Alert archive / North Carolina / Flash Flood Warnings in 2004
Flash Flood Warning 37, NWS Greenville-Spartanburg, SC
NWS Greenville-Spartanburg, SC issued this flash flood warning at Jul 17, 2004, 11:13 PM EDT for Rowan 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 17, 2004, 11:13 PM EDT (03:13 UTC)
- Expired
- Jul 18, 2004, 2:15 AM EDT
- In force
- 3 hr
- Issued by
- NWS Greenville-Spartanburg, SC
- Area
- Counties, with a storm outline in the text
County Rowan County, NC
The radar
The Roanoke radar (KFCX), 150 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 03:16 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, 3.2 hours before the alert went out and 74 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.
- Mixed-layer CAPE
- 930 J/kg
- Mixed-layer CIN
- -9 J/kg
- Mixed-layer LCL
- 1163 m above ground
- 0-6 km bulk shear
- 44 kt
- 0-1 km storm-relative helicity
- 21 m²/s²
- 0-3 km storm-relative helicity
- 84 m²/s²
- Significant tornado parameter
- 0.5
- Supercell composite
- 2.6
The text
As transmitted, in the capitals the NWS used until 2016.
000 WGUS52 KGSP 180313 FFWGSP NCC159-180615- BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED FLASH FLOOD WARNING NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC 1113 PM EDT SAT JUL 17 2004 THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG HAS ISSUED A * FLASH FLOOD WARNING FOR... ROWAN COUNTY IN THE PIEDMONT OF NORTH CAROLINA * UNTIL 215 AM EDT * AT 1105 PM EDT...WEATHER SERVICE RADAR INDICATED VERY HEAVY RAIN CONTINUING ACROSS ALL OF ROWAN COUNTY. THIS AREA OF RAIN IS CONTINUING TO REDEVELOP AND SLOWLY MOVE EAST. THE HEAVIEST RAIN HAS BEEN OCCURRING OVER THE EASTERN PART OF THE COUNTY...BETWEEN SALISBURY AND THE DAVIDSON COUNTY LINE. A LARGE PART OF THE COUNTY HAS RECEIVED BETWEEN 1 AND 3 INCHES OF RAIN...WITH AREAS NEAR SALISBURY AND SPENCER PICKING UP OVER 3.5 INCHES. LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICIALS REPORTED THAT HIGHWAY 29 NEAR THE COUNTY LINE WAS COVERED IN WATER AND WILL LIKELY BE BARRICADED. * HEAVY RAIN IS EXPECTED TO CONTINUE FOR AT LEAST ANOTHER HOUR AND A HALF. MORE ROAD CLOSURES ARE LIKELY...ALONG WITH RAPID RISES ON STREAMS AND CREEKS. OTHER LOCATIONS IN THE WARNING INCLUDE BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO SPENCER...ROCKWELL...LANDIS...GRANITE QUARRY... CLEVELAND AND CHINA GROVE. 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. LAT...LON 3581 8069 3551 8075 3552 8018 3581 8054 $$ LAMB
3 follow-up statements
000 WGUS72 KGSP 180412 FFSGSP NCC159-180615- FLASH FLOOD STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC 1212 AM EDT SUN JUL 18 2004 ...A FLASH FLOOD WARNING CONTINUES UNTIL 215 AM EDT FOR ROWAN COUNTY... AT 1212 AM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR CONTINUED TO INDICATE A THUNDERSTORMS PRODUCING HEAVY RAIN IN EASTERN ROWAN COUNTY. ALTHOUGH RAINFALL HAS DIMINISHED IN THE SALISBURY AREA...RUNOFF FROM EARLIER RAINFALL WILL CONTINUE FOR SOME TIME...CAUSING STREAMS AND CREEKS TO CONTINUE RISING. DO NOT DRIVE YOUR VEHICLE INTO AREAS WHERE THE WATER COVERS THE ROADWAY. THE WATER DEPTH MAY BE TOO GREAT TO ALLOW YOUR CAR TO CROSS SAFELY. VEHICLES CAUGHT IN RISING WATER SHOULD BE ABANDONED QUICKLY. MOVE TO HIGHER GROUND. LAT...LON 3581 8069 3551 8075 3552 8018 3581 8054 $$ JAT
000 WGUS72 KGSP 180502 FFSGSP NCC159-180615- FLASH FLOOD STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC 101 AM EDT SUN JUL 18 2004 ...A FLASH FLOOD WARNING CONTINUES UNTIL 215 AM EDT FOR ROWAN COUNTY... AT 101 AM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER INDICATED THAT RAINFALL HAD DIMINISHED OVER ROWAN COUNTY. RUNOFF FROM EARLIER RAINFALL WILL CONTINUE FOR SOME TIME...AND RIVERS AND STREAMS ARE EXPECTED TO CONTINUE RISING. 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. LAT...LON 3581 8069 3551 8075 3552 8018 3581 8054 $$ JAT
000 WGUS72 KGSP 180612 FFSGSP NCC159-180615- FLASH FLOOD STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC 211 AM EDT SUN JUL 18 2004 ...THE FLASH FLOOD WARNING FOR ROWAN COUNTY WILL EXPIRE AT 215 AM EDT... NO ADDITIONAL REPORTS OF FLOODING HAVE BEEN RECEIVED FROM ROWAN COUNTY. LAT...LON 3581 8069 3551 8075 3552 8018 3581 8054 $$ TOMKO
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 17, 9:42 PM EDT, 1 hour 31 minutes earlier.
