Alert archive / North Carolina / Flash Flood Warnings in 2003

Flash Flood Warning 66, NWS Greenville-Spartanburg, SC

July 11, 2003Mecklenburg County, Union County, North Carolina

NWS Greenville-Spartanburg, SC issued this flash flood warning at Jul 11, 2003, 6:58 PM EDT for Mecklenburg County, Union County, North 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
Jul 11, 2003, 6:58 PM EDT (22:58 UTC)
Expired
Jul 11, 2003, 10:00 PM EDT
In force
3 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 23:00 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, 11.0 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.

Skew-T log-pSkew-T log-p diagram, Greensboro/Hi Pt, NC at 12:00Z on 2003-07-11Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 24 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 2003-07-11The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 27 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
24 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-69 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
870 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
26 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
27 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
86 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
0.2

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

000 
WGUS52 KGSP 112300
FFWGSP
NCC119-179-120200-

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
FLASH FLOOD WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
658 PM EDT FRI JUL 11 2003

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG HAS ISSUED A

* FLASH FLOOD WARNING FOR...
  SOUTHERN MECKLENBURG COUNTY IN THE PIEDMONT OF NORTH CAROLINA
  UNION COUNTY IN THE PIEDMONT OF NORTH CAROLINA

* UNTIL 1000 PM EDT

* AT 656 PM EDT...WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED VERY 
  HEAVY RAIN COVERING EASTERN MECKLENBURG COUNTY...AND MOST OF UNION 
  COUNTY. TRENDS SUGGEST MODERATE TO HEAVY RAIN SHOULD LINGER FOR 
  MOST OF THE EVENING. AS MUCH AS 2 INCHES OF RAIN HAS FALLEN SO FAR
  THIS EVENING...AND AN ADDITIONAL INCH OR TWO OF RAIN COULD FALL FROM
  CHARLOTTE...TO PINEVILLE...MATTHEWS...WEDDINGTON...WAXHAW AND      
  MONROE.

* ADDITIONAL HEAVY RAIN WILL RESULT IN SIGNIFICANT RISES ON          
  STREAMS...CREEKS AND RIVERS IN THE REGION. ESPECIALLY SUSCEPTIBLE
  TO FLOODING ARE THE CROOKED CREEK AND LITTLE SUGAR CREEK BASINS IN 
  MECKLENBURG COUNTY...AND THE CROOKED CREEK AND DAVIS MINE CREEK
  BASINS IN UNION COUNTY. URBAN FLOODING...AND FLOODING OF LOW LYING
  AREAS CAN ALSO BE ANTICIPATED.

A FLASH FLOOD WARNING MEANS THAT FLOODING IS IMMINENT OR OCCURRING. 
IF YOU ARE IN THE WARNING AREA MOVE TO HIGHER GROUND IMMEDIATELY. 
RESIDENTS LIVING ALONG STREAMS AND CREEKS SHOULD TAKE IMMEDIATE 
PRECAUTIONS TO PROTECT LIFE AND PROPERTY. DO NOT ATTEMPT TO CROSS 
SWIFTLY FLOWING WATERS OR WATERS OF UNKNOWN DEPTH BY FOOT OR BY 
AUTOMOBILE. EVEN MODERN SPORT UTILITY VEHICLES CANNOT BE SAFELY 
DRIVEN 

$$
2 follow-up statements
000 
WGUS72 KGSP 112351
FFSGSP
NCC119-120000-

FLASH FLOOD STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
750 PM EDT FRI JUL 11 2003

...THE FLASH FLOOD WARNING WHICH WAS IN EFFECT UNTIL 1000 PM EDT FOR 
SOUTHERN MECKLENBURG COUNTY HAS BEEN CANCELLED...

RADAR SHOWS ONLY SCATTERED LIGHT RAIN SHOWERS ACROSS THE MECKLENBURG 
COUNTY PORTION OF THE FLASH FLOOD WARNING. NO FLOODING HAD BEEN 
REPORTED TO COUNTY OFFICIALS OR THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE. ANY 
ADDITIONAL RAINFALL THIS EVENING IS NOT ANTICIPATED TO RESULT IN 
FLASH FLOODING. THEREFORE...THE FLASH FLOOD WARNING FOR MECKLENBURG 
COUNTY HAS BEEN CANCELLED.

