Alert archive / North Carolina / Flash Flood Warnings in 2004

Flash Flood Warning 27, NWS Greenville-Spartanburg, SC

July 5, 2004Madison County, North Carolina

NWS Greenville-Spartanburg, SC issued this flash flood warning at Jul 5, 2004, 8:34 PM EDT for Madison 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 outline as issued.

The facts

Issued: Jul 5, 2004, 8:34 PM EDT (00:34 UTC)
Expired: Jul 5, 2004, 11:30 PM EDT
In force: 3 hr
Issued by: NWS Greenville-Spartanburg, SC
Area: Counties, with a storm outline in the text

County Madison County, NC

The radar

The Knoxville radar (KMRX), 66 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 00:36 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

Greensboro/Hi Pt, NC (KGSO), launched 00:00Z, 0.6 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-p

Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed.

Hodograph

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: 1205 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN: -11 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL: 1678 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear: 18 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity: 30 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity: 32 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter: 0.0
Supercell composite: 1.4

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

000 
WGUS52 KGSP 060034
FFWGSP
NCC115-060330-

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
FLASH FLOOD WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
834 PM EDT MON JUL 5 2004

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG HAS ISSUED A

* FLASH FLOOD WARNING FOR...
  MADISON COUNTY IN WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA

* UNTIL 1130 PM EDT

* AT 828 PM EDT...WEATHER RADAR SHOWED CLUSTERS OF SHOWERS AND 
  THUNDERSTORMS MOVING NORTHWEST TO SOUTHEAST ACROSS THE COUNTY.
  THE HEAVIEST RAIN HAS BEEN IN NORTHEAST MADISON COUNTY IN
  THE LAUREL REGION...WITH ENOUGH RAIN TO SEND SEND BEAR CREEK
  OUT OF ITS BANKS. ADDITIONAL SHALLOW STREAMS AND CREEKS COULD ALSO
  COME OUT OF THEIR BANKS TO FLOOD ROADS AND POTENTIALLY THREATEN 
  PROPERTY. THE PUBLIC REPORTED ROADS FLOODED ROADS DUE
  TO POOR DRAINAGE 3 MILES NORTH OF MARS HILL. ADDIONAL URBAN        
  FLOODING COULD ALSO OCCUR...ESPECIALLY IN HOT SPRINGS AND MARSHALL.
 

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.

LAT...LON 3606 8264 3595 8293 3580 8296 3573 8292
      3567 8285 3585 8242

$$

BURRUS

2 follow-up statements

000 
WGUS72 KGSP 060200
FFSGSP
NCC115-060330-

FLASH FLOOD STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
955 PM EDT MON JUL 5 2004

...A FLASH FLOOD WARNING CONTINUES UNTIL 1130 PM EDT FOR MADISON
COUNTY...

AT 953 PM EDT...WEATHER RADAR SHOWED WIDESPREAD SHOWERS OVER MADISON 
COUNTY. THE SHOWERS WERE WEAKENING...BUT COULD STILL PRODUCE AN INCH 
OF RAIN OR MORE THROUGH LATE EVENING. SHALLOW STREAMS AND 
CREEKS...SOME OF WHICH WERE ALREADY RUNNING AT HIGH LEVELS...COULD 
BE PROMTPED TO COME OUT OF THEIR BANKS TO FLOOD ROADS AND PERHAPS 
THREATEN PROPERTY.

COUNTY OFFICIALS REPORT SIGNIFICANT RISES ON LAUREL AND BEAR CREEKS 
IN AND AROUND LAUREL...AND SOME MINOR URBAN FLOODING DUE TO POOR 
DRAINAGE IN MARS HILL AND MARSHALL...BUT NO FLASH FLOODING HAD YET 
BEEN REPORTED. THE FLASH FLOOD WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 1130 
PM.     

DO NOT DRIVE YOUR CAR INTO AREAS WHERE WATER COVERS THE ROADWAY. THE 
WATER MAY BE TOO DEEP TO DRIVE THROUGH SAFELY. TURN AROUND...AND 
FIND AN ALTERNATE ROUTE TO REACH YOUR DESTINATION SAFELY.

REPORT ANY FLOODING TO YOUR LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCY...AND ASK 
THEM TO FORWARD THE REPORT TO THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE.