Area forecast discussion, Jul 17, 9:42 PM EDT, 1 hour 31 minutes before
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION...UPDATED NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC 942 PM EDT SAT JUL 17 2004 .SHORT TERM (REST OF TONIGHT)... WARM/MOIST GULF AIR MASS SPREADING N ACROSS AREA AT THIS TIME. IMPULSES ROUNDING EASTERN UPPER TROUGH SUPPORTING SEVERAL RAOUNDS OF CONVECTION. WILL UPDATE FOR RECENT CONVECTIVE TRENDS...RAISING POPS LEE OF MOUNTAINS TO LIKELY AND LOWERING THEM TO CHANCE IN MOUNTAINS. BAND OF WELL DEVELOPED CONVECTION APPROACHING I-77 CORRIDOR...WITH STRONGEST CELLS ABOUT TO EXIT UNION AND LAURENS COS. ANOTHER WEAKER LINE APPROACHING GSP FROM W...BUT ENCOUNTERING AIR THAT WAS WORKED OVER EARLIER. YET MORE CONVECTION IN SW NC MOVING SE. UPDATED WINDS...TEMPERATURES AND DEW POINTS FOR LATEST OBSERVATIONS. HAVE NOT ADJUSTED MINIMUM TEMPERATURES AS DEW POINTS SUGGEST FORECAST MIMIMUMS ON TRACK. CLOUD COVER APPEARS IN ORDER. && .PREVIOUS DISCUSSION... THE FOLLOWING WAS ORIGINALLY ISSUED AT 712 PM EDT SAT JUL 17 2004 SHORT TERM (REST OF TONIGHT)... UPDATING TO RAISE POPS TO CATEGORICAL MOUNTAINS AND LIKELY LEE PER RADAR TRENDS. MAIN PROBLEM APPEARS TO SHIFTING FROM SEVERE TO FLOOD POTENTIAL GIVEN TRAINING OF ECHOES UPSTATE SC AND FAR W NC. THE FOLLOWING WAS ORIGINALLY ISSUED AT 222 PM EDT SAT JUL 17 2004 SHORT TERM (TONIGHT THROUGH TUESDAY)... UPPER TROF OVER E US CONTINUES TO DIG SW...WITH MAIN AXIS W OF CWA. COLD ADVECTION INTO TROF WILL KEEP IT MAINLY W OF AREA FOR THE NEXT COUPLE DAYS...AFTER WHICH IT WILL SLOWLY MIGRATE E BUT STILL REMAIN NEAR THE COAST THROUGH MID WEEK. SFC BOUNDARY LIES JUST TO THE S AND IS EXPECTED TO MOVE SLOWLY N...EVENTUALLY AFFECTING THE S TO SE PART OF THE CWA...GENERALLY S OF I-85. ISOLD SEVERE TSTMS ARE POSSIBLE INTO THIS EVENING...MAINLY ALONG AND S OF THIS BOUNDARY. THE BOUNDARY IS FCST TO REMAIN ALONG THE SE PERIPHERY OF THE CWA THROUGH THIS EVENING THEN PUSH SLOWLY SE. DEPENDING ON WHERE IT MIGRATES TO WILL DETERMINE WHERE THE STRONGEST CONVECTION WILL OCCUR SUN AFTN- EVE. CURRENT MODELS HAVE FRONT SE OF AREA AND PUSH IT OUT TOWARD THE COAST SUN NIGHT. MON A LITTLE DRYER AS DEEPER MOISTURE STAYS FURTHER S AND E SO HAVE CHANCE POPS OVER N MTNS...SLIGHT CHANCE ELSEWHERE. WITH LITTLE MOISTURE TO WORK WITH...TUE GETS A SLIGHT CHANCE AFTN- EARLY EVE ACROSS CWA. LONG TERM (TUESDAY NIGHT THROUGH SATURDAY)... WILL USE THE 6Z GFS FOR DETAILS IN THE EXTENDED. LIFTING TROF AND WEAK SFC HIGH WILL REMAIN OVER THE CWA FOR WED AND THU. LIS REMAIN MAINLY POSITIVE AND WILL LIMIT POPS TO DIURNAL MTN SH/TS. FRI AND SAT...A SLOW MOVING FRONT WILL APPROACH FROM THE WEST...I DO EXPECT THE BOUNDARY WILL REMAIN WEST THROUGH SAT. HOWEVER...FLOW AHEAD OF THE FRONT WILL BRING UNSTABLE AIR OVER THE LOWER APPALACHIAN REGION. VERY LITTLE FORCING WILL BE NEEDED FOR A LEAST SCT SH/TS AND WILL USE CHC POPS WITH HIGHER CHCS OVER THE MTNS. WILL CLOSELY FOLLOW HPC AND MEX ENSEMBLE GUIDANCE FOR TEMPS AND DWPTS THROUGH THE EXTENDED. AVIATION... MOISTURE