Alert archive / South Carolina / Flash Flood Warnings in 2003
Flash Flood Warning 6, NWS Greenville-Spartanburg, SC
NWS Greenville-Spartanburg, SC issued this flash flood warning at Mar 19, 2003, 8:32 PM EST for Anderson County, Pickens 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
- Mar 19, 2003, 8:32 PM EST (01:32 UTC)
- Expired
- Mar 19, 2003, 11:30 PM EST
- In force
- 3 hr
- Issued by
- NWS Greenville-Spartanburg, SC
- Area
- Whole counties
Counties Anderson County, SC, Pickens County, SC
The radar
The Greer radar (KGSP), 47 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 01:33 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
Peachtre/Fal Fld, GA (KFFC), launched 00:00Z, 1.5 hours before the alert went out and 224 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
- 753 J/kg
- Mixed-layer CIN
- -22 J/kg
- Mixed-layer LCL
- 467 m above ground
- 0-6 km bulk shear
- 71 kt
- 0-1 km storm-relative helicity
- 168 m²/s²
- 0-3 km storm-relative helicity
- 215 m²/s²
- Significant tornado parameter
- 0.6
- Supercell composite
- 2.6
The text
As transmitted, in the capitals the NWS used until 2016.
000 WGUS52 KGSP 200131 FFWGSP SCC007-077-200430- BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED FLASH FLOOD WARNING NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC 832 PM EST WED MAR 19 2003 THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG HAS ISSUED A * FLASH FLOOD WARNING FOR... ANDERSON COUNTY IN UPSTATE SOUTH CAROLINA PICKENS COUNTY IN UPSTATE SOUTH CAROLINA * UNTIL 1130 PM EST * AT 823 PM EST...WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED VERY HEAVY RAIN MOVING NORTH INTO ANDERSON AND PICKENS COUNTY. ADDITIONAL HEAVY RAINFALL WAS EXPECTED FROM NORTHEAST GEORGIA. * RAINFALL TOTALS WERE RAPIDLY APPROACHING THE AMOUNT OF RAIN NEEDED TO CAUSE RIVERS AND STREAMS TO LEAVE THEIR BANKS. BE ESPECIALLY CAUTIOUS AT NIGHT WHEN IT IS HARDER TO RECOGNIZE THE DANGERS OF FLOODS AND FLASH FLOODS. IF FLASH FLOODING IS OBSERVED ACT QUICKLY. MOVE UP TO HIGHER GROUND TO ESCAPE FLOOD WATERS. DO NOT STAY IN AREAS SUBJECT TO FLOODING WHEN WATER BEGINS RISING. 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. STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR THE MEDIA FOR THE LATEST INFORMATION. $$ 07
2 follow-up statements
000 WGUS72 KGSP 200346 FFSGSP SCC007-077-200430- FLASH FLOOD STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC 1046 PM EST WED MAR 19 2003 ...A FLASH FLOOD WARNING CONTINUES UNTIL 1130 PM EST FOR ANDERSON AND PICKENS COUNTIES... SOME FLASH FLOODING WAS REPORTED AROUND 10 PM IN THE IVA AREA OF ANDERSON COUNTY. SOME ROADS WERE REPORTED FLOODED. MODERATE RAIN WAS STILL FALLING ACROSS THE NORTHERN HALF OF ANDERSON COUNTY...AND COVERED ALL OF PICKENS COUNTY. NO FLASH FLOODING HAD BEEN REPORTED TO THE PICKENS COUNTY SHERIFFS OFFICE AS OF 10 PM. ADDITIONAL THUNDERSTORMS WERE SOUTHWEST OF THE AREA AT 1045 PM...AND COULD REQUIRE THE WARNING TO BE EXTENDED...OR REISSUED...LATER TONIGHT. BE ESPECIALLY CAUTIOUS AT NIGHT WHEN IT IS HARDER TO RECOGNIZE THE DANGERS OF FLOODS AND FLASH FLOODS. USE CAUTION IN OR NEAR ANY SMALL CREEK TONIGHT...AND AVOID ROUTES THAT YOU KNOW ARE FLOOD PRONE. DO NOT BECOME A FATALITY DO NOT CROSS FLOODED ROADS...THE ROAD COULD BE WASHED OUT FROM THE FLOW OF THE WATER...AND YOUR CAR COULD BE SWEPT AWAY BY THE SWIFTLY MOVING WATER. $$ JONES
