Alert archive / North Carolina / Flash Flood Warnings in 2004

Flash Flood Warning 43, NWS Greenville-Spartanburg, SC

July 26, 2004Madison County, North Carolina

NWS Greenville-Spartanburg, SC issued this flash flood warning at Jul 26, 2004, 10:52 PM EDT for Madison County, North Carolina. It was in force for 6 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 26, 2004, 10:52 PM EDT (02:52 UTC)
Expired
Jul 27, 2004, 4:30 AM EDT
In force
6 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 02:52 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, 2.9 hours before the alert went out and 256 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, Greensboro/Hi Pt, NC at 00:00Z on 2004-07-27Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 432 joules per kilogram.LCLEL10008507005003002001001 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, Greensboro/Hi Pt, NC at 00:00Z on 2004-07-27The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 7 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
432 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-5 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
1142 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
21 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
7 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
53 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
0.1

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

000 
WGUS52 KGSP 270252
FFWGSP
NCC115-270830-

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
FLASH FLOOD WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
1052 PM EDT MON JUL 26 2004

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG HAS ISSUED A

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

* UNTIL 430 AM EDT

* AT 1050 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR        
INDICATED A BAND OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ALONG THE WESTERN HALF 
OF MADISON COUNTY. THIS BAND WILL SLOWLY PUSH EAST AND WILL ALLOW 
PERSISTENT PERIODS OF MODERATE TO HEAVY RAIN TO AFFECT THE COUNTY. 
AT 1050 PM EDT...RADAR RAINFALL ESTIMATES THAT BETWEEN HALF TO INCH 
AND THREE QUARTERS OF AN INCH HAS ALREADY FALLEN FROM SPRING CREEK 
TO WALNUT TO RICHLAND MOUNTAIN.

AS RAINFALL AND RUNOFF CONTINUES LEVELS OF SMALL STREAMS AND CREEKS 
WILL STEADILY RISE...ESPECIALLY WITHIN THE LITTLE LAUREL AND BIG 
CREEK AREAS. IN ADDITION...THE EXCESSIVE RAINFALL WILL LIKELY 
TRIGGER MUD AND ROCK SLIDES IN STEEP TERRAIN. BY MIDNIGHT...A LARGE 
PORTION OF THE COUNTY IS EXPECTED TO RECEIVE AN ADDITIONAL INCH TO 
INCH AND A HALF OF RAIN. THIS ADDITIONAL RAINFALL WILL LIKELY SPREAD 
THE FLASH FLOODING THREAT FURTHER EAST THROUGH THE EARLY MORNING 
HOURS.    

DRIVING IN MODERATE TO HEAVY RAIN AT NIGHT WILL MAKE IT HARDER TO 
RECOGNIZE THE DEPTH OF THE WATER COVERING THE ROAD...TURN AROUND IF 
YOU ENCOUNTER ANY 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 3590 8291 3575 8272 3592 8249 3608 8266

$$

NED
4 follow-up statements
000 
WGUS72 KGSP 270426
FFSGSP
NCC115-270830-

FLASH FLOOD STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
1226 AM EDT TUE JUL 27 2004

...A FLASH FLOOD WARNING CONTINUES UNTIL 430 AM EDT FOR MADISON
COUNTY...

THE MADISON COUNTY DISPATCH REPORTED THAT LEVELS OF SEVERAL CREEKS 
AND STREAMS ARE RISING WITH SOME AREAS FLOODING. PERSONS NEAR SMALL 
CREEKS AND STREAMS SHOULD FREQUENTLY MONITOR LEVELS FOR RAPID 
INCREASES. AT 1225 AM EDT...THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RADAR 
ESTIMATED THAT AREAS BETWEEN THE TOWNS OF LUCK AND WALNUT HAVE 
RECEIVED TWO AND A HALF TO THREE AND A HALF INCHES OF RAINFALL SINCE 
1030 PM.

