Alert archive / South Carolina / Flash Flood Warnings in 2003

Flash Flood Warning 75, NWS Greenville-Spartanburg, SC

July 13, 2003Cherokee County, South Carolina

NWS Greenville-Spartanburg, SC issued this flash flood warning at Jul 13, 2003, 8:06 PM EDT for Cherokee County, South Carolina. It was in force for 114 min. 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 13, 2003, 8:06 PM EDT (00:06 UTC)
Expired
Jul 13, 2003, 10:00 PM EDT
In force
114 min
Issued by
NWS Greenville-Spartanburg, SC
Area
Whole counties

County Cherokee County, SC

The radar

The Greer radar (KGSP), 58 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 00:10 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, 0.1 hours before the alert went out and 193 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 00:00Z on 2003-07-14Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 16 joules per kilogram.LCLLFCEL10008507005003002001001 km2 km3 km6 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 00:00Z on 2003-07-14The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 141 square meters per square second.1939Sfc1 km3 km6 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
16 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-132 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
1291 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
40 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
141 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
227 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
0.1

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

000 
WGUS52 KGSP 140009
FFWGSP
SCC021-140200-

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
FLASH FLOOD WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
806 PM EDT SUN JUL 13 2003

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG HAS ISSUED A

* FLASH FLOOD WARNING FOR...
  CHEROKEE COUNTY IN UPSTATE SOUTH CAROLINA

* UNTIL 1000 PM EDT

* AT 804 PM EDT...WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED VERY       
  HEAVY RAIN OVER CENTRAL AND EASTERN CHEROKEE COUNTY. BRUGG STREET  
  IN BLACKSBURG HAD BEEN CLOSED BECAUSE OF FLOODING OF RIVER ROAD IN 
  CHEROKEE FALLS IS LIKELY AS THE HEAVY RAIN WORKS DOWNSTREAM. ADDITIONAL
  STREAMS AND CREEKS WILL EXPERIENCE SIGNIFICANT RISES THROUGH 10 PM
  AND A FEW MAY COME OUT OF THEIR BANKS AND FLOOD ROADS.

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.

TO REPORT FLOODING HAVE THE NEAREST LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCY RELAY YOUR
REPORT TO THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FORECAST OFFICE IN
GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG.

$$

BURRUS
2 follow-up statements
000 
WGUS72 KGSP 140056
FFSGSP
SCC021-140200-

FLASH FLOOD STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
855 PM EDT SUN JUL 13 2003

...A FLASH FLOOD WARNING CONTINUES UNTIL 10 PM EDT FOR CHEROKEE 
COUNTY...

AT 850 PM...WEATHER RADAR SHOWED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS GRADUALLY 
WEAKENING AND PULLING TO THE SOUTHEAST. SIGNIFICANT URBAN FLOODING 
APPEARS ONGOING BETWEEN GAFFNEY AND BLACKSBURG...WITH WATER FROM THE 
BROAD RIVER COVERING LITTLE HOPE AND RIVER ROADS. ANOTHER ROUND OF 
SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE PULLING INTO CHEROKEE COUNTY LATER 
THIS EVENING.

A COMBINATION OF URBAN FLOODING AND CREEK FLOODING WAS ADVERSELY 
IMPACTING TRAVEL ON SEVERAL ROADS BETWEEN GAFFNEY AND 
BLACKSBURG...INCLUDING FOSTER LAKE ROAD...DOGWOOD DRIVE AND RIVER 
DRIVE. ADDITIONAL FLOODING OF LOW LYING AREAS ALONG THE BROAD RIVER 
APPEARS LIKELY AS WATER FROM UPSTREAM FUNNELS THROUGH THE RIVER 
BASIN.

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 140202
FFSGSP
SCC021-140300-

FLASH FLOOD STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
1000 PM EDT SUN JUL 13 2003

...THE FLASH FLOOD WARNING WHICH WAS IN EFFECT FOR CHEROKEE COUNTY
HAS EXPIRED AS OF 1000 PM EDT...

AT 10 PM...WEATHER RADAR INDICATED NO RAIN LEFT IN CHEROKEE COUNTY. 
A BAND OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE MOVING INTO CHEROKEE 
COUNTY AROUND MIDNIGHT...WHICH COULD RESULT IN RISES ONCE AGAIN ON 
AREA STREAMS AND CREEKS...AND CREATE PONDING OF WATER ON ROADS AND 
IN POOR DRAINAGE AREAS.

AN OBSERVER AT GAFFNEY REPORTED 4.4 INCHES OF RAIN. A FEW ROADS 
BETWEEN GAFFNEY AND BLACKSBURG WERE FLOODED OUT EARLIER BUT COUNTY 
OFFICIALS REPORT NOW THAT STANDING WATER WAS CONFINED TO LOW SPOTS 
NEAR THE BROAD RIVER.

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 13, 3:31 PM EDT, 4 hours 35 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jul 13, 3:31 PM EDT, 4 hours 35 minutes before
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
331 PM EDT SUN JUL 13 2003

FOR THE SHORT TERM...MULTICELLULAR CLUSTERS OF THUNDERSTORMS WILL
CONTINUE TO DEVELOP AND MOVE EAST ACROSS THE WESTERN CAROLINAS WELL
INTO THE EVENING HOURS. EXPECT A FEW MORE SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS GIVEN
A FAVORABLE ENVIRONMENT OF COOL TROF AT MID LEVELS AND LOW LEVEL
CONVERGENCE ALONG AND SOUTH OF SURFACE BOUNDARY CUTTING EAST TO WEST
ACROSS THE FORECAST AREA. THE CONVECTION MAY PERSIST THROUGH THE
OVERNIGHT HOURS AS IT SHIFTS OFF TO THE EAST AS THE SYNOPTIC
ENVIRONMENT SHOULD CONTINUE TO SUPPORT IT...WITH SHORT WAVE ROTATING
AROUND BOTTOM OF UPPER TROF AND UPPER DIVERGENCE IN RIGHT ENTRANCE
REGION OF UPPER JET.