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.

$$
BURRUS
000 
WGUS72 KGSP 112356
FFSGSP
NCC179-120200-

FLASH FLOOD STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
753 PM EDT FRI JUL 11 2003

...A FLASH FLOOD WARNING CONTINUES UNTIL 1000 PM EDT FOR UNION
COUNTY...

AT 755 PM...WEATHER RADAR SHOWED SCATTERED LIGHT RAIN SHOWERS OVER 
UNION COUNTY. RAINFALL EARLIER THIS EVENING RESULTED IN A FEW CREEKS 
COMING OUT OF THEIR BANKS...AND SOME URBAN FLOODING. MANY ROADS WERE 
CLOSED BECAUSE OF HIGH WATER IN THE VICINITY OF INDIAN 
TRAIL...UNIONVILLE AND STALLINGS. SOME PEOPLE WERE STRANDED IN CARS 
IN SOME OF THE FLOODING AREAS...AND WERE BEING PICKED UP BY COUNTY 
OFFICIALS. ADDITIONAL RAINFALL THROUGH 10 PM MAY ONLY BE LIGHT IN 
INTENSITY...BUT COULD DELAY RECESSION OF WATER LEVELS.

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.

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.

$$
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 Jul 11, 1:50 PM EDT, 5 hours 8 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jul 11, 1:50 PM EDT, 5 hours 8 minutes before
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
150 PM EDT FRI JUL 11 2003

WILL UPDATE TO INCLUDE NEW SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH FOR UPSTATE SC
AND NE GA THROUGH 8 PM EDT.

FCSTID =   33

.GSP...
GA...NONE.
NC...NONE.
SC...NONE.

HG
Hazardous weather outlook, Jul 11, 5:11 AM EDT, 13 hours 47 minutes before
GAZ010-017-018-026-028-029-NCZ033>037-048>059-062>072-082-SCZ001>014-
019-111100-

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
511 AM EDT FRI JUL 11 2003

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

.DAY ONE...TODAY

A COLD FRONT WILL APPROACH THE REGION TODAY...BRINGING SCATTERED
SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS TO THE AREA. A FEW OF THE STORMS COULD
PRODUCE SEVERE WEATHER...ESPECIALLY IN THE PIEDMONT AND FOOTHILLS.
PLEASE SEE THE SEVERE WEATHER OUTLOOK...CAESPSGSP...FOR MORE
INFORMATION.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...

SCATTERED...MAINLY AFTERNOON AND EVENING THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE
POSSIBLE DURING MUCH OF THE NEXT 7 DAYS.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE REQUIRED THIS AFTERNOON.

LANE

In the hours before

Local storm report, Jul 11, 4:22 PM EDT, 2 hours 36 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT...CORRECTED
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE SPARTANBURG SC
422 PM EDT FRI JUL 11 2003

TIME(EDT)  .....CITY LOCATION..... STATE  ...EVENT/REMARKS...
           ....COUNTY LOCATION....

420 PM     BLACKSBURG                SC   .75 INCH HAIL
07/11/03   CHEROKEE                       MARBLE SIZED HAIL COVERED
                                          THE GROUND LIKE SNOW.

420 PM     2 NE BLACKSBURG           SC   WIND DAMAGE
07/11/03   CHEROKEE                       LARGE TREE BLOCKING EAST
                                          CHEROKEE ST BETWEEN
                                          BLACKSBURG AND GROVER.
                                          OTHER TREES DOWN IN
                                          BLACKSBURG. REPORTED BY
                                          COUNTY COMMS CENTER.

MCAVOY
Special weather statement, Jul 11, 4:55 PM EDT, 2 hours 3 minutes before
NCZ071-072-082-SCZ009-112210-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
455 PM EDT FRI JUL 11 2003

...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS TO AFFECT THE CHARLOTTE METRO AREA
BETWEEN 5 AND 6 PM...

