Alert archive / South Carolina / Flash Flood Warnings in 2003

Flash Flood Warning 99, NWS Greenville-Spartanburg, SC

August 1, 2003Greenville County, South Carolina

NWS Greenville-Spartanburg, SC issued this flash flood warning at Aug 1, 2003, 6:38 PM EDT for Greenville County, South 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
Aug 1, 2003, 6:38 PM EDT (22:38 UTC)
Expired
Aug 1, 2003, 9:45 PM EDT
In force
3 hr
Issued by
NWS Greenville-Spartanburg, SC
Area
Whole counties

County Greenville County, SC

The radar

The Greer radar (KGSP), 14 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 22:38 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

Peachtre/Fal Fld, GA (KFFC), launched 12:00Z, 10.6 hours before the alert went out and 259 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, Peachtre/Fal Fld, GA at 12:00Z on 2003-08-01Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 608 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, Peachtre/Fal Fld, GA at 12:00Z on 2003-08-01The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity -3 square meters per square second.1939Sfc1 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
608 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-20 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
558 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
10 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
-3 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
13 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 012245
FFWGSP
SCC045-020145-

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
FLASH FLOOD WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
638 PM EDT FRI AUG 1 2003

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG HAS ISSUED A

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

* UNTIL 945 PM EDT

* AT 633 PM EDT...THE PUBLIC REPORTED VERY HEAVY RAIN IN NORTHERN    
  GREENVILLE COUNTY ALONG HIGHWAY 290 NORTH OF TAYLORS. RADAR        
  ALSO INDICATING RAINFALL OF 1 TO 3 INCHES OVER THE PAST 2 HOURS. 

* THESE RAINFALL RATES WILL LIKELY CAUSE REID SCHOOL ROAD            
  AND TANNER ROAD IN TAYLORS TO FLOOD.  

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 THROUGH FLOOD WATERS.

EXCESSIVE RUNOFF FROM THIS STORM WILL CAUSE FLASH FLOODING OF SMALL
CREEKS AND STREAMS...HIGHWAYS AND UNDERPASSES. ADDITIONALLY...COUNTRY
ROADS AND FARMLANDS ALONG THE BANKS OF CREEKS AND STREAMS AND OTHER
LOW LYING AREAS ARE SUBJECT TO FLASH FLOODING.

$$
PT
2 follow-up statements
000 
WGUS72 KGSP 012334
FFSGSP
SCC045-020145-

FLASH FLOOD STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
727 PM EDT FRI AUG 1 2003

...A FLASH FLOOD WARNING CONTINUES UNTIL 945 PM EDT FOR GREENVILLE
COUNTY...

HEAVY RAIN CONTINUES OVER MUCH OF CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN GREENVILLE 
COUNTY...WITH ANOTHER INCH OR TWO OF RAIN EXPECTED. THE CLUSTER OF 
THUNDERSTORMS COULD STALL OVER THE AREA...CAUSING A SIGNIFICANT 
FLOODING PROBLEM...ESPECIALLY ALONG THE REEDY RIVER AND BRUSHY CREEK.

HEAVY RAIN WILL CAUSE PONDING OF WATER ON ROADS ESPECIALLY IN AND 
AROUND THE INTERSECTION OF SULPHUR SPRINGS AND HUNTS BRIDGE ... 
TANNER...REID SCHOOL ROADS... AND THE UNDERPASS AREA ON CEDAR LANE 
ROAD.

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.

$$

JRL
000 
WGUS72 KGSP 020147
FFSGSP
SCC045-020215-

FLASH FLOOD STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
946 PM EDT FRI AUG 1 2003

...THE FLASH FLOOD WARNING WHICH WAS IN EFFECT FOR GREENVILLE COUNTY
HAS EXPIRED AS OF 945 PM EDT...

THE HEAVY RAIN HAS ENDED OVER THE WARNED AREA. STREAMS AND CREEKS IN 
THE WARNED AREA WERE BEGINNING TO RECEDE...ENDING THE FLASH FLOOD 
THREAT. EVEN THOUGH STREAMS AND CREEKS WERE RECEDING...SOME ROADWAYS 
STILL MAY BE COVERED WITH WATER. MOTORISTS ARE ADVISED TO AVOID 
DRIVING THROUGH FLOODED ROADWAYS.