ON MONDAY...THE BEST FORCING SHIFTS OFF TO THE EAST...PUTTING THE
PIEDMONT IN THE GRADIENT OF PRECIP PROBABILITY WITH CHANCE ACROSS
THE MOUNTAINS AND FOOTHILLS AND LIKELY TO OUR EAST. THE FORCING
SHOULD DIMINISH LATE IN THE DAY AS ENERGY PULLS OUT OF THE UPPER
TROF. AS A RESULT...CONVECTION SHOULD ALSO BE MORE DIURNAL IN
NATURE. TUESDAY AND WEDNESDAY SHOULD ALSO FEATURE TYPICAL DIURNAL
CONVECTION. HAVE STAYED RELATIVELY CLOSE TO TEMP GUIDANCE
THROUGHOUT.

FOR THE MEDIUM RANGE...HAVE FOLLOWED HPC SCENARIO AND GUIDANCE
FAIRLY CLOSELY...WHICH FAVORS THE ENSEMBLE GFS/ECMWF. THIS SCENARIO
KEEPS PRECIP PROBABILITY AND TEMPS CLOSE TO CLIMATOLOGY. SEE LITTLE
REASON TO CHANGE MUCH OF WHAT WE HAVE IN THE ONGOING FORECAST...WITH
THE EXCEPTION OF HIGH TEMPS ON SATURDAY...WHICH WILL BE RAISED A FEW
DEGREES TO COME INTO LINE WITH ENSEMBLE MOS GUIDANCE UNDER THE
ASSUMPTION THAT ANY FRONT THAT MIGHT MOVE THROUGH WILL BE WEAK.

FCSTID =   10
GSP   67  86  68  88 /  60  40  40  30
AND   68  86  69  88 /  60  40  40  30
CLT   67  85  68  88 /  60  50  50  40
HKY   66  84  67  87 /  60  40  40  30
AVL   63  82  63  84 /  60  40  30  30

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

MOORE
Hazardous weather outlook, Jul 13, 4:50 AM EDT, 15 hours 16 minutes before
GAZ010-017-018-026-028-029-NCZ033>037-048>059-062>072-082-SCZ001>014-
019-131100-

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
450 AM EDT SUN JUL 13 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 FORECAST AREA IN RESPONSE TO AN UPPER LEVEL TROF MOVING
EAST TOWARD THE SOUTHEAST U.S.. SOME OF THESE STORMS COULD PRODUCE
DAMAGING STRAIGHT LINE WINDS AND LARGE HAIL.

.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.

RB

In the hours before

Local storm report, Jul 13, 6:27 PM EDT, 1 hour 39 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE SPARTANBURG SC
627 PM EDT SUN JUL 13 2003

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

552 PM     HICKORY TAVERN            SC   WIND DAMAGE
07/13/03   LAURENS                        LAURENS 911 REPORTED
                                          TREES DOWN HWY 56 AND
                                          GREEN PLAINS ROAD IN
                                          HICKORY TAVERN.

TJB
Local storm report, Jul 13, 6:59 PM EDT, 1 hour 7 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE SPARTANBURG SC
659 PM EDT SUN JUL 13 2003

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

515 PM     CARNESVILLE               GA   WIND DAMAGE
07/13/03   FRANKLIN                       EOC REPORTED 2 TREES
                                          BLOWN DOWN ON BOLD
                                          SPRINGS ROAD NEAR
                                          CARNESVILLE.

JMP
Local storm report, Jul 13, 7:10 PM EDT, 56 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE SPARTANBURG SC
710 PM EDT SUN JUL 13 2003

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

330 PM     LIBERTY                   SC   WIND DAMAGE
07/13/03   PICKENS                        TV STATION REPORTED ROOF
                                          BLOWN OFF LOWES SUPPLY
                                          BUILDING IN LIBERY AND
                                          TREES SNAPPED.

TJB
Local storm report, Jul 13, 7:10 PM EDT, 56 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT...CORRECTED
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE SPARTANBURG SC
710 PM EDT SUN JUL 13 2003

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

330 PM     LIBERTY                   SC   WIND DAMAGE
07/13/03   PICKENS                        TV STATION REPORTED ROOF
                                          BLOWN OFF ROSE RESTAURANT.

CORRECTED FOR BUILDING DAMAGE.
Local storm report, Jul 13, 7:30 PM EDT, 36 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE SPARTANBURG SC
730 PM EDT SUN JUL 13 2003

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

630 PM     DUE WEST                  SC   WIND DAMAGE
07/13/03   ABBEVILLE                      EOC REPORTED LARGE LIMB
                                          BLOWN DOWN IN THE ROAD
                                          AND REMOVED BY OFFICER IN
                                          DUE WEST.

TJB
Local storm report, Jul 13, 8:04 PM EDT, 2 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE SPARTANBURG SC
804 PM EDT SUN JUL 13 2003

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

515 PM     CATAWBA                   SC   .75 INCH HAIL
07/13/03   YORK                           COOP OBSERVER REPORTED
                                          DIME SIZE HAIL IN
                                          CATAWBA.

TJB

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.