WILL INCREASE OVER THE FA THIS EVENING AND TONIGHT. WILL FORECAST SH WITH A MENTION OF CB AT ALL TERMINALS AFTER THE EARLY PERIOD OF THE TAF. ISENTROPIC LIFT...UPSLOPE...AND WEAK INSTABILITY SHOULD FUEL SH UNTIL 7Z. IFR TO LIFR CEILINGS AND FOG WILL BECOME POSSIBLE SUN MORNING DEPENDING ON THE AMOUNT OF RAINFALL. HOWEVER...WITH THIS PACKAGE WILL REMAIN CONSERVATIVE AND WILL ADOPT MVFR VIS CONDITIONS BETWEEN 9-12Z...EXCEPT KAND AND KAVL WILL TAKE VIS DOWN TO IFR. WEAK DOWNSLOPE FLOW SHOULD SCATTER OUT CEILINGS AND SFC FOG/HAZE SHORTLY AFTER SUNRISE. && .GSP WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... GA...NONE. NC...NONE. SC...NONE. && SHORT TERM (UPDATE)...JAT
Hazardous weather outlook, Jul 17, 5:59 AM EDT, 17 hours 14 minutes before
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC 559 AM EDT SAT JUL 17 2004 GAZ010-017-018-026-028-029-NCZ033>037-048>059-062>072-082-SCZ001>014- 019-181000- 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- 559 AM EDT SAT JUL 17 2004 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA... UPSTATE SOUTH CAROLINA...AND EXTREME NORTHEAST GEORGIA. .DAY ONE... THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED TO DEVELOP ACROSS THE REGION...MAINLY THIS AFTERNOON. AT THIS TIME...IT APPEARS THAT LACK OF INSTABILITY WILL BE A LIMITING FACTOR TO THE SEVERITY OF THE STORMS...ALTHOUGH SHEAR WILL BE RELATIVELY STRONG FOR THIS TIME OF YEAR. IF THE ATMOSPHERE BECOMES MORE UNSTABLE THAN EXPECTED...A FEW SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WOULD BE POSSIBLE. A SEVERE WEATHER OUTLOOK MAY BE ISSUED LATER THIS MORNING IF NEW DATA SUGGESTS THAT MORE INSTABILITY IS LIKELY TO DEVELOP. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN... MORE THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED SUNDAY AFTERNOON AND MONDAY AFTERNOON. THERE IS THE POSSIBILITY THAT A FEW OF THE STORMS COULD PRODUCE HAIL AND STRONG WIND GUSTS. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE REQUIRED. MOORE
In the hours before
Local storm report, Jul 17, 11:03 PM EDT, 10 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
1103 PM EDT SAT JUL 17 2004
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION...ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
1035 PM FLASH FLOOD CHARLOTTE 35.20N 80.83W
07/17/2004 MECKLENBURG NC FIRE DEPT/RESCUE
CHARLOTTE FIRE DEPARTMENT REPORTED SEVERAL INTERSECTIONS
IN CHARLOTTE METRO AREA FLOODED. MCALPINE CREEK AND SUGAR
CREEK WERE BOTH NEAR BANKFULL WITH CREWS ENROUTE TO
INSPECT LEVEL. EARLIER...TWO VEHICLES BECAME STRANDED IN
RAPIDLY RISING WATER...BUT OCCUPANTS HAD ESCAPED BEFORE
EMERGENCY CREWS ARRIVED.
&&
LAMBThe office that day
Everything else NWS Greenville-Spartanburg, SC issued on the same UTC day.
| Issued | Product | Office | Counties | Lasted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Jul 17, 11:00 PM EDT | Flash Flood Warning | GSP | Mecklenburg | 3 hr |
Nearby
Flash Flood Warnings in North 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.