LAT...LON 3606 8264 3595 8293 3580 8296 3573 8292
      3567 8285 3585 8242

$$

BURRUS/KRENTZ

000 
WGUS72 KGSP 060313
FFSGSP
NCC115-060330-

FLASH FLOOD STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
1111 PM EDT MON JUL 5 2004

...THE FLASH FLOOD WARNING FOR MADISON COUNTY IS CANCELLED...

RAIN HAS ENDED ACROSS MADISON COUNTY. NO FLASH FLOODING WAS 
REPORTED...ALTHOUGH MANY CREEKS IN THE LAUREL CREEK AREA GOT NEAR 
BANKFULL. THEREFORE...THE WARNING HAS BEEN CANCELLED.


LAT...LON 3606 8264 3595 8293 3580 8296 3573 8292
      3567 8285 3585 8242

$$

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 5, 6:58 PM EDT, 1 hour 36 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jul 5, 6:58 PM EDT, 1 hour 36 minutes before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION...UPDATED
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
658 PM EDT MON JUL 5 2004

.SHORT TERM (REST OF TONIGHT)...
AM UPDATING THE ZONES TO INCLUDE SEVERE T-STORM WATCH 568 AND TO
INCREASE POPS TO CATEGORICAL ACROSS MOST OF THE NC MOUNTAINS.

&&

.PREVIOUS DISCUSSION...
THE FOLLOWING WAS ORIGINALLY ISSUED AT 226 PM EDT MON JUL 5 2004

SHORT TERM (TONIGHT THROUGH THURSDAY)...
FIRST PERIOD CONCERN CENTERS AROUND THE CHCS FOR CONVECTION. MCS
OVER WESTERN KY WILL CONTINUE TRACK EASTWARD TOWARD THE APPALACHIANS
LATE THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING. THE SYSTEM SHOULD QUICKLY DISSIPATE
AS IT REACHES THE HIGHER TERRAIN. ISOLATED SH/TS ARE DEVELOPING OVER
THE MTN PEAKS ATTM. WILL EXPECT COVERAGE OF THE LOCAL CONVECTION TO
SLOWLY INCREASE OVER FA BEFORE SUNLIGHT FADES. WILL FORECAST CHC
OVER THE MTNS AND ISO EAST...WILL END MENTION IN THE GRIDS BY 4Z TO
ACCOUNT FOR THE MCS.

AMPLITUDE OF MID-LEVEL HEIGHTS INCREASE TONIGHT AND WILL REMAIN HIGH
TUE. MESOETA SHOWS H85 TEMPS BUILDING TO 21C BY TUE
AFTERNOON...WHILE KEEPING SKY RATHER CLEAN. TEMPERATURES SHOULD RISE
INTO THE MID TO UPPER 90S OVER UPPER 60S TO LOWER 70S DWPTS. HEAT
INDEX VALUES SHOULD REMAIN BELOW ADVISORY CATE...WITH WIDESPREAD
VALUES OF 100F LASTING 2-3 HRS.

LOW PRESSURE IS EXPECTED TO ORGANIZE OVER THE GREAT LAKES
TUESDAY NIGHT. AN ASSOCIATED COLD FRONT WILL APPROACH THE FA ON WED
AS H5 HEIGHTS BEGIN TO FALL. THE ATMOS SHOULD DESTABILIZE AS TEMPS
DECREASE ALOFT AND LLVL DWPTS POOL AHEAD OF THE FRONT...WILL
FORECAST DIURNAL CHC COVERAGE. THU...THE FRONT WILL SLOWLY PUSH
THROUGH THE REGION AND WILL AGAIN USE CHC POPS TO REPRESENT.

LONG TERM (THURSDAY NIGHT THROUGH MONDAY)...
COLD FRONT FCST TO PUSH THROUGH CWA FROM THE NW ON THU...WHILE MAIN
ENERGY WITH UPPER TROF STAYS WELL N. WILL LEAVE CHANCE POPS IN
FCST...WITH HIGHER POPS OVER MTNS THU INTO THU EVE. UPPER RIDGE AND
SFC HIGH PRESSURE REALLY BEGIN TO BUILD OVER REGION FRI AND TROUGH
EARLY NEXT WEEK. WITH SOME LOW LEVEL MOISTURE LINGERING
HOWEVER...WILL KEEP LOW CHANCE POPS...MAINLY MTNS...THROUGH WEEKEND.

