Alert archive / North Carolina / Flash Flood Warnings in 2003
Flash Flood Warning 68, NWS Greenville-Spartanburg, SC
NWS Greenville-Spartanburg, SC issued this flash flood warning at Jul 12, 2003, 10:27 PM EDT for Rutherford 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 12, 2003, 10:27 PM EDT (02:27 UTC)
- Expired
- Jul 13, 2003, 1:15 AM EDT
- In force
- 3 hr
- Issued by
- NWS Greenville-Spartanburg, SC
- Area
- Whole counties
County Rutherford County, NC
The radar
The Greer radar (KGSP), 64 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 02:27 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, 2.5 hours before the alert went out and 197 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
- 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
The text
As transmitted, in the capitals the NWS used until 2016.
000 WGUS52 KGSP 130230 FFWGSP NCC161-130515- BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED FLASH FLOOD WARNING NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC 1027 PM EDT SAT JUL 12 2003 THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG HAS ISSUED A * FLASH FLOOD WARNING FOR... NORTHERN RUTHERFORD COUNTY IN WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA * UNTIL 115 AM EDT * AT 1012 PM EDT...WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED VERY HEAVY RAIN FALLING ACROSS NORTHERN RUTHERFORD COUNTY. RADAR ESTIMATED THAT AROUND THREE INCHES OF RAIN HAD FALLEN ALONG MUCH OF THE RUTHERFORD...MCDOWELL COUNTY LINE AND NUMEROUS STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WERE POISED UPSTREAM OF THE COUNTY. TORRENTIAL RAIN IS EXPECTED TO CONTINUE OVER THE NORTHERN PART OF THE COUNTY FOR THE NEXT FEW HOURS WITH SEVERAL INCHES OF ADDITIONAL RAINFALL POSSIBLE. * THE STONEY CREEK BASIN NEAR UNION MILLS HAS SEEN THE MOST RAINFALL SO FAR TONIGHT...THOUGH STREAMS COULD QUICKLY BEGIN TO FLOOD JUST ABOUT ANYWHERE ACROSS THE NORTHERN PART OF THE COUNTY. 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. $$ MCAVOY
2 follow-up statements
000 WGUS72 KGSP 130417 FFSGSP NCC161-130515- FLASH FLOOD STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC 1217 AM EDT SUN JUL 13 2003 ...A FLASH FLOOD WARNING CONTINUES UNTIL 115 AM EDT FOR NORTHERN RUTHERFORD COUNTY... AT 1215 AM...WEATHER RADAR SHOWED PRECIPITATION HAD ENDED ACROSS THE WARNING AREA...BUT SCATTERED STORMS WERE DEVELOPING UPSTREAM IN THE NORTHERN MOUNTAINS. THESE STORMS COULD WORK THEIR WAY INTO THE WARNING AREA LATER...AND DELAY THE ABILITY OF HIGH WATER TO RECEDE. IN ADDITION...STORMS WERE DEVELOPING TO THE SOUTH...NEAR FOREST CITY AND THE UPSTATE OF SOUTH CAROLINA. THESE STORMS...THE ONES TO THE SOUTH OF THE WARNING AREA...WERE MOVING NORTHEAST. NUMEROUS STREAMS AND CREEKS HAD COME OUT OF THEIR BANKS AND WERE FLOODING ROADS. GIRL SCOUT ROAD WAS COMPLETELY FLOODED BY HIGH WATER. IN ADDITION...WATER BLOCKED 12 FEET OF HIGHWAY 226. DO NOT BECOME A FATALITY DO NOT CROSS FLOODED ROADS...THE ROAD COULD BE WASHED OUT FROM THE FLOW OF THE WATER...AND YOUR CAR COULD BE SWEPT AWAY BY THE SWIFTLY MOVING WATER. $$ BURRUS
000 WGUS72 KGSP 130423 AAA FFSGSP NCC161-130515- FLASH FLOOD STATEMENT...UPDATED TO INCLDE ADDITIONAL INFORMATION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC 1217 AM EDT SUN JUL 13 2003 ...A FLASH FLOOD WARNING CONTINUES UNTIL 115 AM EDT FOR NORTHERN RUTHERFORD COUNTY... AT 1215 AM...WEATHER RADAR SHOWED PRECIPITATION HAD ENDED ACROSS THE WARNING AREA...BUT SCATTERED STORMS WERE DEVELOPING UPSTREAM IN THE NORTHERN MOUNTAINS. THESE STORMS COULD WORK THEIR WAY INTO THE WARNING AREA LATER...AND DELAY THE ABILITY OF HIGH WATER TO RECEDE. IN ADDITION...STORMS WERE DEVELOPING TO THE SOUTH...NEAR FOREST CITY AND THE UPSTATE OF SOUTH CAROLINA. THESE STORMS...THE ONES TO THE SOUTH OF THE WARNING AREA...WERE MOVING NORTHEAST. NUMEROUS STREAMS AND CREEKS HAD COME OUT OF THEIR BANKS AND WERE FLOODING ROADS. GIRL SCOUT CAMP ROAD WAS COMPLETELY FLOODED BY HIGH WATER. IN ADDITION...WATER BLOCKED 12 FEET OF HIGHWAY 226. NORTH FORK ROAD WAS BLOCKED BY A MUDSLIDE. 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, 8 hours 6 minutes earlier.
