Alert archive / North Carolina / Flash Flood Warnings in 2003

Flash Flood Warning 53, NWS Greenville-Spartanburg, SC

June 18, 2003Cabarrus County, North Carolina

NWS Greenville-Spartanburg, SC issued this flash flood warning at Jun 18, 2003, 4:24 PM EDT for Cabarrus County, North Carolina. 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 counties it named.

The facts

Issued
Jun 18, 2003, 4:24 PM EDT (20:24 UTC)
Expired
Jun 18, 2003, 8:15 PM EDT
In force
4 hr
Issued by
NWS Greenville-Spartanburg, SC
Area
Whole counties

County Cabarrus County, NC

The radar

The Greer radar (KGSP), 162 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 20:24 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 12:00Z, 8.4 hours before the alert went out and 97 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 12:00Z on 2003-06-18Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 58 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, Greensboro/Hi Pt, NC at 12:00Z on 2003-06-18The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 59 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
58 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-119 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
476 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
18 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
59 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
74 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 182024
FFWGSP
NCC025-190015-

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
FLASH FLOOD WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
424 PM EDT WED JUN 18 2003

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG HAS ISSUED A

* FLASH FLOOD WARNING FOR...
  CABARRUS COUNTY IN THE PIEDMONT OF NORTH CAROLINA

* UNTIL 815 PM EDT

* AT 409 PM EDT...CONCORD EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT REPORTED SOME         
  FLOODING ALREADY AROUND THE WEST SIDE OF CONCORD.  WATER WAS       
  REPORTED FLOWING ACROSS HIGHWAY 73 NEAR HIGHWAY 29.  CODDLE CREEK  
  WAS REPORTED OUT OF ITS BANKS AT POPLAR TENT ROAD.

* ADDITIONAL FLASH FLOODING IN THE URBAN AREAS OF CABARRUS COUNTY    
  WILL OCCUR...AS WELL AS DOWNSTREAM TO THE MIDLAND AREA.

EXCESSIVE RUNOFF FROM THIS STORM 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.

$$
JONES
2 follow-up statements
000 
WGUS72 KGSP 182208
FFSGSP
NCC025-182300-

FLASH FLOOD STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
608 PM EDT WED JUN 18 2003

...A FLASH FLOOD WARNING CONTINUES UNTIL 815 PM EDT FOR CABARRUS
COUNTY...

AT 605 PM... NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RADAR SHOWED LIGHT TO 
OCCASIONALLY MODERATE RAIN OVER CABARRUS COUNTY.  THE LOCALLY HEAVY 
RAIN THAT OCCURRED EARLIER IN THE EVENING HAS MOVED TO THE EAST.

THE FLASH FLOOD WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT BECAUSE ADDITIONAL 
RAINFALL THAT WAS OVER MECKLENBURG COUNTY WILL MOVE TOWARD THE 
NORTHEAST ACROSS CABARRUS COUNTY BEFORE 800 PM.  EVEN THOUGH MOST OF 
THE RAINFALL WILL BE LIGHT TO MODERATE... THE ADDITIONAL 
PRECIPITATION WILL NOT ALLOW ALREADY HIGH WATER LEVELS TO RECEDE.  
FURTHER INCREASES IN WATER LEVELS ARE QUITE LIKELY SO EXTREME 
CAUTION SHOULD BE EXERCISED.

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.

$$
LGL
000 
WGUS72 KGSP 182326
FFSGSP
NCC025-190000-

FLASH FLOOD STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
725 PM EDT WED JUN 18 2003

...A FLASH FLOOD WARNING CONTINUES UNTIL 815 PM EDT FOR CABARRUS
COUNTY...