000 WGUS72 KGSP 200441 FFSGSP SCC007-200515- FLASH FLOOD STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC 1140 PM EST WED MAR 19 2003 ...THE FLASH FLOOD WARNING WHICH WAS IN EFFECT FOR ANDERSON COUNTY HAS EXPIRED... HOWEVER...SOME HIGH WATER LINGERS AROUND THE COUNTY...WITH SOME FLOODING REPORTED ON MANY ROADS AND STREETS. ADDITIONAL THUNDERSTORMS WILL LIKELY MOVE INTO THE COUNTY LATER TONIGHT...AND THE WARNING MAY BE REISSUED LATER. 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 Mar 19, 3:00 PM EST, 5 hours 32 minutes earlier.
Area forecast discussion, Mar 19, 3:00 PM EST, 5 hours 32 minutes before
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC 300 PM EST WED MAR 19 2003 LARGE UPPER LEVEL CLOSED LOW TO OPEN AND LIFT NE THURSDAY. COLD AIR DAMMING TO CONTINUE TONIGHT AND THURSDAY MORNING...WITH ISENTROPIC LIFT AND UPSLOPE COMPONENT TO PRODUCE EXCESIVE RAINFALL MUCH OF AREA. BEST ISENTROPIC LIFT MOVES N OF AREA EARLY THU...BUT WITH CONVECTION AROUND...FLOOD THREAT CONTINUES. WILL EXPAND FLOOD WATCH TO ENTIRE AREA THROUGH THURSDAY. THREAT OF SEVERE CONTINUES THIS EVENING IN S AND W ALONG PERIPHERY OF WEDGE...WHERE INSTABILITY GREATEST...AND AGAIN THURSDAY AND THURSDAY NIGHT AS WEDGE ERRODES. FRONT STALLS JUST E OF AREA FRI AS WAVE FORMS TO S. PRECIPITATION EXPECTED TO EXPAND WESTWARD...BUT HOW FAR IS STILL IN QUESTION. WENT WITH CHANCE POPS FRI...HIGHEST E...WITH THUNDER EVERYWHERE AS BAND OF HIGH CAPES CROSS AREA. FRONT MOVES E AND AREA DRIES FRI NIGHT... WHILE WEAK SECONDARY FRONT APPROACHES MTS. SECOND FRONT REACHES MTS SAT...WITH LIMITED MOISTURE...CROSSING AREA SUN. WAVE ON THIS FRONT TO MOVE E ALONG I-20 MON...AND WILL CARRY POPS SUN NIGHT...DRYING FROM W MON. DRY RIDGE OVER AREA TUE/WED. FCSTID = 7 GSP 53 64 54 72 / 80 80 80 40 AND 55 68 53 72 / 80 80 80 40 CLT 54 63 56 73 / 90 90 80 40 HKY 49 61 53 71 / 80 80 70 40 AVL 48 63 50 69 / 80 80 70 30 .GSP... GA...FLOOD WATCH FOR TONIGHT AND THURSDAY FOR ZONES GAZ010... GAZ017>018...GAZ026...GAZ028>029. 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. FLOOD WATCH FOR TONIGHT AND THURSDAY FOR ZONES NCZ051...NCZ058... NCZ062...NCZ066>067. SC...FLOOD WATCH FOR TONIGHT AND THURSDAY FOR ZONES SCZ001>014... SCZ019. FLOOD WATCH FOR TONIGHT AND THURSDAY FOR ZONES SCZ001>007... SCZ010>013...SCZ019. O7
Hazardous weather outlook, Mar 19, 2:55 PM EST, 5 hours 37 minutes before
