADDITIONAL URBAN FLOODING IS LIKELY AS THE BAND OF STORMS 
SHIFTS SLOWLY EASTWARD. EVACUATIONS WERE OCCURRING AT THE DORAL 
APARTMENTS ON MONROE ROAD...NEAR INDEPENDENCE BOULEVARD. ANOTHER 
INCH OR TWO OF RAIN IS POSSIBLE BEFORE RAINFALL ENDS. 

STREAM FLOODING COULD ALSO DEVELOP IN MECKLENBURG COUNTY. EXTREMELY 
RAPID RISES WERE OCCURRING LATE SATURDAY EVENING ON STREAMS. STEWART 
CREEK AT WEST MOREHEAD STREET IN CHARLOTTE HAD RISEN NEARLY 10 FEET 
THIS EVENING...AND WAS CLOSING IN ON 13 FEET. FLOOD STAGE AT THIS 
LOCATION IS 14 FEET. IN ADDITION...LITTLE HOPE CREEK AT SENECA PLACE 
WAS AT 9 FEET AND RISING RAPIDLY FLOOD STAGE AT THIS LOCATION IS 10 
FEET. THERE ARE 3 HOMES ALONG THE CREEK THAT WILL FLOOD ONCE THE 
CREEK PASSES FLOOD STAGE. ADDITIONAL STREAM FLOODING 
DOWNSTREAM...ALONG SUGAR AND LITTLE SUGAR CREEKS...APPEARS 
LIKELY...WHICH COULD PREVENT DRAINAGE OF WATER FROM AREAS ADVERSELY 
AFFECTED BY THE TORRENTIAL RAIN.

IN YORK COUNTY...FLOODING CONTINUES ALONG HIGHWAY 557...BETWEEN 
CLOVER AND THE MERGE WITH HIGHWAY 49. AN ADDITIONAL FLOOD REPORT 
RECEIVED FROM COUNTY LAW ENFORCEMENT INDICATED FLOODING ON RAYMOND 
CHURCH ROAD AND HIGHWAY 5. WE EXPECT FLOODING TO DEVELOP IN THE 
HICKORY GROVE AREA...OF WESTERN YORK COUNTY.

THERE IS A VERY GOOD CHANCE THAT FLOOD WARNINGS COULD EXTENDED 
BEYOND THEIR DESIGNATED EXPIRATION TIMES. 

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.

STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO...OR YOUR FAVORITE NEWS 
SOURCE...FOR LATER UPDATES ON THIS POTENTIALLY DEVASTATING SITUATION.
$$

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 Jun 7, 6:16 PM EDT, 2 hours 24 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jun 7, 6:16 PM EDT, 2 hours 24 minutes before
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
616 PM EDT SAT JUN 7 2003

TSRA FIRING IN AXIS OF 1000-1500 SB CAPES. WHILE SHEAR DOES WEAKEN
THE NEXT COUPLE HRS...WITH HIGH PW/S AND SEMI-ORGANIZED NATURE OF
THE LINE...THE PATH OF LEAST REGRET IS TO EXTEND THE FFA A FEW HOURS
ALONG AND AHEAD OF THE LINE.

.GSP...
GA...FLOOD WATCH UNTIL 10 PM FOR ZONES
GAZ018...GAZ026...GAZ028>029.

NC...FLOOD WATCH UNTIL 10 PM FOR ZONES
NCZ035>037...NCZ056>057...NCZ068>072...NCZ082.

SC...FLOOD WATCH UNTIL 10 PM FOR ZONES SCZ004>014...SCZ019.

MCAVOY
Hazardous weather outlook, Jun 7, 5:53 AM EDT, 14 hours 47 minutes before
GAZ010-017-018-026-028-029-NCZ033>037-048>059-062>072-082-SCZ001>014-
019-071200-

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
553 AM EDT SAT JUN 7 2003

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

.DAY ONE...TODAY

ANOTHER ROUND OF HEAVY RAIN IS EXPECTED BY THE EARLY PART OF THE
AFTERNOON. WITH THE GROUND ALREADY SATURATED BY OVERNIGHT RAIN...
THERE IS THE POTENTIAL FOR FLOODING OF CREEKS...STREAMS...AND URBAN
AREAS. A FLOOD WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR TODAY. SEE THE FLOOD
WATCH (FFAGSP) ISSUED AT 351 AM FOR MORE DETAILS. A FLOOD WARNING IS
ALSO IN EFFECT FOR THE SOUTH FORK CATAWBA RIVER AT LOWELL NORTH
CAROLINA. FOR MORE DETAILS...SEE THE RIVER FLOOD WARNING (FLWGSP)
ISSUED AT 315 PM FRIDAY.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...

THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE IN THE MOUNTAINS SUNDAY NIGHT AND MONDAY
MORNING. THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE ACROSS THE AREA AGAIN ON
THURSDAY AND FRIDAY.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE REQUIRED.

MOORE

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Jun 7, 11:30 PM EDTFlash Flood WarningGSPMecklenburg3 hr
Jun 7, 11:35 PM EDTFlash Flood WarningGSPCabarrus3 hr
Jun 8, 1:22 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningGSPBuncombe23 min
Jun 8, 1:47 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningGSPBuncombe, Henderson43 min
Jun 8, 2:57 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningGSPRutherford48 min
Jun 8, 6:07 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningGSPAvery, Mitchell53 min
Jun 8, 6:17 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningGSPBuncombe43 min
Jun 8, 6:31 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningGSPMcDowell44 min
Jun 8, 7:26 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningGSPBurke, McDowell, Rutherford64 min
Jun 8, 7:35 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningGSPAlexander55 min
Jun 8, 7:49 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningGSPCleveland41 min

Nearby

Flash Flood Warnings in North Carolina, 2003Flash 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; radar from the NEXRAD Level II archive.