Alert archive / South Carolina / Flash Flood Warnings in 2003

Flash Flood Warning 8, NWS Greenville-Spartanburg, SC

March 20, 2003Greenville County, Spartanburg County, South Carolina

NWS Greenville-Spartanburg, SC issued this flash flood warning at Mar 20, 2003, 1:30 AM EST for Greenville County, Spartanburg County, South Carolina. It was in force for 4 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 20, 2003, 1:30 AM EST (06:30 UTC)
Expired
Mar 20, 2003, 5:30 AM EST
In force
4 hr
Issued by
NWS Greenville-Spartanburg, SC
Area
Whole counties

Counties Greenville County, SC, Spartanburg County, SC

The radar

The Greer radar (KGSP), 5 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 06:31 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, 6.5 hours before the alert went out and 244 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 2003-03-20Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 6 joules per kilogram.LCLEL10008507005003002001001 km2 km3 km6 km9 km12 km15 km-30°-20°-10°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 2003-03-20The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 405 square meters per square second.1939587897117136Sfc1 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
6 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
0 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
462 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
62 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
405 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
475 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
0.0

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

000 
WGUS52 KGSP 200630
FFWGSP
SCC045-083-201030-

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
FLASH FLOOD WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
130 AM EST THU MAR 20 2003

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG HAS EXTENDED 
THE

* FLASH FLOOD WARNING FOR...
  SPARTANBURG COUNTY IN UPSTATE SOUTH CAROLINA
  GREENVILLE COUNTY IN UPSTATE SOUTH CAROLINA

* UNTIL 530 AM EST

* AT 125 AM EST...FLASH FLOODING WAS ONGOING IN GREENVILLE COUNTY...
  WITH SOME FLOODING LIKELY IN SPARTANBURG COUNTY.  NUMEROUS SMALL
  STREAMS HAVE FLOODED...WITH ROADS AND URBAN FLOODING AS WELL.

* THE FLASH FLOODING WILL LIKELY BECOME MUCH WORSE AND MORE
  WIDESPREAD DURING THE NIGHT.  FLOODING IS LIKELY AROUND BEREA...
  INMAN...CAMPOBELL...REIDVILLE...ALONG GILDER CREEK FROM MAULDIN
  TO EAST OF SIMPSONVILLE...AND AROUND TAYLORS AND GREER.  IN DOWNTOWN
  GREENVILLE...THE REEDY RIVER WAS AT 9.2 FEET AT 125 AM.  SOME
  DATA INDICATES THAT WITH ADDITIONAL HEAVY RAIN...THE RIVER COULD
  RISE TO 11 FEET OR MORE.  AT THAT LEVEL...NUMEROUS DOWNTOWN
  STREETS FLOOD...AND WATER ENTERS SOME BUILDINGS. FLOOD PRONE AREAS
  OF DOWNTOWN SPARTANBURG WILL ALSO FLOOD.

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 FLOODED STORM
DRAINS.

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.

$$
JONES
1 follow-up statement
000 
WGUS72 KGSP 200930
FFSGSP
SCC045-083-201030-

FLASH FLOOD STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
430 AM EST THU MAR 20 2003

...A FLASH FLOOD WARNING CONTINUES UNTIL 530 AM EST FOR SPARTANBURG
AND GREENVILLE COUNTIES...

FLOODING CONTINUES AROUND GREENVILLE COUNTY...AND LIKELY AROUND 
SPARTANBURG COUNTY THIS MORNING.  SMALL STREAMS WERE FLOODING 
ROADS...AND ADDITIONAL RISES WILL CONTINUE FOR A WHILE THIS 
MORNING.  THE REEDY RIVER IN DOWNTOWN GREENVILLE WAS OVER 10 FEET 
AND STILL RISING.  AT 11 FEET...STREETS FLOOD IN THE DOWNTOWN AREA...AND 
WATER ENTERS SOME BUILDINGS.

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.

$$
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 20, 12:38 AM EST, 52 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Mar 20, 12:38 AM EST, 52 minutes before
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
1238 AM EST THU MAR 20 2003

UPDATING ZONES TO INCLUDE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH #63.

FCSTID = 4

.GSP...
GA...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.

SC...FLOOD WATCH FOR TONIGHT AND THURSDAY FOR ZONES SCZ001>014...
SCZ019.

LANE
Hazardous weather outlook, Mar 19, 2:55 PM EST, 10 hours 35 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

Local storm report, Mar 19, 9:17 PM EST, 4 hours 13 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE SPARTANBURG SC
917 PM EST WED MAR 19 2003

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

910 PM     DEWEY ROSE                GA   .88 INCH HAIL
03/19/03   ELBERT                         ELBERT 911 RELAYED PUBLIC
                                          REPORT

JONES
Local storm report, Mar 19, 10:04 PM EST, 3 hours 26 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE SPARTANBURG SC
1004 PM EST WED MAR 19 2003

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

955 PM     TIGERVILLE                SC   FLASH FLOOD
03/19/03   GREENVILLE                     NWS EMPLOYEE REPORTED
                                          BEAVER DAM CREEK FLOODING

JONES
Local storm report, Mar 19, 10:45 PM EST, 2 hours 45 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE SPARTANBURG SC
1045 PM EST WED MAR 19 2003

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

1012 PM    3 NE WARE SHOALS          SC   .75 INCH HAIL
03/20/03   LAURENS                        RELAY OF PUBLIC REPORT BY
                                          COUNTY 911.

NED

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Mar 19, 8:32 PM ESTFlash Flood WarningGSPAnderson, Pickens3 hr
Mar 19, 9:34 PM ESTFlash Flood WarningGSPGreenville, Spartanburg4 hr
Mar 19, 9:40 PM ESTSevere Thunderstorm WarningGSPAnderson65 min
Mar 20, 1:55 AM ESTFlash Flood WarningGSPOconee, Pickens3 hr
Mar 20, 1:59 AM ESTSevere Thunderstorm WarningGSPOconee, Pickens46 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.