OTHER LOCATIONS IN THE WARNING INCLUDE BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO
WHITEROCK...WALNUT...FAUST AND ALLENSTAND.

PERIODS OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL CONTINUE ACROSS THE COUNTY 
THROUGH THE EARLY MORNING HOURS. HOURLY RAINFALL RATES OF A QUARTER 
TO THREE QUARTERS OF AN INCH AN HOUR WILL CONTINUE ACROSS THE COUNTY 
THROUGH 130 AM EDT. THIS ADDITIONAL RAINFALL WILL LIKELY LEAD TO NEW 
FLOODING OF SMALL STREAM AND CREEKS. IN ADDITION...RAPID RUNOFF WILL 
TRIGGER MUD AND ROCK SLIDES ON STEEP TERRAIN...POSSIBLY DAMAGING 
BUILDINGS AND AFFECTING ROADS. 

MOST FLOOD RELATED DEATHS OCCUR IN AUTOMOBILES. DRIVING AT NIGHT 
DURING MODERATE TO HEAVY RAIN WILL MAKE IT HARDER TO RECOGNIZE THE 
DEPTH OF THE WATER COVERING THE ROAD...TURN AROUND IF YOU ENCOUNTER 
ANY WATER. DO NOT ATTEMPT TO CROSS WATER COVERED BRIDGES...DIPS...OR 
LOW WATER CROSSINGS. NEVER TRY TO CROSS A FLOWING STREAM...EVEN A 
SMALL ONE...ON FOOT. TO ESCAPE RISING WATER MOVE UP TO HIGHER GROUND.

TO REPORT FLOODING...HAVE THE NEAREST LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCY RELAY
YOUR REPORT TO THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FORECAST OFFICE IN
GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG.

LAT...LON 3590 8291 3575 8272 3592 8249 3608 8266

$$

NED
000 
WGUS72 KGSP 270543
FFSGSP
NCC115-270830-

FLASH FLOOD STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
142 AM EDT TUE JUL 27 2004

...A FLASH FLOOD WARNING CONTINUES UNTIL 430 AM EDT FOR MADISON
COUNTY...

THE MADISON COUNTY DISPATCH REPORTED THAT LEVELS OF SEVERAL CREEKS 
AND STREAMS ARE FLOODING...ESPECIALLY NEAR WALNUT AND MARSHALL. 
PERSONS NEAR SMALL CREEKS AND STREAMS SHOULD FREQUENTLY MONITOR 
LEVELS FOR RAPID INCREASES. AT 140 AM EDT...THE NATIONAL WEATHER 
SERVICE RADAR ESTIMATED THAT MOST OF MADISON COUNTY HAS RECEIVED 
OVER AN INCH OF RAIN WITH AREAS BETWEEN THE TOWNS OF LUCK AND WALNUT 
SEEING THREE TO FOUR INCHES SINCE 1030 PM.

OTHER LOCATIONS IN THE WARNING INCLUDE BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO
WHITEROCK...WALNUT...FAUST AND ALLENSTAND.

PERIODS OF RAIN AND ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS WILL CONTINUE ACROSS THE 
COUNTY THROUGH THE EARLY MORNING HOURS. HOURLY RAINFALL RATES OF A 
TENTH TO A QUARTER OF AN INCH AN HOUR WILL CONTINUE ACROSS THE 
COUNTY THROUGH 3 AM EDT. ANY ADDITIONAL RAINFALL WILL PROLONG THE 
PERIOD OF FLOODING WATER AND MAY RESULT IN NEW FLOODING.  IN 
ADDITION...ADDITIONAL RUNOFF MAY TRIGGER MUD OR ROCK SLIDES ON STEEP 
TERRAIN. 

