Alert archive / North Carolina / Flash Flood Warnings in 2004

Flash Flood Warning 42, NWS Greenville-Spartanburg, SC

July 25, 2004Jackson County, North Carolina

NWS Greenville-Spartanburg, SC issued this flash flood warning at Jul 25, 2004, 8:08 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, 8:08 PM EDT (00:08 UTC)
Expired
Jul 25, 2004, 10:45 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), 89 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 00:11 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, 0.1 hours before the alert went out and 252 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 2004-07-26Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 266 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 00:00Z on 2004-07-26The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity -10 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
266 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-29 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
1762 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
7 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
-10 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
8 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 260010
FFWGSP
NCC099-260245-

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

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG HAS REISSUED A

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

* UNTIL 1045 PM EDT

* AT 752 PM EDT...THE JACKSON COUNTY DISPATCH REPORTED ONGOING   
FLOODING WITHIN AND AROUND THE TOWN OF SYLVA. AREAS ALONG COPE AND 
SCOTT CREEKS HAVE SEVERAL ROADS COVERED IN WATER...WITH SECTIONS OF 
COPE CREEK ROAD WASHED OUT. ALSO...URBAN FLOODING HAS RESULTED FROM 
CLOGGED CULVERTS AND ROADSIDE DRAINAGE. 

AT 805 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A 
CLUSTER OF SHOWERS AND ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS OVER MACON COUNTY. 
THIS CLUSTER IS EXPECTED TO CONTINUE TO MOVE NORTHEAST AT 15 
MPH...REACHING CENTRAL JACKSON COUNTY BY 900 PM. THESE SHOWERS AND 
THUNDERSTORMS MAY RESULT IN AN ADDITIONAL 1/4 TO 3/4 ON AN INCH 
OVER THE NORTHERN HALF OF THE COUNTY. THIS ADDITIONAL RAINFALL WILL 
LIKELY EXTENDED THE PERIOD OF FLOODING WATERS. PERSONS NEAR COPE AND 
SCOTT CREEKS SHOULD MONITOR LEVELS FREQUENTLY FOR RISING WATER.

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

LAT...LON 3544 8337 3515 8320 3535 8299 3552 8323

$$

NED
2 follow-up statements
000 
WGUS72 KGSP 260158
FFSGSP
NCC099-260245-

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

...A FLASH FLOOD WARNING CONTINUES UNTIL 1045 PM EDT FOR JACKSON
COUNTY...

AT 940 PM EDT...THE JACKSON COUNTY DISPATCHED WAS NOT AWARE OF ANY 
NEW DEVELOPING FLOODING. HOWEVER...FLOODING IS ONGOING WITHIN AND 
NEAR THE TOWN OF SYLVA. WATER CONTINUES TO COVER PORTIONS OF COPE 
CREEK ROAD EAST OF TOWN.

AT 955 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED 
THAT RAINFALL OVER JACKSON COUNTY HAS TAPERED OFF TO PATCHES OF 
LIGHT RAIN AND SPRINKLES. ANOTHER AREA OF RAIN OVER GRAHAM AND SWAIN 
COUNTIES WILL PUSH EAST THIS EVENING...POSSIBLY REACHING THE 
NORTHERN HALF OF THE COUNTY BY 1030 PM. THIS AREA OF RAIN IS 
EXPECTED TO RESULT IN AN ADDITIONAL TENTH TO QUARTER OF AN INCH 
ALONG AND NORTH OF A LINE FROM THE TOWN OF GAY TO SYLVA TO BALSAM. 
ANY ADDITIONAL RAINFALL WILL SLOWLY THE RATE OF THE RECEDING WATER 
LEVELS. MORE IMPORTANTLY...THE ADDITIONAL RAINFALL AT NIGHT WILL 
MAKE IT HARDER TO RECOGNIZE THE DEPTH OF THE WATER COVERING THE 
ROAD...TURN AROUND IF YOU ENCOUNTER ANY WATER.

