Alert archive / North Carolina / Flash Flood Warnings in 2004

Flash Flood Warning 4, NWS Greenville-Spartanburg, SC

May 8, 2004Jackson County, North Carolina

NWS Greenville-Spartanburg, SC issued this flash flood warning at May 8, 2004, 7:20 PM EDT for Jackson County, North Carolina. It was in force for 115 min. No storm report in the archive falls inside the area while it was in force.

The area

The outline as issued.

The facts

Issued
May 8, 2004, 7:20 PM EDT (23:20 UTC)
Expired
May 8, 2004, 9:15 PM EDT
In force
115 min
Issued by
NWS Greenville-Spartanburg, SC
Area
Counties, with a storm outline in the text

County Jackson County, NC

The radar

The Greer radar (KGSP), 98 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 23:20 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 12:00Z, 11.3 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, Peachtre/Fal Fld, GA at 12:00Z on 2004-05-08Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 0 joules per kilogram.LCL10008507005003002001001 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, Peachtre/Fal Fld, GA at 12:00Z on 2004-05-08The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity -40 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
0 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
No buoyant parcel
Mixed-layer LCL
1995 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
11 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
-40 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
53 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 082321
FFWGSP
NCC099-090115-

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
FLASH FLOOD WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
720 PM EDT SAT MAY 8 2004

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG HAS ISSUED A

* FLASH FLOOD WARNING FOR...
  CENTRAL JACKSON COUNTY IN WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA

* UNTIL 915 PM EDT

* AT 715 PM EDT...WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED VERY HEAVY 
RAIN FALLING ACROSS THE CENTRAL PART OF JACKSON COUNTY. RADAR 
ESTIMATES THAT SEVERAL INCHES OF RAIN HAS FALLEN BETWEEN CULLOWHEE 
AND TUCKASEGEE. THE STORMS RESPONSIBLE FOR THE HEAVY RAIN HAVE SHOWN 
LITTLE MOVEMENT...AND ANOTHER INCH OF TWO OF RAIN IS POSSIBLE.

* THE HEAVIEST RAIN HAS FALLEN ACROSS THE TUCKASEGEE RIVER... 
CULLOWHEE CREEK AND TILLEY CREEK. SOME FLOODING WILL BE POSSIBLE 
ALONG STATE ROUTE 107.

EXCESSIVE RUNOFF FROM THIS STORM WILL CAUSE FLASH FLOODING OF CREEKS
AND STREAMS...ROADS AND ROADSIDE CULVERTS. THE HEAVY RAINS COULD ALSO
TRIGGER ROCK AND MUDSLIDES IN STEEP TERRAIN.

A FLASH FLOOD WARNING MEANS THAT FLOODING IS IMMINENT. IT IS
IMPORTANT TO KNOW WHERE YOU ARE RELATIVE TO STREAMS...RIVERS...OR
CREEKS WHICH CAN BECOME KILLERS IN HEAVY RAINS. CAMPERS SHOULD AVOID
CAMPING ALONG STREAMS OR CREEKS DURING THREATENING RAINS.

LAT...LON 3527 8331 3519 8316 3523 8306 3534 8305
          3538 8322

$$
MCAVOY
2 follow-up statements
000 
WGUS72 KGSP 090019
FFSGSP
NCC099-090115-

FLASH FLOOD STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
818 PM EDT SAT MAY 8 2004

...A FLASH FLOOD WARNING CONTINUES UNTIL 915 PM EDT FOR JACKSON
COUNTY...

COUNTY OFFICIALS REPORT THAT CULLOWHEE MOUNTAIN CREEK IS OUT OF ITS 
BANKS AND HAS CLOSED CULLOWHEE MOUNTAIN ROAD. WATER AND MUD HAS ALSO 
BEEN REPORTED ON ROADS IN THE TUCKASEGEE AREA.

AT 815 PM EDT WEATHER SERVICE RADAR INDICATED MODERATE RAIN OVER THE 
EXTREME WESTERN PART OF JACKSON COUNTY...WEST OF WHERE THE FLOODING 
HAS BEEN REPORTED. THE RAIN HAS MADE LITTLE EASTWARD PROGRESS AND IT 
PROBABLY WILL NOT AFFECT AREAS AROUND CULLOWHEE AND TUCKASEGEE THAT 
EARLIER SAW THE HEAVIEST RAIN. HOWEVER...ADDITIONAL SHOWERS AND 
THUNDERSTORMS COULD REDEVELOP OVER THE AREA AT ANY TIME.

PEOPLE IN THE WARNED AREA...ESPECIALLY CAMPERS...SHOULD MOVE TO
HIGHER GROUND NOW...DO NOT DELAY. WATER MAY RISE TOO QUICKLY FOR YOU
TO GET OUT OF DANGER LATER.