AVIATION...
UPPER RIDGE BUILDS OVER REGION TODAY WITH SUBSIDENCE ALOFT. THIS
SHOULD HELP SUPPRESS STRONG CONVECTION LATE THIS AFTN-EVE. WITH
SUFFICIENT LOW LEVEL MOISTURE...STILL EXPECT SCT TSTMS MTNS AND
ISOLD ELSEWHERE UNTIL COOLING THIS EVE. DEW POINTS REMAIN FAIRLY
HIGH AND WITH WEAK SUBSIDENCE OVERNIGHT EXPECT MVFR FOG LATE TONIGHT
THROUGH AROUND DAYBREAK.
&&

.GSP WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
GA...NONE.
NC...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH FOR ZONE NCZ033 UNTIL 12 AM EDT.
SC...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH FOR ZONE SCZ001 UNTIL 12 AM EDT.
&&

LANE

Hazardous weather outlook, Jul 5, 6:18 AM EDT, 14 hours 16 minutes before

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
618 AM EDT MON JUL 5 2004

GAZ010-017-018-026-028-029-NCZ033>037-048>059-062>072-082-SCZ001>014-
019-061017-
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-
618 AM EDT MON JUL 5 2004

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

.DAY ONE...

LOCALLY DENSE FOG IN THE NORTH CAROLINA MOUNTAIN VALLEYS EXTENDING
EAST INTO THE NORTH CAROLINA FOOTHILLS AND PIEDMONT...WILL DISSIPATE
BY MID-MORNING.

SPOTTY MORNING SHOWERS WILL GIVE WAY TO JUST ISOLATED TO SCATTERED
AFTERNOON THUNDERSTORMS...MAINLY IN THE MOUNTAINS.

IT IS POSSIBLE THAT A FEW LOCATIONS COULD SEE HEAT INDEX VALUES IN
THE UPPER 90S THIS AFTERNOON.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...

A DAILY CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS...MAINLY EACH AFTERNOON AND
EVENING...AND ESPECIALLY IN THE MOUNTAINS...WILL CONTINUE FOR MUCH OF
THIS WEEK.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT ANTICIPATED.

In the hours before

Local storm report, Jul 5, 5:32 PM EDT, 3 hours 2 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
532 PM EDT MON JUL 05 2004

..TIME...   ...EVENT...     ...CITY LOCATION...      ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....     ..COUNTY LOCATION...ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0500 PM     TSTM WND DMG     5 E SIMPSONVILLE        34.73N 82.17W
07/05/2004                   GREENVILLE         SC   FIRE DEPT/RESCUE

            CLEAR SPRING FIRE RESCUE REPORTED LARGE TREE ACROSS
            SCUFFLETOWN ROAD. ALSO...PUBLIC REPORT OF ADDITIONAL TREE
            ON BETHANY RD.

&&

JONES

Special weather statement, Jul 5, 6:28 PM EDT, 2 hours 6 minutes before

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
628 PM EDT MON JUL 5 2004

SCZ012-052330-
LAURENS SC-
INCLUDING THE CITY OF...LAURENS
628 PM EDT MON JUL 5 2004

...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS CONTINUES TO AFFECT LAURENS COUNTY...

AT 620 PM...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RADAR INDICATED AN AREA OF
THUNDERSTORMS AFFECTING AREAS ALONG AND EAST OF A LINE FROM JOANNA TO
WATERLOO. THE STORMS ARE EXPECTED TO MOVE EAST OF THE AREA BY 730
PM.

GUSTY WINDS OF AROUND 50 MPH...FREQUENT CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING...
TORRENTIAL RAINFALL...AND PERHAPS SOME SMALL HAIL REMAIN POSSIBLE IN
THESE AREAS.

A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH IS IN EFFECT UNTIL 11 PM. STAY TUNED TO
NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR LOCAL NEWS MEDIA FOR LATER STATEMENTS AND
POSSIBLE WARNINGS.

LANE

Special weather statement, Jul 5, 6:39 PM EDT, 1 hour 55 minutes before

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
639 PM EDT MON JUL 5 2004

NCZ036-056-057-069-071-072-052330-
CABARRUS-CATAWBA-IREDELL-LINCOLN NC-MECKLENBURG-ROWAN-
INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...CHARLOTTE...CONCORD...HICKORY...
LINCOLNTON...SALISBURY...STATESVILLE
639 PM EDT MON JUL 5 2004

...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS MOVING ACROSS THE PIEDMONT...