LAT...LON 3544 8337 3515 8320 3535 8299 3552 8323

$$

NED
000 
WGUS72 KGSP 260248
FFSGSP
NCC099-260255-

FLASH FLOOD STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
1047 PM EDT SUN JUL 25 2004

...THE FLASH FLOOD WARNING HAS BEEN ALLOWED TO EXPIRED AT 1045 PM 
EDT FOR JACKSON COUNTY...

AT 1045 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED 
THAT RAINFALL HAS TAPERED TO SPRINKLES AND PATCHY LIGHT RAIN 
SHOWERS. LEVELS OF STREAMS AND CREEKS WILL CONTINUE TO RECEDED AND 
ADDITIONAL FLOODING IS UNLIKELY. 

LAT...LON 3544 8337 3515 8320 3535 8299 3552 8323

$$

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, 8:08 PM EDT, 0 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jul 25, 8:08 PM EDT, 0 minutes before
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION...UPDATED
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
808 PM EDT SUN JUL 25 2004

.SHORT TERM (REST OF TONIGHT)...
SHORTWAVE APPROACHING W MTNS IS EXPECTED TO KEEP CONVECTION GOING
THROUGH THE EVENING HOURS. WILL UPDATE TO EXPAND LIKELY COVERAGE
ACROSS THE NC MOUNTAINS THROUGH THIS EVENING.
&&

.PREVIOUS DISCUSSION...
THE FOLLOWING WAS ORIGINALLY ISSUED AT 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 (UPDATE)...RB
Hazardous weather outlook, Jul 25, 5:15 AM EDT, 14 hours 53 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

In the hours before

Local storm report, Jul 25, 5:17 PM EDT, 2 hours 51 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
517 PM EDT SUN JUL 25 2004

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

0450 PM     TSTM WND DMG     SYLVA                   35.37N 83.22W
07/25/2004                   JACKSON            NC   EMERGENCY MNGR

            A COUPLE OF TREES DOWN IN THE TOWN OF SYLVA.

&&

NED
Local storm report, Jul 25, 6:09 PM EDT, 1 hour 59 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
609 PM EDT SUN JUL 25 2004

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

0450 PM     FLASH FLOOD      5 WSW WAYNESVILLE       35.46N 83.08W
07/25/2004                   HAYWOOD            NC   EMERGENCY MNGR

            DISPATCH CENTER REPORTED A MUDSLIDE AT SAUNOOK F.D. HAD
            RESULTED IN SOME INTERIOR DAMAGE. HIGH WATER ROSE ABOUT 3
            FEET ON SIDE OF BUILDING. VALLEYBROOK TRAILER PARK ON
            ALLENS CREEK REPORTED MINOR FLOODING DUE TO CREEK OUT OF
            BANKS. MOST PROBLEMS HAVE BEEN CONFINED TO BALSAM GAP
            AREA...IN WESTERN PORTION OF COUNTY.

0540 PM     FLASH FLOOD      SYLVA                   35.37N 83.22W
07/25/2004                   JACKSON            NC   LAW ENFORCEMENT

            DISPATCH CENTER REPORTED NUMEROUS CREEKS OUT OF BANKS IN
            CITY OF SYLVA. COPE CREEK HAS FLOODED SEVERAL ROADS...ONE
            OF WHICH HAS PROMPTED D.O.T. TO CLOSE A ROAD. ALSO A FEW
            POWER OUTAGES DUE TO WET GROUND AND WIND.

&&

LAMB
Local storm report, Jul 25, 6:28 PM EDT, 1 hour 40 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
628 PM EDT SUN JUL 25 2004

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

0500 PM     TSTM WND DMG     1 E MARS HILL           35.83N 82.53W
07/25/2004                   MADISON            NC   EMERGENCY MNGR

            DISPATCHER RELAYED REPORT FROM EMERGENCY MANAGER OF
            SEVERAL TREES DOWN ON CALIFORNIA CREEK RD. ALSO AT LEAST
            ONE ROOF BLOWN OFF A BARN. CALIFORNIA CREEK CAME OUT OF
            BANKS TEMPORARILY...SPREADING MUD ONTO ADJACENT ROAD. HAS
            SINCE RECEDED.

&&

LAMB

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.