Area forecast discussion, Jul 12, 2:21 PM EDT, 8 hours 6 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, 17 hours 7 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, 8:47 PM EDT, 1 hour 40 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.
MCAVOYLocal storm report, Jul 12, 9:46 PM EDT, 41 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE SPARTANBURG SC
946 PM EDT SAT JUL 12 2003
TIME(EDT) .....CITY LOCATION..... STATE ...EVENT/REMARKS...
....COUNTY LOCATION....
942 PM DALLAS NC .75 INCH HAIL
07/12/03 GASTON PUBLIC REPORT.
LAMBLocal storm report, Jul 12, 9:50 PM EDT, 37 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE SPARTANBURG SC
950 PM EDT SAT JUL 12 2003
TIME(EDT) .....CITY LOCATION..... STATE ...EVENT/REMARKS...
....COUNTY LOCATION....
800 PM POLKVILLE NC .75 INCH HAIL
07/12/03 CLEVELAND SPOTTER REPORTED DIME
SIZE HAIL...TREE LIMBS
DOWN...AND POSSIBLE WALL
CLOUD.
LAMBLocal storm report, Jul 12, 10:07 PM EDT, 20 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE SPARTANBURG SC
1007 PM EDT SAT JUL 12 2003
TIME(EDT) .....CITY LOCATION..... STATE ...EVENT/REMARKS...
....COUNTY LOCATION....
950 PM GASTONIA NC WIND DAMAGE
07/12/03 GASTON HAM REPORTED 8 INCH TREE
DOWNED BY WIND.
1004 PM 3 SE OLD FORT NC FLASH FLOOD
07/12/03 MCDOWELL COUNTY EOC REPORTED TWO
ADDITIONAL CREEKS OUT OF
THEIR BANKS. DAVISTOWN
CHURCH RD AND BRIDGE RD
FLOODED.
LAMBLocal storm report, Jul 12, 10:10 PM EDT, 17 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE SPARTANBURG SC
1010 PM EDT SAT JUL 12 2003
TIME(EDT) .....CITY LOCATION..... STATE ...EVENT/REMARKS...
....COUNTY LOCATION....
925 PM 3 NW BESSEMER CITY NC WIND DAMAGE
07/12/03 GASTON FD REPORTED OUT BLDG
BLOWN OFF FOUNDATION.
TREES DOWN SELLERS RD 9NW
OF BESSEMER AND OLD MILL
RD EAST OF BESSEMER.
TJBLocal storm report, Jul 12, 10:14 PM EDT, 13 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE SPARTANBURG SC
1014 PM EDT SAT JUL 12 2003
TIME(EDT) .....CITY LOCATION..... STATE ...EVENT/REMARKS...
....COUNTY LOCATION....
1010 PM MT HOLLY NC .88 INCH HAIL
07/12/03 GASTON HAM REPORTED DIME SIZE
HAIL AND POWER OUT IN MT
HOLLY. ALSO POWER OUT AT
SPENCER MTN AND NWS
WEATHER RADIO FOR CLT
AREA.
TJBThe 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, 9:43 PM EDT | Flash Flood Warning | GSP | McDowell | 2 hr |
| 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, 10:57 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, 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.