WHEN DRIVING ALONG ROADS WHERE THE TERRAIN IS STEEP OR ROCKY...REMAIN
ALERT FOR POSSIBLE ROCK OR MUD SLIDES DUE TO THE HEAVY RAIN.

$$
MCAVOY
000 
WGUS72 KGSP 090115
FFSGSP
NCC099-090130-

FLASH FLOOD STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
915 PM EDT SAT MAY 8 2004

...THE FLASH FLOOD WARNING WHICH WAS IN EFFECT FOR JACKSON COUNTY 
EXPIRED AT 915 PM EDT...

THUNDERSTORMS HAVE GREATLY DIMINISHED ACROSS JACKSON COUNTY...WHERE 
FLASH FLOODING WAS REPORTED EARLIER AROUND CULLOWHEE AND TUCKASEGEE. 
EVEN THOUGH STREAMS AND CREEKS WERE RECEDING...SOME ROADWAYS STILL 
MAY BE COVERED WITH WATER. MOTORISTS ARE ADVISED TO AVOID DRIVING 
THROUGH FLOODED ROADWAYS.

$$
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 May 8, 2:05 PM EDT, 5 hours 15 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, May 8, 2:05 PM EDT, 5 hours 15 minutes before
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
205 PM EDT SAT MAY 8 2004

.SHORT TERM...
UPPER RIDGE REMAINS STRONG OVER SE US NEXT COUPLE DAYS.
HOWEVER...BACKDOOR FRONT EGDING DOWN INTO CWA FROM THE NE...POSSIBLY
INITIATING CONVECTION. GFS APPEARS OVERDONE WITH QPF WHILE ETA AND
GFS DEVELOP CAPE VALUES OVER 3000 THIS AFTN. RUC IS NOT AS
HIGH...WITH CLT AND HKY CAPE COMING IN AT ABOUT 2300. LAPS SOUNDINGS
SHOW BULLSEYE OVER GSP DUE TO HIGHER DPS. IN ANY CASE THERE IS A
CHANCE OF LATE DAY TSTMS...ESPECIALLY VCNTY OF WEAK SFC BOUNDARY
THAT IS CURRENTLY DIPPING S OF VA-NC BORDER. RUC ALSO BRINGS WEAK
PVA INTO CWA FROM THE SW THIS EVE...SO WITH SFC HEATING AND DP VALS
EXPECTED IN THE LOW-MID 60S...SCATTERED TSTMS LOOK REASONABLE.
PATTERN DOES NOT SIGNIFICANTLY CHANGE THROUGH TUE AND ALTHOUGH UPPER
RIDGE REMAINS OVER REGION...ISOLATED TO SCATTERED LATE DAY TSTMS
REMAIN A POSSIBILITY...MAINLY OVER THE MTNS WHERE WEAK UPSLOPE IS
EXPECTED TO BE A FACTOR. TEMPS WILL COOL SLOWLY NEXT FEW DAYS AS
THKNS IS FCST TO DECREASE.

.LONG TERM...
LOW PRESSURE SHOULD BEGIN TO TAKE SHAPE OVER THE FOUR CORNERS EARLY
WED AS L/W TROUGH SWEEPS EAST ACROSS THE WESTERN ROCKIES. LOW WILL
DEEPEN OVER THE CENTRAL PLAINS WEDNESDAY NIGHT AND WILL QUICKLY MOVE
TO THE GREAT LAKES BY FRI AM. THE COLD FRONT ASSOCIATED WITH THE LOW
WILL MOVE EAST...REACHING THE LOWER APPALACHIANS BY SAT. IN THE
MEANTIME...SOUTH FLOW IN BETWEEN THE FRONT AND BERMUDA HIGH WILL
MAINTAIN A WARM AND MOIST FLOW OVER THE SE US. GFS LIS CONTINUE TO
SHOW UNSTABLE AIR MASS OVER THE REGION...WITH QUESTIONABLE FEATURES
ALOFT I CONTINUED TO SHOW FAVOR TO THE HIGHER TERRAIN FOR POPS/WX.
WILL INTRODUCE POPS ACROSS THE ENTIRE CWA SAT A FRONT PASSES THROUGH
THE REGION. COOLED DAYTIME TEMPS A FEW DEGREES TO ACCOUNT FOR
INCREASE IN CLOUDS...IN LINE WITH HPC/MEX GUIDANCE.
&&

.PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS...
GSP  63  87  62  85 /  30  10  10  10
AND  61  89  61  85 /  20  10  10  10
CLT  62  87  62  86 /  30  10  10  10
HKY  63  86  61  85 /  30  20  10  10
AVL  56  83  55  81 /  30  30  10  20
&&

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

RB/NED
Hazardous weather outlook, May 8, 5:52 AM EDT, 13 hours 28 minutes before
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
552 AM EDT SAT MAY 8 2004

GAZ010-017-018-026-028-029-NCZ033>037-048>059-062>072-082-SCZ001>014-
019-081200-
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-
552 AM EDT SAT MAY 8 2004

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

.DAY ONE...

SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED TO DEVELOP THIS AFTERNOON AND
EVENING ALONG A COLD FRONT. A FEW OF THE THUNDERSTORMS COULD PRODUCE
LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING WIND GUSTS...MAINLY OVER THE NORTH CAROLINA
FOOTHILLS AND PIEDMONT. FOR MORE INFORMATION...SEE THE SPECIAL
WEATHER STATEMENT ISSUED AT 358 AM.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...

NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE REQUIRED ACROSS PARTS OF NORTH CAROLINA
LATE TODAY.

MOORE

In the hours before

Special weather statement, May 8, 2:52 PM EDT, 4 hours 28 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
252 PM EDT SAT MAY 8 2004

GAZ010-NCZ033>037-048>059-062>072-082-SCZ001>010-012>014-090200-
ALEXANDER NC-ANDERSON SC-AVERY NC-BUNCOMBE NC-BURKE NC-CABARRUS NC-
CALDWELL NC-CATAWBA NC-CHEROKEE SC-CHESTER SC-CLEVELAND NC-DAVIE NC-
GASTON NC-GRAHAM NC-GREATER GREENVILLE SC-GREATER OCONEE SC-
GREATER PICKENS SC-GREENVILLE MOUNTAINS SC-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-SWAIN NC-TRANSYLVANIA NC-UNION SC-
UNION NC-YANCEY NC-YORK SC-
252 PM EDT SAT MAY 8 2004

A WEAK COLD FRONT WILL STALL OUT ACROSS THE CENTRAL PORTIONS OF NORTH
CAROLINA THIS AFTERNOON. SURFACE HEATING AND LOW LEVEL MOISTURE WILL
INTERACT TO PRODUCE ISOLATED TO SCATTERED SHOWERS AND
THUNDERSTORMS...FOR MUCH OF THE WESTERN CAROLINAS AND NORTHEAST
GEORGIA. ONE OR TWO STORMS COULD APPROACH SEVERE LEVELS.

THE MOST LIKELY AND EARLIEST LOCATIONS TO EXPERIENCE SEVERE WEATHER
THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING INCLUDE THE MOUNTAINS...FOOTHILLS AND
PIEDMONT OF NORTH CAROLINA...ESPECIALLY IN THE VICINITY OF THE
STALLED FRONT. THE CHANCE OF SEVERE WEATHER DROPS OFF RAPIDLY TO THE
SOUTH...ACROSS UPSTATE SOUTH CAROLINA...AND THE FOOTHILLS AND
PIEDMONT OF NORTHEAST GEORGIA.

ONE OTHER CONCERN REGARDING AFTERNOON SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS IS
THE POTENTIAL FOR ISOLATED FLASH FLOODING. ANY STORMS THAT DO DEVELOP
ARE EXPECTED TO BE SLOW MOVING...MEANING THEY COULD PRODUCE
EXCESSIVE RAINFALL AT ANY ONE LOCATION. IF CAUGHT IN THUNDERSTORMS
LATER TODAY...KEEP IN MIND THAT WATER LEVELS COULD RISE RAPIDLY IN
POOR DRAINAGE AREAS.

STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR YOUR FAVORITE MEDIA SOURCE FOR
THE LATEST WEATHER INFORMATION.

KRENTZ
Local storm report, May 8, 5:17 PM EDT, 2 hours 3 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
517 PM EDT SAT MAY 08 2004

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

0440 PM     TSTM WND GST     2 E WAYNESVILLE         35.48N 82.96W
05/08/2004  60 MPH           HAYWOOD            NC   PUBLIC

            EDGE OF WAYNESVILLE TOWARD HOSPITAL

0435 PM     HAIL             CLYDE                   35.53N 82.91W
05/08/2004  0.88 INCH        HAYWOOD            NC   PUBLIC

            FOLLOWED BY PENNY HAIL 10 MINUTES LATER

&&

JONES
Local storm report, May 8, 5:41 PM EDT, 1 hour 39 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
541 PM EDT SAT MAY 08 2004

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

0537 PM     HAIL             CANTON                  35.55N 82.84W
05/08/2004  1.00 INCH        HAYWOOD            NC   PUBLIC

            PUBLIC REPORT VIA CELL PHONE OF LOTS OF PENNY TO QUARTER
            SIZE HAIL BEATING UP CARS. ALSO LOCAL FLOODING OF ROADS
            AND TERRIBLE LIGHTNING.

&&

JONES
Local storm report, May 8, 7:00 PM EDT, 20 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
700 PM EDT SAT MAY 08 2004

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

0520 PM     HAIL             TUCKASEGEE              35.27N 83.12W
05/08/2004  1.75 INCH        JACKSON            NC   PUBLIC

            PUBLIC REPORTED THROUGH 911

&&

JONES

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
May 8, 3:52 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningGSPHaywood53 min
May 8, 5:23 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningGSPHaywood37 min
May 8, 5:48 PM EDTFlash Flood WarningGSPHaywood3 hr
May 8, 6:11 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningGSPJackson49 min

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.