Alert archive / South Carolina / Flash Flood Warnings in 2004

Flash Flood Warning 16, NWS Greenville-Spartanburg, SC

June 21, 2004Abbeville County, Anderson County, South Carolina

NWS Greenville-Spartanburg, SC issued this flash flood warning at Jun 21, 2004, 7:52 AM EDT for Abbeville County, Anderson 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 outline as issued.

The facts

Issued
Jun 21, 2004, 7:52 AM EDT (11:52 UTC)
Expired
Jun 21, 2004, 10:45 AM EDT
In force
3 hr
Issued by
NWS Greenville-Spartanburg, SC
Area
Counties, with a storm outline in the text

Counties Abbeville County, SC, Anderson County, SC

The radar

The Greer radar (KGSP), 76 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 11:51 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.

Did it verify

Not verified. The Iowa Environmental Mesonet's Cow found no qualifying storm report inside this flash flood warning while it was in force. That is not proof nothing happened: reports are thin where few people live.

Cow counts a report within 15 km of the polygon while the warning was in force: a tornado for a tornado warning; hail of 1 inch or more, a gust of 58 mph or more or wind damage for a severe thunderstorm warning; a flash flood report for a flash flood warning.

The nearest sounding before it

Peachtre/Fal Fld, GA (KFFC), launched 00:00Z, 11.9 hours before the alert went out and 198 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 00:00Z on 2004-06-21Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 2281 joules per kilogram.LCLEL10008507005003002001001 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 00:00Z on 2004-06-21The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity -16 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
2281 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-3 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
1212 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
21 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
-16 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
-4 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
-0.1
Supercell composite
-1.2

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

000 
WGUS52 KGSP 211153
FFWGSP
SCC001-007-211445-

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
FLASH FLOOD WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
752 AM EDT MON JUN 21 2004

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG HAS ISSUED A

* FLASH FLOOD WARNING FOR...
  ANDERSON COUNTY IN UPSTATE SOUTH CAROLINA
  ABBEVILLE COUNTY IN UPSTATE SOUTH CAROLINA

* UNTIL 1045 AM EDT

* AT 741 AM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED
  VERY HEAVY RAIN FROM A THUNDERSTORM NEAR IVA...OR ABOUT 14 MILES
  SOUTHEAST OF HARTWELL. THE STORM PRODUCING VERY HEAVY RAIN WAS
  NEARLY STATIONARY.

* OTHER LOCATIONS IN THE WARNING INCLUDE BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO
  LOWNDESVILLE...DUE WEST...ANTREVILLE AND ANDERSON.

EXCESSIVE RUNOFF FROM THIS STORM WILL CAUSE FLASH FLOODING OF SMALL
CREEKS AND STREAMS...COUNTRY ROADS...NORMALLY DRY WASHES...AS WELL AS
FARMLAND ALONG THE BANKS OF CREEKS AND STREAMS.

LAT...LON 3428 8285 3415 8270 3430 8235 3456 8268

$$
PAT
1 follow-up statement
000 
WGUS72 KGSP 211311
FFSGSP
SCC001-007-211445-

FLASH FLOOD STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
907 AM EDT MON JUN 21 2004

...A FLASH FLOOD WARNING CONTINUES UNTIL 1045 AM EDT FOR NORTHERN
ABBEVILLE AND SOUTHERN ANDERSON COUNTIES...

AT 901 AM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR CONTINUED TO 
INDICATE A N AREA OF THUNDERSTORMS PRODUCING VERY HEAVY RAIN.  THESE 
STORMS WERE LOCATED NEAR IVA...OR ABOUT 15 MILES SOUTH OF ANDERSON. 
THE THUNDERSTORM WITH EXCESSIVE RAIN WAS NEARLY STATIONARY.

OTHER LOCATIONS IN THE WARNING INCLUDE BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO
LOWNDESVILLE...DUE WEST AND ANTREVILLE.

ADDITIONAL RAINFALL AMOUNTS OF 2 TO 3 INCHES ARE POSSIBLE IN THE 
WARNED AREA. THE HEAVIEST RAIN WILL FALL BETWEEN LAKE RUSSELL AND 
THE IVA AREA.  

LAT...LON 3428 8285 3415 8270 3430 8235 3456 8268

$$

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 Jun 21, 7:21 AM EDT, 31 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jun 21, 7:21 AM EDT, 31 minutes before
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION....UPDATED
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
721 AM EDT MON JUN 21 2004

.SHORT TERM (MONDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY)...
UPDATING TO MOVE UP BEST POPS TO THIS MORNING PER RECENT RADAR
TRENDS.