AT 725 PM... NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RADAR SHOWED THE RAIN THAT 
DRENCHED CABARRUS COUNTY EARLIER THIS EVENING HAD MOVED TO THE 
NORTHEAST AWAY FROM THE AREA.  LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICIALS HAD NOT 
BEEN NOTIFIED OF ADDITIONAL FLOODING.  HIGH WATER PERSISTS IN SOME 
OF THE TRADITIONAL FLOOD PRONE AND POOR DRAINAGE AREAS... SO THE 
FLASH FLOOD WARNING WILL REMAIN IN EFFECT UNTIL IT EXPIRES AT 815 
PM.  MOTORISTS SHOULD BE ALERT FOR STANDING WATER ON ROADWAYS.  DO 
NOT ATTEMPT TO DRIVE ACROSS FLOODED ROADS.

URBAN FLOODING CAN OCCUR IN AREAS SUCH AS UNDERPASSES...AND LOW 
AREAS WHERE WATER TENDS TO COLLECT. CHILDREN SHOULD BE KEPT AWAY 
FROM SMALL STREAMS AND STORM DRAINS.

A FLASH FLOOD WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 400 PM THURSDAY.

$$
LGL

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 18, 3:05 PM EDT, 1 hour 19 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jun 18, 3:05 PM EDT, 1 hour 19 minutes before
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
305 PM EDT WED JUN 18 2003

UPPER LEVEL SHORT WAVE TROUGH JUST TO OUR SOUTHWEST IS PROMOTING THE
DEVELOPMENT OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS AS THE SYSTEM MOVES
NORTHEAST TOWARD THE MID-ATLANTIC REGION.  DEEP MOISTURE HAS
RESULTED IN PRECIPITABLE WATER VALUES UP TO 170 PERCENT OF NORMAL
ACROSS PARTS OF CWA.  INSTABILITY IS SOMEWHAT LIMITED SO THREAT OF
SEVERE CONVECTIVE STORMS IS RESTRICTED TO ISOLATED OCCURRENCES.
MOST OF CWA REMAINS IN EXCESSIVE RAINFALL OUTLOOK... SO FLOOD WATCH
IS CONTINUED TONIGHT AND THURSDAY.  HEAVY RAIN IS MOST LIKELY TO
OCCUR PRIOR TO 06Z THURSDAY.  AS UPPER TROUGH PASSES BY LATER
TONIGHT... BEST LIFT MOVES EAST OF THE AREA... BUT AXIS OF NEGATIVE
OMEGA EXTENDS SOUTHWEST FROM VICINITY MD TO TN VALLEY COINCIDENT
WITH SURFACE FRONT.  THIS FEATURE WILL CONTRIBUTE TO CONTINUED
CHANCE OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS THURSDAY MORNING WITH A LITTLE
BETTER CHANCE IN THE AFTERNOON AS SURFACE HEATING BECOMES A FACTOR
IN DESTABILIZING ATMOSPHERE.  SURFACE TROUGH IN THE LEE OF THE
MOUNTAINS WILL ALSO BE PRESENT PRIOR TO PASSAGE OF COLD FRONT FRIDAY
MORNING.  FOLLOWING FRONTAL PASSAGE... DRIER AIR SPREADS INTO
REGION. CIRCULATION AROUND STRENGTHENING LOW NEAR MID-ATLANTIC COAST
AND GREAT LAKES HIGH PRESSURE SYSTEM FRIDAY AFTERNOON AND SATURDAY
WILL PRODUCE A DRY NORTHWEST AND WEST WIND FLOW THAT WILL CONTINUE
INTO THE WEEKEND.

SUNDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY...
DRY HIGH PRESSURE SETTLES OVER THE AREA SUNDAY. THIS BRINGS MOSTLY
CLEAR SKIES AND BELOW CLIMO LOWS WITH HIGHS NEAR CLIMO. MDLS NOW
FORECASTING SLOWER MOISTURE RETURN AS THE HIGH CENTER ONLY SLOWLY
MOVES OFFSHORE. THEREFORE HAVE REMOVED POP MENTION THRU WED. COULD
BE SOME ISOLATED MTN CONVECTION TUE/WED...BUT POP STAYS BELOW CLIMO
UNTIL WED WHEN IT IS JUST BELOW AT AVL. LOWS AND HIGHS RISE TO JUST
ABOVE CLIMO BY THE END OF THE PERIOD.

