Alert archive / North Carolina / Flash Flood Warnings in 2003

Flash Flood Warning 67, NWS Greenville-Spartanburg, SC

July 12, 2003McDowell County, North Carolina

NWS Greenville-Spartanburg, SC issued this flash flood warning at Jul 12, 2003, 9:43 PM EDT for McDowell County, North Carolina. It was in force for 2 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 12, 2003, 9:43 PM EDT (01:43 UTC)
Expired: Jul 12, 2003, 11:45 PM EDT
In force: 2 hr
Issued by: NWS Greenville-Spartanburg, SC
Area: Whole counties

County McDowell County, NC

The radar

The Greer radar (KGSP), 90 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 01:42 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, 1.7 hours before the alert went out and 199 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-p

Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed.

Hodograph

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: 293 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN: -7 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL: 1730 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear: 33 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity: 23 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity: 54 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 130143
FFWGSP
NCC111-130345-

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
FLASH FLOOD WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
943 PM EDT SAT JUL 12 2003

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG HAS ISSUED A

* FLASH FLOOD WARNING FOR...
  SOUTHERN MCDOWELL COUNTY IN WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA

* UNTIL 1145 PM EDT

* AT 940 PM EDT...WEATHER RADAR SHOWED A BAND OF SHOWERS AND 
THUNDERSTORMS OVER SOUTHERN MCDOWELL COUNTY...BETWEEN MARION AND THE 
BORDER WITH RUTHERFORD COUNTY. THE HEAVIEST RAIN HAS BEEN IN THE 
VICINITY OF SUGAR HILL...AND THE MONTFORD COVE. THE RAIN WILL LINGER 
THROUGH LATE THIS EVENING.

STREAMS AND CREEKS WERE RISING RAPIDLY IN THIS PART OF MCDOWELL 
COUNTY. FLOODING HAD BEEN OBSERVED IN THE SUGAR HILL HEIGHTS
AREA...ALTHOUGH IT WAS UNCLEAR WHETHER A CREEK WAS CAUSING THIS OR 
WATER HAD PONDED. OTHER AREAS OF FLOODING ARE LIKELY DURING THE TIME 
OF THIS WARNING.

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 

$$
44

1 follow-up statement

000 
WGUS72 KGSP 130252
FFSGSP
NCC111-130345-

FLASH FLOOD STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
1052 PM EDT SAT JUL 12 2003

...FLASH FLOOD WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 1145 PM FOR SOUTHERN 
MCDOWELL COUNTY...

AT 1045 PM...WEATHER RADAR SHOWED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS 
CONTINUED TO REDEVELOP AND MOVE OVER THE SAME AREAS OF SOUTHERN 
MCDOWELL COUNTY. THUS FAR...RAINFALL AMOUNTS OF 4 TO 6 INCHES HAVE 
COVERED MOST OF SOUTHERN MCDOWELL COUNTY SOUTH OF A LINE FROM OLD 
FORT TO GLENWOOD. THE HEAVIEST RAIN HAS FALLEN IN THE FERO...SUGAR 
HILL AND DAVISTOWN AREAS.

FLOODING CONTINUED IN THE SUGAR HILL AREA...AND IS LIKELY ALONG 
BRIDGE BRANCH...MORGAN CREEK...BRADLEY CREEK AND CROOKED CREEK. 
AVOID TRAVEL THROUGH SOUTHERN MCDOWELL COUNTY OVERNIGHT IF AT ALL 
POSSIBLE.

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 12, 2:21 PM EDT, 7 hours 22 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jul 12, 2:21 PM EDT, 7 hours 22 minutes before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
221 PM EDT SAT JUL 12 2003

UPPER LEVEL TROUGH TO PERSIST. SURFACE FRONT E OF AREA TO WASH
OUT...WHILE ANOTHER WEAK FRONT MOVES INTO AREA TONIGHT...STALLING
JUST TO S ON SUN. AREA CAPPED UNTIL THIS EVENING...WHEN CAPES OF
200-300 PROGGED BY MODEL SOUNDINGS AS MID LEVELS COOL. SUNDAY
AFTERNOON TO HAVE A BIT MORE INSTABILITY...AND FRONTAL MOISTURE.
MON/TUE NEARLY A REPEAT OF SUN. GULF NOT OPEN...SO ACTIVITY JUST
EXPECTED TO BE SCATTERED. NOT MUCH COOLING BEHIND THESE BOUNDARIES
...WITH MOISTURE/CLOUDS REMAINING...AND COOLEST AIR WELL TO N.