MOST FLOOD RELATED DEATHS OCCUR IN AUTOMOBILES. DRIVING AT NIGHT 
DURING RAIN AND FOG WILL MAKE IT HARDER TO RECOGNIZE THE DEPTH OF 
THE WATER COVERING THE ROAD...TURN AROUND IF YOU ENCOUNTER ANY 
WATER. DO NOT ATTEMPT TO CROSS WATER COVERED BRIDGES...DIPS...OR LOW 
WATER CROSSINGS. NEVER TRY TO CROSS A FLOWING STREAM...EVEN A SMALL 
ONE...ON FOOT. TO ESCAPE RISING WATER MOVE UP TO HIGHER GROUND.

LAT...LON 3590 8291 3570 8272 3583 8245 3608 8266

$$

NED
000 
WGUS72 KGSP 270656
FFSGSP
NCC115-270830-

FLASH FLOOD STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
256 AM EDT TUE JUL 27 2004

...A FLASH FLOOD WARNING CONTINUES UNTIL 430 AM EDT FOR MADISON
COUNTY...

AT 256 AM EDT...RAINFALL WAS DIMINISHING OVER MADISON COUNTY. RUNOFF 
FROM EARLIER RAINFALL WILL CONTINUE...CAUSING WATER LEVELS IN 
STREAMS AND CREEKS TO REMAIN HIGH.

BE ESPECIALLY CAUTIOUS AT NIGHT WHEN IT IS HARDER TO RECOGNIZE THE
DANGERS OF FLOODING. 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 3590 8291 3570 8272 3583 8245 3608 8266

$$

07
000 
WGUS72 KGSP 270825
FFSGSP
NCC115-270830-

FLASH FLOOD STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
425 AM EDT TUE JUL 27 2004

...THE FLASH FLOOD WARNING FOR MADISON COUNTY WILL EXPIRE AT 430 AM
EDT...

RAINFALL HAD DIMINISHED AND WATER LEVELS WERE RECEDING IN MADISON 
COUNTY.

LAT...LON 3590 8291 3570 8272 3583 8245 3608 8266

$$

07

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 26, 9:50 PM EDT, 1 hour 2 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jul 26, 9:50 PM EDT, 1 hour 2 minutes before
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION...UPDATED
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
950 PM EDT MON JUL 26 2004

.SHORT TERM (REST OF TONIGHT)...
WEAK UPPER LEVEL DIVERGENCE AHEAD OF JET/UPPER TROF APPROACHING AREA
BRINGING UVV AND IS EXPECTED TO KEEP SHOWERS AND SCATTERED
THUNDERSTORMS GOING OVERNIGHT. FORECAST IN GOOD SHAPE DECREASING
CONVECTION IN THE EAST AFTER MIDNIGHT. WILL UPDATE MAINLY TO CLEAN UP
WORDING.
&&

.PREVIOUS DISCUSSION...
THE FOLLOWING WAS ORIGINALLY ISSUED AT 209 PM EDT MON JUL 26 2004

SHORT TERM (TONIGHT THROUGH TUESDAY...
SURFACE FRONT ACROSS CWA CONTINUES TO DISSIPATE AHEAD OF MAJOR
IMPULSE MOVING INTO THE SOUTHEAST DURING THE EARLY PART OF THE WEEK.
FAIRLY GOOD UPSLOPE AHEAD OF FRONT INCREASING CONVECTIVE COVERAGE
OVER THE AREA.  AS FRONT APPROACHES POPS CONTINUE TO RISE.  PRECIP
WATER NEARING TWO INCHES COMBINED WITH LOW WINDS COULD PRODUCE
FLOODING IN HIGHER TERRAIN...SO WATCH WILL REMAIN IN EFFECT UNTIL
TUESDAY AFTERNOON FOR THE MTNS.

LONG TERM (WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY)...
LATEST GFS ENSEMBLE SLOWS AND WEAKENS FRONTAL BOUNDARY AS IT MOVES
INTO EASTERN PARTS OF THE CAROLINAS.  SO BACK SIDE OF CONVECTIVE
BOUNDARY IS NOT AS WELL DEFINED AS IT WAS ON PREVIOUS RUNS.  MODELS
CONSISTENTLY KEEP PRECIP IN EASTERN PARTS OF CWA AND GFS KEEPS ENTIRE
AREA WET THROUGH THE WEEKEND.  SINCE THE ODDS OF THE FRONT MOVING
SOUTH OF US KEEP GETTING LOWER...I PUT LOW POP PRECIP IN THE PIEDMONT
AND FOOTHILLS FOR WEDNESDAY. CHANCE POPS FOR THE REST OF THE WEEK.

