Alert archive / North Carolina / Flash Flood Warnings in 2004
Flash Flood Warning 50, NWS Greenville-Spartanburg, SC
NWS Greenville-Spartanburg, SC issued this flash flood warning at Aug 17, 2004, 10:36 PM EDT for Buncombe 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
- Aug 17, 2004, 10:36 PM EDT (02:36 UTC)
- Expired
- Aug 18, 2004, 1:30 AM EDT
- In force
- 3 hr
- Issued by
- NWS Greenville-Spartanburg, SC
- Area
- Counties, with a storm outline in the text
County Buncombe County, NC
The radar
The Greer radar (KGSP), 80 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 02:35 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, 2.6 hours before the alert went out and 228 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
- 862 J/kg
- Mixed-layer CIN
- -16 J/kg
- Mixed-layer LCL
- 910 m above ground
- 0-6 km bulk shear
- 39 kt
- 0-1 km storm-relative helicity
- 94 m²/s²
- 0-3 km storm-relative helicity
- 127 m²/s²
- Significant tornado parameter
- 0.4
- Supercell composite
- 3.0
The text
As transmitted, in the capitals the NWS used until 2016.
000
WGUS52 KGSP 180240
FFWGSP
NCC021-180530-
BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
FLASH FLOOD WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
1036 PM EDT TUE AUG 17 2004
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG HAS ISSUED A
* FLASH FLOOD WARNING FOR...
CENTRAL AND EASTERN BUNCOMBE COUNTY IN WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA
* UNTIL 130 AM EDT
* AT 1030 PM EDT...WEATHER RADAR SHOWED SLOW MOVING SHOWERS AND
THUNDERSTORMS OVER EASTERN BUNCOMBE COUNTY...BETWEEN SWANNANOA
AND BLACK MOUNTAIN. RADAR ESTIMATED RAINFALL OF OVER 2 INCHES
HAD FALLEN SINCE MID EVENING...WHICH WILL LIKELY RESULT IN
SIGNIFICANT RISES ON STREAMS...CREEKS AND RIVERS. THE
STORMS HAD BEEN SHOWING TRENDS TO REDEVELOP ALONG THE WESTERN
EDGE OF THE CLUSTER OF STORMS. SHOWERS AND STORMS COULD
AFFECT ASHEVILLE AGAIN...AFTER HEAVY RAIN CAUSED SOME
URBAN FLOODING EARLIER TUESDAY EVENING. HEAVY RAIN AND SOME
FLOODING COULD ALSO AFFECT MONTREAT.
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. EVEN MODERN SPORT UTILITY VEHICLES CANNOT BE
SAFELY DRIVEN THROUGH FLOOD WATERS.
TO REPORT FLOODING... HAVE THE NEAREST LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCY RELAY
YOUR REPORT TO THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FORECAST OFFICE IN
GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG.
LAT...LON 3559 8252 3555 8252 3550 8233 3547 8224
3554 8221 3557 8228 3559 8229 3561 8227
3562 8228 3570 8230 3573 8233 3562 8251
$$
BURRUS2 follow-up statements
000
WGUS72 KGSP 180344
FFSGSP
NCC021-180530-
FLASH FLOOD STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
1144 PM EDT TUE AUG 17 2004
...A FLASH FLOOD WARNING CONTINUES UNTIL 130 AM EDT FOR CENTRAL
AND EASTERN BUNCOMBE COUNTY...
AT 1140 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR CONTINUED TO
INDICATE THUNDERSTORMS OVER EASTERN BUNCOMBE COUNTY AROUND BLACK
MOUNTAIN AND SWANNANOA. RADAR AND SURFACE GAGES INDICATE THAT
BETWEEN 2 AND 3 INCHES OF RAIN HAS FALLEN IN THE EASTERN PART
OF BUNCOMBE COUNTY THIS EVENING. RADAR TRENDS HAVE INDICATED A
WEAKENING TREND OF THE SHOWERS AND STORMS...AND A GENERAL EASTWARD
SHIFT INTO MCDOWELL COUNTY IS EXPECTED DURING THE NEXT COUPLE OF
HOURS.
