Alert archive / North Carolina / Flash Flood Warnings in 2004

Flash Flood Warning 41, NWS Greenville-Spartanburg, SC

July 25, 2004Jackson County, North Carolina

NWS Greenville-Spartanburg, SC issued this flash flood warning at Jul 25, 2004, 5:10 PM EDT for Jackson 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 25, 2004, 5:10 PM EDT (21:10 UTC)
Expired
Jul 25, 2004, 8:00 PM EDT
In force
3 hr
Issued by
NWS Greenville-Spartanburg, SC
Area
Counties, with a storm outline in the text

County Jackson County, NC

The radar

The Knoxville radar (KMRX), 94 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 21:10 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, 9.2 hours before the alert went out and 251 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 2004-07-25Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 357 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 2004-07-25The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity -13 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
357 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-99 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
1173 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
2 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
-13 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
21 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 252111
FFWGSP
NCC099-260000-

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
FLASH FLOOD WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
510 PM EDT SUN JUL 25 2004

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG HAS ISSUED A

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

* UNTIL 800 PM EDT

* AT 510 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED   
TORRENTIAL RAIN FROM A STATIONARY THUNDERSTORM NEAR SYLVA. THIS 
RAINFALL WILL LIKELY LEAD TO FLASH FLOODING.

* OTHER LOCATIONS IN THE WARNING INCLUDE BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO
  CULLOWHEE AND BALSAM.

AT 510 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED 
THAT A LARGE AREA BETWEEN THE TOWNS OF SYLVA AND BALSAM HAS ALREADY 
RECEIVED OVER TWO TO THREE INCHES OF RAIN. BY 600 PM EDT...AN 
ADDITIONAL INCH TO INCH AND A HALF WILL FALL OVER THE SAME AREA. 
ONGOING RUNOFF AND ADDITIONAL RUNOFF WILL LIKELY LEAD TO FLOODING 
WITHIN THE SCOTT CREEK BASIN. OTHER AREAS...SUCH AS URBAN AND 
LOW-LYING AREAS WILL LIKELY FLOOD AS WELL. 

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 CREEKS
AND STREAMS...ROADS AND ROADSIDE CULVERTS. THE HEAVY RAINS COULD ALSO
TRIGGER ROCK AND MUDSLIDES IN STEEP TERRAIN.

LAT...LON 3544 8334 3533 8333 3525 8329 3511 8298
      3528 8292 3541 8305 3551 8322

$$

NED
1 follow-up statement
000 
WGUS72 KGSP 252231
FFSGSP
NCC099-260000-

FLASH FLOOD STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
630 PM EDT SUN JUL 25 2004

...A FLASH FLOOD WARNING CONTINUES UNTIL 800 PM EDT FOR JACKSON
COUNTY...

THE JACKSON COUNTY DISPATCH CENTER REPORTED NUMEROUS CREEKS AND 
STREAMS OUT OF THEIR BANKS IN THE CITY OF SYLVA. SOME ROADS MAY BE 
CLOSED DUE TO FLOODING STREAM AND CREEKS...ESPECIALLY NEAR COPE 
CREEK. 

THROUGH 730 PM EDT...LIGHT TO MODERATE RAIN WILL CONTINUE OVER THE 
NORTHERN HALF OF JACKSON COUNTY. BY 730 PM...AN ADDITION 1/4 TO 3/4 
OF AN INCH OF RAIN IS EXPECTED NORTH OF A LINE FROM THE TOWN OF GAY 
TO TUCKASEGEE. THIS ADDITIONAL RAINFALL ALONG WITH CONTINUE RUNOFF 
WILL LIKELY KEEP LEVELS AND FLOW OF AREAS STREAMS AND CREEKS 
ELEVATED. IN ADDITION...ROCK AND MUD SLIDES WILL REMAIN POSSIBLE 
INTO THE EARLY EVENING HOURS. 

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 3544 8334 3533 8333 3525 8329 3511 8298
      3528 8292 3541 8305 3551 8322

$$

NED

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 25, 2:59 PM EDT, 2 hours 11 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jul 25, 2:59 PM EDT, 2 hours 11 minutes before
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
259 PM EDT SUN JUL 25 2004

.SHORT TERM (TONIGHT THROUGH WEDNESDAY)...
THE SURFACE PATTERN THIS AFTN IS DOMINATED BY TROUGHS ALONG THE COAST
AND JUST WEST OF THE APPALACHIANS...WHILE RIDGING CONT EAST OF THE
MTN CHAIN WITH A PERSISTENT NE FLOW. KGSP VAD WIND PROFILE SHOWS
THREE GATES OF EASTERLY FLOW NEAR THE GROUND...BUT SHORT RANGE MODELS
INDICATE ONLY SLIGHT IMPROVEMENT IN THE UPSLOPE COMPONENT THROUGH THE
OVERNIGHT HOURS. THUS...BEST COVERAGE THROUGH THE TONIGHT PERIOD
SHOULD COME TOGETHER OVER THE HIGHER TERRAIN WITH CONVECTION STEERED
TOWARD THE MTN CHAIN FROM ERN TN...AND THEN WEAK UPSLOPE TRIGGERING
ALONG THE ERN ESCARPMENT. PRECIPITATION AMOUNTS SHOULD BE GREATEST
NEAR THE TN BORDER THIS EVENING WHERE HIGHER INSTABILITY WILL YIELD
GREATER PRECIP RATES.