AT 450 PM...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RADAR INDICATED A LINE OF
STRONG THUNDERSTORMS FROM SOUTHERN LAKE NORMAN IN NORTHERN
MECKLENBURG COUNTY...SOUTHWEST TO BELTON. THESE STORMS WERE
MOVING EAST AT 35 MPH. THESE STORMS WILL AFFECT AREAS FROM CONCORD
TO CHARLOTTE TO PINEVILLE BETWEEN 5 AND 6 PM.

NEARLY CONTINUOUS CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING...40 TO 50 MPH WINDS...
TORRENTIAL RAIN AND PEA SIZED HAIL WILL ACCOMPANY THE LINE. SECURE
OUTDOOR OBJECTS...AND PREPARE FOR THE VISIBILITY TO FALL TO NEAR
ZERO IN THE HEAVY RAIN AND WIND. IN EXCESS OF AN INCH OF RAIN WILL
FALL WITH THE LINE IN ABOUT 30 MINUTES.

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WILL WATCH THIS LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS
VERY CLOSELY IN CASE ANY WARNINGS BECOME NECESSARY.

MCAVOY
Local storm report, Jul 11, 5:13 PM EDT, 1 hour 45 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE SPARTANBURG SC
513 PM EDT FRI JUL 11 2003

TIME(EDT)  .....CITY LOCATION..... STATE  ...EVENT/REMARKS...
           ....COUNTY LOCATION....

505 PM     HUNTERSVILLE              NC   WIND DAMAGE
07/11/03   MECKLENBURG                    TREES AND POWER LINES
                                          DOWN IN HUNTERSVILLE.
                                          COUNTY 911 REPORT.

BURRUS
Local storm report, Jul 11, 5:37 PM EDT, 1 hour 21 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE SPARTANBURG SC
537 PM EDT FRI JUL 11 2003

TIME(EDT)  .....CITY LOCATION..... STATE  ...EVENT/REMARKS...
           ....COUNTY LOCATION....

510 PM     CONCORD                   NC   WIND DAMAGE
07/11/03   CABARRUS                       TREES AND POWER LINES
                                          DOWN IN CONCORD...AS WELL
                                          AS ACROSS THE REST OF THE
                                          COUNTY. POWER OUT TO MOST
                                          OF CONCORD. REPORTED BY
                                          COUNTY COMMS CENTER.

MCAVOY
Local storm report, Jul 11, 5:42 PM EDT, 1 hour 16 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE SPARTANBURG SC
542 PM EDT FRI JUL 11 2003

TIME(EDT)  .....CITY LOCATION..... STATE  ...EVENT/REMARKS...
           ....COUNTY LOCATION....

515 PM     2 S CHARLOTTE             NC   FLASH FLOOD
07/11/03   MECKLENBURG                    HAM SPOTTER REPORTED
                                          BRIDGE FLOODED AT NATIONS
                                          FORD AND I-77.

530 PM     KANNAPOLIS                NC   WIND DAMAGE
07/11/03   ROWAN                          TREE FELL ON MOBILE HOME
                                          ON BRANTLEY RD. ODELL
                                          F.D. ON SCENE. REPORTED
                                          BY HAM SPOTTER.

517 PM     ROCKWELL                  NC   WIND DAMAGE
07/11/03   ROWAN                          ROWAN EOC REPORTED TREES
                                          DOWN IN ROCKWELL...10 S
                                          OF SALISBURY.

528 PM     GRANITE QUARRY            NC   WIND DAMAGE
07/11/03   ROWAN                          ROWAN EOC REPORTED TREES
                                          DOWN IN GRANITE
                                          QUARRY...5 S OF
                                          SALISBURY.

LAMB
Local storm report, Jul 11, 6:30 PM EDT, 28 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE SPARTANBURG SC
630 PM EDT FRI JUL 11 2003

TIME(EDT)  .....CITY LOCATION..... STATE  ...EVENT/REMARKS...
           ....COUNTY LOCATION....

527 PM     11 E CHARLOTTE            NC   WIND DAMAGE
07/11/03   MECKLENBURG                    TREES DOWN IN MINT HILL.
                                          REPORT FROM COUNTY 911
                                          CENTER.

BURRUS

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Jul 11, 4:57 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningGSPCabarrus, Mecklenburg63 min
Jul 11, 5:15 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningGSPRowan45 min

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.