Alert archive / North Carolina / Flash Flood Warnings in 2003
Flash Flood Warning 54, NWS Greenville-Spartanburg, SC
NWS Greenville-Spartanburg, SC issued this flash flood warning at Jun 18, 2003, 4:47 PM EDT for Mecklenburg County, Union 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, 4:47 PM EDT (20:47 UTC)
- Expired
- Jun 18, 2003, 8:45 PM EDT
- In force
- 4 hr
- Issued by
- NWS Greenville-Spartanburg, SC
- Area
- Whole counties
Counties Mecklenburg County, NC, Union County, NC
The radar
The Columbia radar (KCAE), 136 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 20:50 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, 8.8 hours before the alert went out and 128 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
- 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
The text
As transmitted, in the capitals the NWS used until 2016.
000 WGUS52 KGSP 182049 FFWGSP NCC119-179-190045- BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED FLASH FLOOD WARNING NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC 447 PM EDT WED JUN 18 2003 THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG HAS ISSUED A * FLASH FLOOD WARNING FOR... SOUTHERN MECKLENBURG COUNTY IN THE PIEDMONT OF NORTH CAROLINA. WESTERN UNION COUNTY IN THE PIEDMONT OF NORTH CAROLINA. * UNTIL 845 PM EDT * AT 430 PM EDT...WEATHER RADAR SHOWED EXTREMELY HEAVY RAINFALL ACROSS THE SOUTHERN QUARTER OF MECKLENBURG COUNTY...SPREADING ACROSS INTO THE WESTERN PART OF UNION COUNTY. * RAPIDLY DEVELOPING...SEVERE...URBAN FLASH FLOODING WILL DEVELOP IN THE AREA FROM PINEVILLE...TO MATTHEWS...AND MINT HILL...AND IN SURROUNDING COMMUNITIES. FLOOD PROBLEMS WILL DEVELOP FIRST IN FLOOD PRONE AREAS...AND IF THE HEAVY RAIN CONTINUES...MAY BEGIN TO AFFECT THE SUGAR CREEK SYSTEM AND OTHER CREEKS IN THE AREA. DURING HEAVY RAIN EVENTS...SEVERE 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 FLOODED STORM DRAINS. 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. $$ JONES
4 follow-up statements
000 WGUS72 KGSP 182138 FFSGSP NCC119-179-182230- FLASH FLOOD STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC 537 PM EDT WED JUN 18 2003 ...A FLASH FLOOD WARNING CONTINUES UNTIL 845 PM EDT FOR SOUTHERN MECKLENBURG AND WESTERN UNION COUNTIES... AT 535 PM... SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WERE PRODUCING LOCALLY HEAVY RAIN ACROSS SOUTHERN MECKLENBURG AND WESTERN UNION COUNTIES. THE PRECIPITATION WAS MOVING TO THE NORTHEAST INTO CABARRUS COUNTY. RADAR RAINFALL ESTIMATES AND AUTOMATED RAIN GAUGES INDICATE THAT THE HEAVIEST RAIN HAS OCCURRED ON THE SOUTH SIDE OF CHARLOTTE NEAR PINEVILLE. THE GREATEST RAINFALL TOTALS IN UNION COUNTY HAVE BEEN WEST AND SOUTH OF MONROE. RADAR RAINFALL ESTIMATES IN BOTH OF THESE AREAS INDICATE THAT FOUR TO FIVE INCHES OF RAIN HAVE FALLEN SINCE TUESDAY AFTERNOON. DO NOT BECOME A FATALITY DO NOT CROSS FLOODED ROADS...THE ROAD COULD BE WASHED OUT FROM THE FLOW OF THE WATER...AND YOUR CAR COULD BE SWEPT AWAY BY THE SWIFTLY MOVING WATER. $$ LGL
000 WGUS72 KGSP 182233 CCA FFSGSP NCC119-179-182300- FLASH FLOOD STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC 630 PM EDT WED JUN 18 2003 ...A FLASH FLOOD WARNING CONTINUES UNTIL 845 PM EDT FOR SOUTHERN MECKLENBURG AND WESTERN UNION COUNTIES... AT 630 PM... A CLUSTER OF SHOWERS AND ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS WAS OVER CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN MECKLENBURG COUNTY AND EXTREME NORTHERN UNION COUNTY. THE PRECIPITATION WAS MOVING TO THE NORTHEAST AT ABOUT 20 MPH. THE RAINFALL WILL BE ENDING IN MOST AREAS BY 700 PM. DURING HEAVY RAIN EVENTS...SEVERE 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. ADDITIONAL RAINFALL IS POSSIBLE LATER TONIGHT. A FLASH FLOOD WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 400 PM THURSDAY. $$ LGL
000 WGUS72 KGSP 182313 FFSGSP NCC119-179-190000- FLASH FLOOD STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC 712 PM EDT WED JUN 18 2003 ...A FLASH FLOOD WARNING CONTINUES UNTIL 845 PM EDT FOR SOUTHERN MECKLENBURG AND WESTERN UNION COUNTIES... EVEN THOUGH THE HEAVY RAIN HAD MOVED TO THE NORTHEAST AWAY FROM MECKLENBURG AND UNION COUNTIES BY 710 PM... THE FLASH FLOOD WARNING WILL REMAIN IN EFFECT. LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICIALS REPORTED SOME MINOR FLOODING WAS OCCURRING IN FLOOD PRONE AND POOR DRAINAGE AREAS. MOTORISTS SHOULD BE CAUTIOUS DURING THE REMAINDER OF THE EVENING. IF A FLOODED ROADWAY IS ENCOUNTERED... DO NOT ATTEMPT TO DRIVE THROUGH THE WATER. URBAN FLOODING CAN OCCUR IN AREAS SUCH AS UNDERPASSES...AND LOW AREAS WHERE WATER TENDS TO COLLECT. CHILDREN SHOULD BE KEPT AWAY FROM SMALL STREAMS AND STORM DRAINS. $$ LGL
000 WGUS72 KGSP 190037 FFSGSP NCC119-179-190050- FLASH FLOOD STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC 840 PM EDT WED JUN 18 2003 ...THE FLASH FLOOD WARNING WHICH IS IN EFFECT FOR SOUTHERN MECKLENBURG AND WESTERN UNION COUNTIES WILL BE ALLOWED TO EXPIRED AT 845 PM EDT... THE HEAVY RAIN HAS ENDED OVER THE WARNED AREA. AUTOMATED GAGES SHOW THAT STREAMS AND CREEKS IN THE WARNED AREA HAVE LEVELED OFF OR WERE BEGINNING TO RECEDE...ENDING THE FLASH FLOOD THREAT. LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICIALS HAD NOT BEEN NOTIFIED OF ADDITIONAL FLOODING. ALTHOUGH AREA STREAMS AND CREEKS WERE BEGINNING TO RECEDE...WATER MAY CONTINUE TO COVER ROADS AND SWIFTLY FLOW AT ELEVATED LEVELS. 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. KEEP CHILDREN AND PETS AWAY FROM NEARBY STREAMS AND CREEKS. $$ NED
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 42 minutes earlier.
Area forecast discussion, Jun 18, 3:05 PM EDT, 1 hour 42 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 57 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 48 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.
| Issued | Product | Office | Counties | Lasted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jun 18, 4:24 PM EDT | Flash Flood Warning | GSP | Cabarrus | 4 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.