GAZ010-017-018-026-028-029-NCZ033>037-048>059-062>072-082-SCZ001>014- 019-192145- HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC 255 PM EST WED MAR 19 2003 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA... UPSTATE SOUTH CAROLINA...AND EXTREME NORTHEAST GEORGIA. .DAY ONE...TODAY A FLOOD WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR THE WESTERN CAROLINAS AND NORTHEAST GEORGIA TONIGHT. SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE TONIGHT... POSSIBLY ACCOMPANIED BY TORNADOES ALONG THE BORDER OF NORTHEAST GEORGIA AND UPSTATE SOUTH CAROLINA. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN... A FLOOD WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR THE WESTERN CAROLINAS AND NORTHEAST GEORGIA THURSDAY. SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE THURSDAY AFTERNOON AND THURSDAY NIGHT. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE REQUIRED. 07
In the hours before
Special weather statement, Mar 19, 2:50 PM EST, 5 hours 42 minutes before
GAZ010-017-018-026-028-029-NCZ033>037-048>059-062>072-082-SCZ001>014- 019-200400- SEVERE WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC 250 PM EST WED MAR 19 2003 ...SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS POSSIBLE TONIGHT ACROSS PARTS OF NORTHEAST GEORGIA AND THE WESTERN CAROLINAS... CONDITIONS WILL BE FAVORABLE FOR THUNDERSTORMS TONIGHT. SOME OF THE THUNDERSTORMS COULD BE SEVERE...AND MAY PRODUCE LARGE HAIL... DAMAGING WIND GUSTS...AND TORNADOES. THE GREATEST RISK OF SEVERE WEATHER IS ALONG THE BORDER OF NORTHEAST GEORGIA AND UPSTATE SOUTH CAROLINA. AS THE THUNDERSTORMS MOVE FARTHER NORTH INTO THE SOUTH CAROLINA UPSTATE...AND THE MOUNTAINS...THE THREAT FOR TORNADOES WILL DIMINISH...BUT THE THREAT OF DAMAGING WIND AND LARGE HAIL WILL REMAIN. THE THUNDERSTORMS WILL ENCOUNTER INCREASINGLY STABLE AIR ACROSS THE NORTH CAROLINA FOOTHILLS AND PIEDMONT THIS EVENING...AND SHOULD WEAKEN...DIMINISHING THE THREAT OF SEVERE WEATHER. ANOTHER ROUND OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS IS POSSIBLE THURSDAY AND THURSDAY NIGHT ACROSS NORTHEAST GEORGIA AND THE WESTERN CAROLINAS. SPOTTER GROUPS SHOULD BE PREPARED TO ACTIVATE QUICKLY THIS EVENING. DISPATCHERS SHOULD ENSURE COUNTY EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT OFFICIALS ARE AWARE OF THIS INFORMATION. STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR YOUR FAVORITE MEDIA OUTLET FOR THE LATEST UPDATES CONCERNING THIS POTENTIAL SEVERE WEATHER SITUATION. 07
The office that day
Everything else NWS Greenville-Spartanburg, SC issued on the same UTC day.
| Issued | Product | Office | Counties | Lasted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Mar 19, 9:34 PM EST | Flash Flood Warning | GSP | Greenville, Spartanburg | 4 hr |
| Mar 19, 9:40 PM EST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | GSP | Anderson | 65 min |
| Mar 20, 1:30 AM EST | Flash Flood Warning | GSP | Greenville, Spartanburg | 4 hr |
| Mar 20, 1:55 AM EST | Flash Flood Warning | GSP | Oconee, Pickens | 3 hr |
| Mar 20, 1:59 AM EST | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | GSP | Oconee, Pickens | 46 min |
Nearby
Flash 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.