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.

$$
PAT

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 Aug 1, 3:10 PM EDT, 3 hours 28 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Aug 1, 3:10 PM EDT, 3 hours 28 minutes before
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
310 PM EDT FRI AUG 1 2003

CONVECTIVE COVERAGE OVER THE GSP CWA IS FAIRLY LIMITED ATTM. TO THE
WEST...THERE IS GOOD COVERAGE ACROSS THE GREAT VALLEY OF TN UNDER
THE H5 VORT IN AN AREA THAT HAS HAD MORE SUN AND SLIGHTLY STEEPER
LAPSE RATES. TO THE EAST...CONVECTION IS BEGINNING TO UNZIP ALONG A
THERMAL GRADIENT...JUST EAST OF ENTRANCE REGION INDUCED MID CLOUD
DECK WHICH HAS HELD TEMPS DOWN INTO THE MID 70S ACROSS OUR NC
PIEDMONT ZONES DURING THE DAY.

LINE OF DRYING EVIDENT ON WATER VAPOR HAS BEEN MUCH SLOWER TO ENTER
REGION THAT THE MODELS ADVERTISED. PW THIS MORNING AT GSO WAS 2.11
INCHES...WHILE IT WAS AROUND 1.5 INCHES AT BNA. APPEARS NOW THAT
BEST FORCING WL STALL JUST E OF THE CWA...IN THE H3 JET ENTRANCE
REGION. HOWEVER...SOME WEAK UPSLOPE/LEE CONVERGENCE CONTINUES...AND
AS THE H5 WAVE WORKS ACROSS THE CWA THIS EVENING...THERE SHOULD BE
GOOD COVERAGE. HAVE GONE LIKELY POPS IN ROUGHLY THE EASTERN HALF OF
THE CWA...AND CHANCE WEST...W/POPS LOWERING LATER TNGT. SO...WL NOT
ISSUE ANY KIND OF FFA ATTM...THOUGH WL CERTAINLY HAVE TO KEEP AN EYE
ON THE LEE SLOPES LATER THIS EVENING AS UPSLOPE IS PROGGED TO GET
BETTER AFTER 00 UTC.

HAVE NOT MADE MANY CHANGES TO THE GRIDS FOR SAT. LIKE THE MID
SHIFT/S AFTN DEVELOPMENT IN THE LEE. W/CONSIDERABLY LESS CLOUD COVER
TMRW (AFTER MORNING STRATUS)...WE SHOULD HAVE BETTER DESTABILIZATION
AND MORE TYPICAL CONVECTIVE DEVELOPMENT ALONG THE ESCARPMENT WHICH
THEN DRIFTS INTO THE LEE. PW/S ARE PROGGED TO BE LOWER MOST OF THE
DAY TMRW...BUT THEY WL STILL BE HIGH ENOUGH FOR ISOLATED HEAVY RAIN.

LATE SAT NGHT MCS REMNANTS SHOULD AFFECT THE WRN ZONES. MRX
INCREASES THEIR POPS TO LIKELY LATE...AND WE MATCH UP WELL IN THIS
REGARD. FLOW IS ORIENTED SUCH THAT ACTIVITY SHOULD NOT MAKE IT TOO
FAR E OF THE MTS...THOUGH ACTIVITY MAY POP ALONG THE LEE SLOPES.

LONG WAVE SHARPENS CONSIDERABLY ON SUNDAY...PUTTING US IN A
DEEP...WET SWLY FLOW. GOOD SHEAR AND PLENTY OF MINOR WAVES SWINGING
THROUGH THE TROF. IT IS ANYBODY/S GUESS AS TO EXACTLY WHERE MINOR
WAVES WL BE CONSIDERING MCV POTENTIAL W/THIS PATTERN...SO HAVE KEPT
POPS AT 50 PERCENT SUN AND SUN NGHT.

ON MONDAY THE LONG WAVE CONTINUES TO TRUNDLE SLOWLY TO THE SE. SHEAR
IS STRONGER...SO WHILE THE SEVERE THREAT WL BE HIGHER...HOPEFULLY
PCPN WL MOVE A LITTLE FASTER. CONSIDERED ISSUING AN ESF FOR SUN/MON
HEAVY RAIN THREAT...BUT DECIDED TO HOLD OFF FOR NOW.