PRELIMINARY TEMPERATURES AND POPS...
GSP   69  85  67  84 /  90  50  50  10
AND   69  86  68  85 /  90  50  50  10
CLT   68  85  68  84 /  80  70  50  10
HKY   66  82  65  81 /  90  60  60  10
AVL   64  80  63  79 /  90  50  50  10

.GSP...
GA...FLOOD WATCH FOR TONIGHT AND THURSDAY FOR ZONES GAZ010...
GAZ017>018...GAZ026...GAZ028>029.

NC...FLOOD WATCH FOR TONIGHT AND THURSDAY FOR ZONES NCZ033>037...
NCZ048>059...NCZ062>072...NCZ082.

SC...FLOOD WATCH FOR TONIGHT AND THURSDAY FOR ZONES SCZ001>014...
SCZ019.

LGL/RWH
Hazardous weather outlook, Jun 18, 5:50 AM EDT, 10 hours 34 minutes before
GAZ010-017-018-026-028-029-NCZ033>037-048>059-062>072-082-SCZ001>014-
019-181145-

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
550 AM EDT WED JUN 18 2003

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

.DAY ONE...TODAY

SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL DEVELOP OVER MUCH OF THE REGION AGAIN
TODAY. A FLOOD WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR THE NORTH CAROLINA MOUNTAINS
AND THE WESTERN FOOTHILLS. SEE OUR PRODUCT CAEFFAGSP FOR DETAILS.
THE PRIMARY THREAT FROM THUNDERSTORMS TODAY WILL BE FREQUENT
LIGHTNING AND TORRENTIAL RAIN. HOWEVER...A THUNDERSTORM WITH AN
ISOLATED DAMAGING WIND GUST CANNOT BE RULED OUT LATE THIS AFTERNOON.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...

MORE THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE POSSIBLE ON THURSDAY. ISOLATED LARGE HAIL
AND DAMAGING WINDS WILL BE POSSIBLE...WITH FREQUENT LIGHTNING AND
HEAVY RAIN THE MORE PROMINENT THREAT. THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE POSSIBLE
AGAIN NEXT THURSDAY.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE REQUIRED THIS AFTERNOON AND
TONIGHT...PRIMARILY TO REPORT FLOODING AND RAINFALL AMOUNTS.

MCAVOY

In the hours before

Special weather statement, Jun 18, 12:59 PM EDT, 3 hours 25 minutes before
GAZ010-017-018-026-028-029-SCZ001-004-010>012-019-181830-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
1259 PM EDT WED JUN 18 2003

...NUMEROUS SHOWERS AND SOME THUNDERSTORMS APPROACHING AREA LAKES...

SHORTLY BEFORE 1 PM...RADAR SHOWED A SHORT LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS AND
SHOWERS...WITH VERY HEAVY RAIN...DEVELOPING FROM WEST OF HARTWELL TO
WEST OF ELBERTON GEORGIA.  THESE STORMS WERE MOVING NORTHEAST ABOUT
20 MPH AND WILL AFFECT THE LOWER PART OF LAKE HARTWELL...ALL OF
LAKES RUSSELL AND SECESSION...AND COULD REACH LAKE GREENWOOD A
LITTLE LATER.

STRONG WIND GUSTS TO 40 MPH...HEAVY RAINFALL...AND CLOUD TO GROUND
LIGHTNING WILL BE THREATS TO PEOPLE CAMPING...BOATING...OR FISHING
ON THE LAKES THIS AFTERNOON.

FARTHER NORTH...SCATTERED STORMS WITH SIMILAR WEATHER WILL AFFECT
THE NORTHERN PART OF LAKE HARTWELL.

JONES

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Jun 18, 4:47 PM EDTFlash Flood WarningGSPMecklenburg, Union4 hr

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.