WEAK S FLOW TO DOMINATE WED/THU AS SLOW MOVING FRONT ADVANCES FROM
NW. FRONT TO STALL OVER AERA FRI...WITH LIMITED MOISTURE...THEN TO
WASH OUT SAT. CHANCE POPS CONTINUE...PRIMARILY AFTERNOON/EVENING...
WITH TEMPERATURES AROUND OR JUST BELOW NORMAL.

FCSTID =    7
GSP   67  86  67  87 /  30  40  40  30
AND   68  86  68  87 /  30  40  40  30
CLT   67  87  67  87 /  30  40  40  30
HKY   65  84  66  84 /  30  40  40  30
AVL   60  81  62  81 /  30  40  40  30

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

O7

Hazardous weather outlook, Jul 12, 5:20 AM EDT, 16 hours 23 minutes before

GAZ010-017-018-026-028-029-NCZ033>037-048>059-062>072-082-SCZ001>014-
019-121130-

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
520 AM EDT SAT JUL 12 2003

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

.DAY ONE...TODAY

SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED TO DEVELOP AND ORGANIZE
ACROSS THE TENNESSEE VALLEY THIS AFTERNOON. THE STORMS MAY MOVE INTO
THE NORTH CAROLINA MOUNTAINS LATE THIS AFTERNOON OR EARLY THIS
EVENING...AND THEN MOVE ACROSS THE REMAINDER OF WESTERN NORTH
CAROLINA...AS WELL AS NORTHEAST GEORGIA AND UPSTATE SOUTH CAROLINA
LATER IN THE EVENING AND OVERNIGHT. A FEW OF THE STORMS COULD PRODUCE
DAMAGING STRAIGHT LINE WINDS AND PERHAPS LARGE HAIL...ESPECIALLY
DURING THE EARLY TO MID EVENING IN AREAS WEST OF I-26 IN GEORGIA AND
SOUTH CAROLINA...AND WEST OF THE BLUE RIDGE IN NORTH CAROLINA.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...

SCATTERD...MAINLY AFTERNOON AND EVENING SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS
WILL BE POSSIBLE MOST DAYS.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE REQUIRED THIS EVENING.

LANE

In the hours before

Local storm report, Jul 12, 8:12 PM EDT, 1 hour 31 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE SPARTANBURG SC
812 PM EDT SAT JUL 12 2003

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

738 PM     COLLETTSVILLE             NC   WIND DAMAGE
07/12/03   CALDWELL                       TREES DOWN. REPORTED BY
                                          COUNTY COMMS CENTER.

MCAVOY

Local storm report, Jul 12, 8:18 PM EDT, 1 hour 25 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE SPARTANBURG SC
631 PM EDT SAT JUL 12 2003

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

600 PM     2 E WEAVERVILLE           NC   LIGHTNING
07/12/03   BUNCOMBE                       ***INJURED 1, DEAD 0***
                                          COUNTY EOC REPORTED ONE
                                          MAN HOSPITALIZED AND SERIOUSLY
                                          INJURED WHILE STANDING UNDER                                         STANDING UPDER A TREE IN REEMS
                                          A TREE IN REEMS CREEK.

CORRECTED DETAILS ON INJURY.

Local storm report, Jul 12, 8:31 PM EDT, 1 hour 12 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE SPARTANBURG SC
831 PM EDT SAT JUL 12 2003

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

824 PM     7 NW SHELBY               NC   WIND DAMAGE
07/12/03   CLEVELAND                      SPOTTER REPORTED TREES
                                          BLOWING DOWN AND DEBRIS
                                          IN THE AIR ON HIGHWAY 226
                                          BETWEEN SHELBY AND
                                          POLKVILLE.