AT 630 PM...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RADAR INDICATED TWO STRONG
THUNDERSTORMS ACROSS THE PIEDMONT...ONE OVER LAKE NORMAN IN SOUTHERN
IREDELL COUNTY...AND THE OTHER ABOUT 7 MILES EAST OF KANNAPOLIS.
THROUGH 730 PM...THE STORM OVER LAKE NORMAN WILL MOVE SOUTHEAST TO
AFFECT LOCATIONS FROM DAVIDSON AND CORNELIUS...TO HUNTERSVILLE AND
CROFT. THE STORM NEAR KANNAPOLIS WILL AFFECT LOCATIONS IN AND NEAR
MOUNT PLEASANT.

GUSTY WINDS OF AROUND 50 MPH...FREQUENT CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING...
TORRENTIAL RAINFALL...AND PERHAPS SOME SMALL HAIL WILL BE POSSIBLE IN
THESE AREAS.

IT IS POSSIBLE THAT THESE STORMS COULD INTENSIFY TO PRODUCE BRIEF
PERIODS OF SEVERE WEATHER IN THE FORM OF LARGE HAIL AND GUSTY WINDS.

STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR LOCAL NEWS MEDIA FOR LATER
STATEMENTS AND POSSIBLE WARNINGS.

LANE

Local storm report, Jul 5, 7:46 PM EDT, 48 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
746 PM EDT MON JUL 05 2004

..TIME...   ...EVENT...     ...CITY LOCATION...      ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....     ..COUNTY LOCATION...ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0730 PM     TSTM WND DMG     MAULDIN                 34.79N 82.30W
07/05/2004                   GREENVILLE         SC   NWS EMPLOYEE

            AN OFF DUTY WEATHER SERVICE EMPLOYEE AS WELL AS A PUBLIC
            CALL REPORTS NUMEROUS TREES DOWN ACROSS MAULDIN AND
            SIMPSONVILLE AREA. BLOCKING STREETS AND ROOF DAMAGE TO
            HOUSES.

&&

JONES

Local storm report, Jul 5, 8:13 PM EDT, 21 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
813 PM EDT MON JUL 05 2004

..TIME...   ...EVENT...     ...CITY LOCATION...      ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....     ..COUNTY LOCATION...ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0745 PM     TSTM WND DMG     FRANKLIN                35.18N 83.38W
07/05/2004                   MACON              NC   COUNTY OFFICIAL

            NUMEROUS TREES DOWN COUNTY-WIDE ACROSS MACON COUNTY.

0720 PM     TSTM WND DMG     8 SW BRYSON CITY        35.34N 83.55W
07/05/2004                   SWAIN              NC   COUNTY OFFICIAL

            5 TREES DOWN BLOCKING ROADS WITH ONE POWER POLE LEANING.

&&

JONES

Local storm report, Jul 5, 8:19 PM EDT, 15 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
819 PM EDT MON JUL 05 2004

..TIME...   ...EVENT...     ...CITY LOCATION...      ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....     ..COUNTY LOCATION...ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0720 PM     TSTM WND DMG     ROBBINSVILLE            35.32N 83.81W
07/05/2004                   GRAHAM             NC   COUNTY OFFICIAL

            TREES DOWN COUNTY-WIDE ACROSS GRAHAM COUNTY WITH ROADS
            BLOCKED AND POWER LINES DOWN.

0740 PM     TSTM WND DMG     SYLVA                   35.37N 83.22W
07/05/2004                   JACKSON            NC   COUNTY OFFICIAL

            NUMEROUS TREES DOWN AROUND SYLVA AND OTHER PARTS OF
            JACKSON COUNTY.

&&

JONES

The office that day

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

Issued	Product	Office	Counties	Lasted
Jul 5, 8:10 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	GSP	Henderson, Transylvania	65 min
Jul 5, 8:13 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	GSP	Yancey	62 min
Jul 5, 9:03 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	GSP	Union	42 min
Jul 6, 6:22 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	GSP	Haywood	53 min
Jul 6, 6:54 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	GSP	Buncombe, Madison	66 min

Nearby

Flash Flood Warnings in North Carolina, 2004 Every 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.