FLOW VEERS SRLY TOMORROW THROUGH TUESDAY NIGHT AHEAD OF LOW PRESSURE
RIDING NORTHWARD ALONG THE FRONT TOWARD THE OH VALLEY. THIS WILL
RESULT IN AN INCREASED FLOW OF GULF MOISTURE INTO THE REGION AND
IMPROVING S TO SW UPSLOPE FLOW. THE PROXIMITY OF THE UPPER JET
STREAK MAY FINALLY START TO LEND SOME UPPER DIVERGENCE TO THE MIX BY
MONDAY NIGHT...BUT A STRONG WEST TO EAST GRADIENT OF POPS IS STILL
EXPECTED WITH THE HEAVY RAINFALL THREAT CONFINED MAINLY TO THE
MTNS. WILL ADJUST THE ESF TO INCLUDE ONLY THE MTN COUNTIES AND ONE
TIER OF ADJACENT FOOTHILL COUNTIES THROUGH TUESDAY.

FROPA IS TENTATIVELY SLATED FOR TUE NIGHT. THE DEGREE OF DRYING
THROUGH WED IS QUESTIONABLE AS BOUNDARY COULD STALL IN...OR JUST
EAST OF THE FORECAST AREA.
&&

.LONG TERM (WEDNESDAY NIGHT THROUGH SUNDAY)...
SFC BNDRY IS FORECAST TO DISSIPATE ACRS THE CAROLINAS ON DAY 4 AND
MODEL CONSENSUS IS FOR ATLANTIC RIDGING TO BEGIN BUILDING WESTWARD
INTO THE MID-ATLANTIC AND SOUTHEAST U.S. AT THE END OF THE WORK WEEK.
FOR NEXT WEEKEND...THIS RIDGE WILL BECOME THE DOMINANT WX FEATURE
WITH THE CWFA ASSUMING A FAIRLY TYPICAL SUMMERTIME ORIENTATION...
COMING UNDER IT/S WESTWARD EXTENDING NOSE. MOIST SOUTHEAST FLOW LOOKS
TO  EVOLVE INTO AN INCREASINGLY DEEP AND MOIST SOUTHERLY FLOW
HEADING INTO THE WEEKEND...WHICH USUALLY RESULTS IN ABOVE NORMAL
CONVECTIVE ACTIVITY. MAX TEMPS FOR DAY 4-7 ARE EXPECTED TO BE NEAR
IF NOT JUST A TOUCH BELOW NORMAL.
&&

.AVIATION...
LACK OF OBVIOUS TRIGGERING MECHANISM THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING WILL
RESULT IN A LIMITING OF ANY THUNDER CHANCES TO JUST KAVL. HAVE
DELAYED ONSET OF NOCTURNAL STRATCU CIGS FOR THE UPSTATE TAFS UNTIL
THE OVERNIGHT WITH ETA MODEL TIMEHEIGHT CROSS SECTIONS DELAYING
NOTABLE MOISTENING WITHIN 1000-850 MB LAYER UNTIL GENERALLY AFTER
06Z. CONSENSUS AMONG 12Z SHORT RANGE MODELS THAT THREAT OF IFR CIGS
BECOMING MORE PROBABLE...SO HAVE ADDED AT LEAST A PERIOD OF LOW CIGS
ADVECTING IN FROM NNE TO AS FAR SOUTHWEST AS KGSP THRU DAYBREAK.
NOMINAL CHANGES TO EARLIER VSBY RESTRICTIONS SINCE CONFIDENCE
REMAINS LOW FOR ADDITIONAL PCPN AT ANY TERMINALS THIS AFTERNOON OR
EVENING.
&&

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

SHORT TERM...HG
LONG TERM/AVIATION...CSH
Hazardous weather outlook, Jul 25, 5:15 AM EDT, 11 hours 55 minutes before
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
515 AM EDT SUN JUL 25 2004

GAZ010-017-018-026-028-029-NCZ033>037-048>059-062>072-082-SCZ001>014-
019-260906-
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-
515 AM EDT SUN JUL 25 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 OVER THE MOUNTAINS
AND FOOTHILLS OF THE WESTERN CAROLINAS AND NORTHEAST GEORGIA THIS
AFTERNOON. THE THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE VERY SLOW MOVING...AND SOME
LOCATIONS WILL SEE LOCALLY VERY HEAVY RAIN. THE SCATTERED
THUNDERSTORMS WILL CONTINUE OVER THE MOUNTAINS FOOTHILLS MUCH OF THE
NIGHT.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...
NUMEROUS SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED OVER THE REGION
MONDAY THROUGH TUESDAY. WITH A MOIST ATMOSPHERE AND WEAK WINDS
ALOFT...THE STORMS WILL BE VERY SLOW MOVING. A FEW AREAS WILL LIKELY
SEE SEVERAL INCHES OF RAIN...AND SOME ISOLATED FLOODING AND FLASH
FLOODING MAY DEVELOP.

THERE WILL BE A CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS AGAIN ACROSS THE REGION ON
THURSDAY AND FRIDAY...AND IN THE MOUNTAINS ON SATURDAY.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...
SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE NEEDED THIS AFTERNOON...MAINLY TO REPORT
RAINFALL AMOUNTS AND MONITOR STREAM LEVELS.

MCAVOY

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Jul 25, 4:40 PM EDTFlash Flood WarningGSPHaywood3 hr
Jul 25, 4:40 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningGSPJackson65 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.