UPPER LEVEL IMPULSE TO MOVE E ACROSS AREA IN ZONAL FLOW TODAY...
WHILE FRONT TO S STARTS RETURN N. GUIDANCE CATEGORICAL IN SW...AND
CHANCE IN NE.HEAVIEST RAIN S BLUE RIDGE ESCARPMENT. SYSTEM MOVES
THROUGH THIS EVENING...AND AREA ENTERS A RELTATIVE LULL LATE TONIGHT
AND TUE...THOUGH ENOUGH MOISTURE/INSTABILITY LEFT FOR CHANCE POPS.
UPPER LEVEL THROUGH TO AMPLIFY CENTER OF CONTINENT TUE. NEXT COLD
FRONT APPROACHES FROM NW TUE NIGHT...CROSSING AREA WED. AT THIS TIME
CARRYING HGIH CHANCE POP WITH FRONT...EXCEPT LOW END LIKELY SAVANNAH
RIVER VALLEY. DRYING BEHIND FRONT INDICATED WED NIGHT. TEMPERATURES
COOLER TODAY IN CLOUDS/RAIN...THEN A BIT WARMER TUE/WED BEFORE FROPA.

.LONG TERM (MONDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY)...
NEW GFS RUN WOULD SUGGEST DRY THU WITH BOUNDARY STALLED TO S OF
AREA. AT THIS TIME WILL LEAVE SMALL CHANCE DIURNAL POP IN THU UNTIL
NCEP SHEDS LIGHT ON PREFERRED MEDIUM RANGE SOLUTION. GFS BRINGS
REMANANTS OF FRONT N FRI TOWARD NCEP SOLUTION...AND DIURNAL CHANCE
POPS CONTINUE INTO SAT. CHACNE POPS SAT NGITH AND SUN AS NEXT WAVE
RIDES ALONG STATIONARY FRONT. PROSPECT FOR THU BEING COOLER THAN
CURRENT FORECAST IF NEW GFS RUN ACCEPTED...FOLLOWED GRADUAL COOLING
AS UPPER TROUGH PROGRESSES AND HEIGHTS FALL.

&&

.AVIATION...
SOME SHRA HAVE DEVELOPED ACROSS THE WRN UPSTATE...AND EXPECT THEM TO
REMAIN THERE FOR SEVERAL MORE HRS. BOTH THE MET AND MAV GUIDANCE
HAVE CIGS AND VSBYS FALLING INTO THE MVFR RANGE GENERALLY BETWEEN 9
AND 12 UTC. THIS HAPPENS AS ISENTROPIC UPGLIDE DEVELOPS OVER THE
SOMEWHAT COOLER AND DRIER AIRMASS BANKED ALONG THE LEE SLOPES.
SUSPECT THAT CLT...BEING DEEPER UNDER THE REMAINING COLD AIR DAMMING
WL BE LAST TO SEE CIGS AND VSBYS FALL...AND LAST TO SEE PCPN. DON/T
HAVE MVFR CIGS THERE UNTIL THIS EVENING. WITH WEAK UPGLIDE AND A
VERY MOIST AIRMASS...HARD TO SAY EXACTLY WHEN THE MVFR CIGS WL FILL
IN ACROSS THE UPSTATE. HOWEVER...ONCE UPGLIDE BECOMES ESTABLISHED...
IN SITU DAMMING WL RESULT IN WIDESPREAD PCPN ACROSS THE UPSTATE AND
SRN MTNS. FOR NOW...AM BRINGING IN LOW CIGS A FEW HOURS LATER THAN
THE MOS...RIGHT AROUND 12 UTC. AT THE SAME TIME...WL ALSO LOWER
VSBYS TO 5SM AND GO WITH PREVAILING SHRA. EXPECT SIMILAR CONDITIONS
AT AVL AS CAD CONDITIONS IN THE SRN MTNS WON/T BE THAT DIFFERENT
FROM THE UPSTATE.