FCSTID =   14
GSP   69  86  69  86 /  50  50  50  40
AND   70  87  70  87 /  40  40  40  40
CLT   70  86  70  86 /  60  40  40  40
HKY   68  85  68  84 /  50  40  40  40
AVL   65  82  65  81 /  40  40  40  50

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

MCAVOY
Hazardous weather outlook, Aug 1, 5:55 AM EDT, 12 hours 43 minutes before
GAZ010-017-018-026-028-029-NCZ033>037-048>059-062>072-082-SCZ001>014-
019-011200-

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
555 AM EDT FRI AUG 1 2003

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

.DAY ONE...TODAY

NUMEROUS SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED TO DEVELOP ACROSS
THE WESTERN CAROLINAS AND NORTHEAST GEORGIA THIS AFTERNOON AND THIS
EVENING. THE THUNDERSTORMS WILL MOVE VERY SLOWLY AND COULD PRODUCE
LOCALLY VERY HEAVY RAINFALL. FURTHER DETAILS ON THE POTENTIAL FOR
EXCESSIVE RAINFALL LATE TODAY CAN BE FOUND IN THE SPECIAL WEATHER
STATEMENT...SPSGSP...ISSUED EARLIER THIS MORNING.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...

MAINLY AFTERNOON AND EVENING THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE POSSIBLE EACH DAY
THROUGH NEXT THURSDAY. GIVEN THE CURRENT MOIST SOIL CONDITIONS
ACROSS THE REGION...ANY THUNDERSTORMS THAT DEVELOP COULD PRODUCE
LOCALIZED FLOODING.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE REQUIRED IF FLOODING DEVELOPS LATER TODAY.

HG

In the hours before

Local storm report, Aug 1, 4:24 PM EDT, 2 hours 14 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE SPARTANBURG SC
424 PM EDT FRI AUG 01 2003

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

415 PM     ARDEN                     NC   HEAVY RAIN
08/01/03   BUNCOMBE                       TRAINED SPOTTER REPORTED
                                          1 INCH OF RAIN FELL IN
                                          LESS THAN TEN MINUTES.
                                          ALSO ESTIMATED WIND GUSTS
                                          OF 40 MPH.

408 PM     SKYLAND                   NC   WIND DAMAGE
08/01/03   BUNCOMBE                       911 CENTER REPORTED ONE
                                          TREE DOWN ON HOUSE
                                          BETWEEN ARDEN AND
                                          SKYLAND.

LAMB
Local storm report, Aug 1, 5:17 PM EDT, 1 hour 21 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE SPARTANBURG SC
517 PM EDT FRI AUG 01 2003

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

424 PM     ARDEN                     NC   WIND DAMAGE
08/01/03   BUNCOMBE                       COUNTY 911 REPORTED 3-4
                                          TREES DOWN IN ARDEN.
                                          ALSO...ONE TREE FELL ON A
                                          MOBILE HOME.

LAMB
Special weather statement, Aug 1, 5:25 PM EDT, 1 hour 13 minutes before
GAZ018-026-028-NCZ066-067-SCZ001>007-010-012230-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
525 PM EDT FRI AUG 1 2003

AT 520 PM EDT...WEATHER SERVICE RADAR INDICATED A BROKEN LINE OF
STRONG THUNDERSTORMS EXTENDING FROM COLUMBUS...SOUTHWEST
ACROSS CAESARS HEAD STATE PARK...PICKENS...WALHALLA AND TOCCOA. THE
LINE WAS SLOWLY MOVING SOUTHEAST AT 15 MPH. THROUGH 630 PM...SOME OF
THE LOCATIONS AFFECTED BY THESE STORMS WILL INCLUDE...FOREST
CITY...TRAVELERS REST...CLEMSON AND CARNESVILLE.

THE STRONGER STORMS IN THE LINE WILL BE CAPABLE OF PRODUCING
TORRENTIAL RAIN...FREQUENT CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING AND WINDS OF
AROUND 40 MPH. THERE IS A CHANCE THAT THE STORMS WILL BECOME
STATIONARY AS THEY MOVE INTO THE UPSTATE AND SOUTHERN NORTH CAROLINA
FOOTHILLS. IF THIS HAPPENS...LOCAL FLOODING PROBLEMS COULD QUICKLY
DEVELOP.

STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR THE MEDIA FOR THE LATEST
INFORMATION CONCERNING THIS DEVELOPING WEATHER SITUATION.

MCAVOY

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Aug 1, 6:11 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningGSPGreenville64 min
Aug 1, 6:46 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningGSPAnderson, Pickens59 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.