TJB

Special weather statement, Jul 12, 8:42 PM EDT, 1 hour 1 minute before

NCZ068>072-082-SCZ008-009-013-014-130200-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
842 PM EDT SAT JUL 12 2003

...STRONG TO SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS TO AFFECT THE NORTH CAROLINA
PIEDMONT AND THE NORTHERN PART OF THE UPSTATE THROUGH LATE
EVENING...

AT 838 PM...WEATHER SERVICE RADAR INDICATED AN AREA OF STRONG TO
SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS OVER THE SOUTHERN FOOTHILLS AND WESTERN
PIEDMONT OF NORTH CAROLINA. THIS AREA OF THUNDERSTORMS WILL MOVE EAST
AT AROUND 30 MPH...AND AFFECT AREAS FROM SHELBY TO GASTONIA AND
LINCOLNTON THROUGH 930 PM. IF THESE STORMS HOLD TOGETHER...THEY WILL
MOVE INTO THE CHARLOTTE AND ROCK HILL AREAS BETWEEN 930 PM AND 1030
PM EDT.

THE STRONGEST OF THESE STORMS WILL PRODUCE DAMAGING WINDS AND LARGE
HAIL. RAINFALL AMOUNTS OF 2 INCHES AND HOUR AND NEARLY CONTINUOUS
LIGHTNING WILL ALSO ACCOMPANY THE STORMS.

STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO...LOCAL RADIO AND TELEVISION OR
CABLE TELEVISION FOR THE LATEST WEATHER INFORMATION.

MCAVOY

Local storm report, Jul 12, 8:44 PM EDT, 59 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE SPARTANBURG SC
844 PM EDT SAT JUL 12 2003

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

823 PM     12 N SHELBY               NC   .75 INCH HAIL
07/12/03   CLEVELAND                      DIME SIZE HAIL NEAR
                                          POLKSVILLE.

TJB

Local storm report, Jul 12, 8:47 PM EDT, 56 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE SPARTANBURG SC
847 PM EDT SAT JUL 12 2003

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

842 PM     SUNSHINE                  NC   WIND DAMAGE
07/12/03   RUTHERFORD                     TREES DOWN. REPORTED BY
                                          COUNTY COMMS CENTER.

MCAVOY

The office that day

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

Issued	Product	Office	Counties	Lasted
Jul 12, 8:30 PM EDT	Tornado Warning	GSP	Cleveland	45 min
Jul 12, 8:36 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	GSP	Rutherford	39 min
Jul 12, 8:48 PM EDT	Tornado Warning	GSP	Gaston	42 min
Jul 12, 9:44 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	GSP	Gaston	46 min
Jul 12, 9:55 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	GSP	McDowell, Rutherford	65 min
Jul 12, 10:02 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	GSP	Mecklenburg	58 min
Jul 12, 10:16 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	GSP	Lincoln	59 min
Jul 12, 10:27 PM EDT	Flash Flood Warning	GSP	Rutherford	3 hr
Jul 12, 10:57 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	GSP	Cleveland	48 min
Jul 12, 11:00 PM EDT	Flash Flood Warning	GSP	Cleveland, Lincoln	3 hr
Jul 12, 11:05 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	GSP	Gaston	40 min
Jul 12, 11:35 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	GSP	Mecklenburg	40 min
Jul 13, 12:01 AM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	GSP	Burke	44 min
Jul 13, 1:35 AM EDT	Flash Flood Warning	GSP	Union	3 hr
Jul 13, 1:46 PM EDT	Flash Flood Warning	GSP	Union	3 hr
Jul 13, 3:43 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	GSP	Burke, Caldwell	47 min
Jul 13, 4:44 PM EDT	Flash Flood Warning	GSP	Union	3 hr
Jul 13, 5:14 PM EDT	Flash Flood Warning	GSP	Burke	3 hr
Jul 13, 5:19 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	GSP	Mecklenburg, Union	56 min
Jul 13, 5:28 PM EDT	Flash Flood Warning	GSP	Buncombe	3 hr
Jul 13, 7:57 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	GSP	Graham	48 min

Nearby

Flash Flood Warnings in North Carolina, 2003 Every 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.