&&

.PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS...
GSP  80  67  86  70 /  70  50  40  40
AND  82  68  87  69 /  80  50  40  40
CLT  82  68  86  69 /  60  50  40  40
HKY  80  65  85  67 /  60  50  40  40
AVL  76  63  81  64 /  70  50  50  50
&&

.GSP WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
GA...NONE.
NC...NONE.
SC...NONE.
&&

SHORT/LONG TERM: JAT
AVIATION: BPM
Hazardous weather outlook, Jun 21, 5:47 AM EDT, 2 hours 5 minutes before
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
547 AM EDT MON JUN 21 2004

GAZ010-017-018-026-028-029-NCZ033>037-048>059-062>072-082-SCZ001>014-
019-220947-
ABBEVILLE SC-ALEXANDER NC-ANDERSON SC-AVERY NC-BUNCOMBE NC-BURKE NC-
CABARRUS NC-CALDWELL NC-CATAWBA NC-CHEROKEE SC-CHESTER SC-
CLEVELAND NC-DAVIE NC-ELBERT GA-FRANKLIN GA-GASTON NC-GRAHAM NC-
GREATER GREENVILLE SC-GREATER OCONEE SC-GREATER PICKENS SC-
GREENVILLE MOUNTAINS SC-GREENWOOD SC-HABERSHAM GA-HART GA-HAYWOOD NC-
HENDERSON NC-IREDELL NC-LAURENS SC-LINCOLN NC-MACON NC-MADISON NC-
MCDOWELL NC-MECKLENBURG NC-MITCHELL NC-NORTHERN JACKSON NC-
OCONEE MOUNTAINS SC-PICKENS MOUNTAINS SC-POLK NC-RABUN GA-ROWAN NC-
RUTHERFORD NC-SOUTHERN JACKSON NC-SPARTANBURG SC-STEPHENS GA-
SWAIN NC-TRANSYLVANIA NC-UNION SC-UNION NC-YANCEY NC-YORK SC-
541 AM EDT MON JUN 21 2004

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

.DAY ONE...
NUMEROUS THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED TODAY AND TONIGHT...SOME OF WHICH
MAY PRODUCE LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...

SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED ACROSS THE WESTERN CAROLINAS AND
NORTHEAST GEORGIA FROM TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY. THERE IS A SLIGHT RISK
OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS PRODUCING DAMAGING WIND TUESDAY IN NORTH
CAROLINA...NORTH AND WEST OF THE CHARLOTTE AREA.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT ANTICIPATED.

07

In the hours before

Special weather statement, Jun 21, 6:58 AM EDT, 54 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
658 AM EDT MON JUN 21 2004

SCZ006>014-019-211227-
ABBEVILLE SC-ANDERSON SC-CHEROKEE SC-CHESTER SC-
GREATER GREENVILLE SC-GREENWOOD SC-LAURENS SC-SPARTANBURG SC-
UNION SC-YORK SC-
704 AM EDT MON JUN 21 2004

...THUNDERSTORMS PRODUCING TORRENTIAL RAIN AND LIGHTNING OVER PARTS
OF THE UPSTATE...

AT 700 AM EDT...WEATHER SERVICE RADAR INDICATED TWO CLUSTERS OF
THUNDERSTORMS WITH TORRENTIAL RAIN AND FREQUENT LIGHTNING OVER THE
UPSTATE. THE FIRST CLUSTER OF STORMS WAS AFFECTING AREAS FROM
LOWNDESVILLE TO ANDERSON. RADAR ESTIMATED THAT 2 TO 3 INCHES OF RAIN
HAD FALLEN IN THE LOWNDESVILLE AREA. THESE STORMS WILL MOVE UP
INTERSTATE 85 AND AFFECT MUCH OF CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN GREENVILLE
COUNTY THROUGH 8 AM.

ANOTHER AREA OF THUNDERSTORMS WAS AFFECTING CENTRAL SPARTANBURG
COUNTY. RADAR ESTIMATED THAT AROUND 2 INCHES OF RAIN HAD FALLEN IN
THE SPARTANBURG METRO AREA DURING THE PAST HOUR. ADDITIONAL
THUNDERSTORMS WERE DEVELOPING WEST OF CITY...AND UP TO ANOTHER INCH
OF RAIN MAY FALL. THIS WILL RESULT IN DEEP PONDING OF WATER IN LOW
SPOTS AND POOR DRAINAGE AREAS. VISIBILITIES WILL BE GREATLY REDUCED
IN THE RAIN. THE STORMS WERE ALSO PRODUCING FREQUENT CLOUD TO GROUND
LIGHTNING...AND THERE MAY EVEN BE SOME SMALL HAIL.

MCAVOY

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Jun 21, 8:27 AM EDTFlash Flood WarningGSPSpartanburg33 min

Nearby

Flash Flood Warnings in South Carolina, 2004Every flash flood warning in 2004

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.