AVIATION...
CONVECTION WILL BE ON THE INCREASE EARLY IN THE TAF PERIOD AS WEAK
ISENTROPIC UPGLIDE CONTINUES INTO THE REGION...AND GIVEN AN ASSIST
FOR PRECIPITATION PRODUCTION BY A WEAK SHORTWAVE TRAVERSING THE
REGION. MOST TAF SITES GET A TEMPO GROUP FOR LATE AFTERNOON/EARLY
EVENING...ALTHOUGH CONVECTION COULD VERY WELL LINGER INTO THE
PREDAWN AT CLT. DURING THE PREDAWN HOURS...PERIODS OF IFR CEILINGS
AND/OR VISIBILITIES WERE ADVERTISED AT ALL TAF SITES EXCEPT CLT.
IN THE PREDAWN HOURS...ANOTHER ROUND OF CONVECTION WAS ADVERTISED IN
TEMPO GROUPS FOR AVL...AND...GSP AND GMU IN CONTINUED WEAK UPGLIDE
REGIME AND WITH OUR FORECAST AREA DIRECTLY IN THE RIGHT ENTRANCE
REGION OF UPPER JET...ENHANCING UPPER DIVERGENCE. WIDESPREAD SHOWERS
AND ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS SHOULD BE ONGOING AS THE OUTLOOK PERIOD
BEGINS...WITH CONVECTION DEGRADED TO TEMPOS LATE IN THE MORNING
AHEAD OF A DEEPENING EASTERN TROF AND APPROACH OF A COLD FRONT THAT
SHOULD RESULT IN WIDESPREAD CONVECTION AT ALL TAF SITES IN THE 18Z
TO 24Z TIME FRAME TUESDAY.
&&

.GSP WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
GA...NONE.
NC...FLOOD WATCH FOR ZONES NCZ033-048>053-058-059-062>065 THROUGH
     TUESDAY.
SC...NONE.
&&

SHORT TERM (UPDATE)...RB
Hazardous weather outlook, Jul 26, 5:41 AM EDT, 17 hours 11 minutes before
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
541 AM EDT MON JUL 26 2004

GAZ010-017-018-026-028-029-NCZ033>037-048>059-062>072-082-SCZ001>014-
019-270940-
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-
541 AM EDT MON JUL 26 2004

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

.DAY ONE...
SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE WIDESPREAD ACROSS THE MOUNTAINS AND
FOOTHILLS TODAY AND TONIGHT...WITH A LITTLE LESS COVERAGE FARTHER TO
THE EAST. LOCALLY HEAVY RAIN WILL BE POSSIBLE...AND A FLOOD WATCH IS
IN EFFECT FOR THE NORTH CAROLINA MOUNTAINS THIS AFTERNOON THROUGH
TUESDAY.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...

NUMEROUS SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED ACROSS THE REGION
AGAIN ON TUESDAY. IN ADDITION TO HEAVY RAIN...A FEW OF THE
THUNDERSTORMS TUESDAY MAY PRODUCE SMALL HAIL AND STRONG WINDS.
THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE CONFINED TO AREAS ALONG AND EAST OF A
GREENWOOD TO CHARLOTTE LINE ON WEDNESDAY...WITH AFTERNOON AND
EVENING THUNDERSTORMS RETURNING TO THE ENTIRE REGION THURSDAY
THROUGH SUNDAY.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE NEEDED LATER TODAY AND TONIGHT.

14

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Jul 27, 1:00 AM EDTFlash Flood WarningGSPHaywood6 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.