NO FLOODING HAS YET BEEN REPORTED FROM LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICIALS OR
TRAINED WEATHER SPOTTERS. THERE IS STILL THE POTENTIAL THAT SOME
STREAMS OR CREEKS MAY COME OUT OF THEIR BANKS...ESPECIALLY THE
BEETREE AND GLADE CREEKS. AN AUTOMATED RIVER GAGE ON THE SWANNANOA
RIVER NEAR BILTMORE INDICATED THE RIVER STAGE HAD RISEN TO NEARLY
TWO AND A HALF FEET...WELL BELOW THE ESTABLISHED FLOOD STAGE.
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WILL CONTINUE TO MONITOR THIS ONGOING
EVENT. TO REPORT FLOODING...HAVE THE NEAREST LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCY
RELAY YOUR REPORT TO THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FORECAST OFFICE IN
GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG.
LAT...LON 3559 8252 3555 8252 3550 8233 3547 8224
3554 8221 3557 8228 3559 8229 3561 8227
3562 8228 3570 8230 3573 8233 3562 8251
$$
BURRUS000
WGUS72 KGSP 180530
FFSGSP
NCC021-180600-
FLASH FLOOD STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
130 AM EDT WED AUG 18 2004
...THE FLASH FLOOD WARNING FOR CENTRAL AND EASTERN BUNCOMBE COUNTY
EXPIRED AT 130 AM EDT...
HEAVY RAINFALL HAS MOVED OUT OF THE AREA AND REDEVELOPMENT...AT
LEAST IN THE IMMEDIATE SHORT TERM...IS NOT ANTICIPATED.
NO FLOODING REPORTS WERE RECEIVED FROM THE VICINITY OF BLACK
MOUNTAIN OR SWANNANOA...ALTHOUGH RAINFALL WAS CERTAINLY HEAVY ENOUGH
EARLIER TUESDAY EVENING TO SEND SOME STREAMS AND CREEKS OUT OF THEIR
BANKS.
LAT...LON 3559 8252 3555 8252 3550 8233 3547 8224
3554 8221 3557 8228 3559 8229 3561 8227
3562 8228 3570 8230 3573 8233 3562 8251
$$
BURRUSWhat 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 Aug 17, 10:33 PM EDT, 3 minutes earlier.
Area forecast discussion, Aug 17, 10:33 PM EDT, 3 minutes before
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION...UPDATED NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC 1033 PM EDT TUE AUG 17 2004 .SHORT TERM (REST OF TONIGHT)... UPPER AIR ANALYSIS AND AREA SOUNDINGS SUPPORT CONTINUING CONVECTIVE CHANCES INTO THE PREDAWN HOURS...WITH FALLING HEIGHTS...WEAK DISTURBANCES IN FASTER SOUTHWEST FLOW ALOFT...AND VERY MOIST CONDITIONS IN THE SURFACE TO 750H LAYER. WE WILL EXTEND CHANCE OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS THROUGH 3 AM...AND BUMP THE NORTHWEST PIEDMONT...CENTRAL MOUNTAINS...NORTHERN FOOTHILLS AND EXTREME NORTHEAST GEORGIA AND WESTERN SOUTH CAROLINA CHANCES TO 40%...WITH 30S ELSEWHERE. CLOUDINESS SHOULD BE ABUNDANT ENOUGH TO PRECLUDE DENSE FOG DEVELOPMENT IN THE PREDAWN...BUT WE WILL MENTION PATCHY FOG LATE. && .PREVIOUS DISCUSSION... THE FOLLOWING WAS ORIGINALLY ISSUED AT 248 PM EDT TUE AUG 17 2004 SHORT TERM (TONIGHT THROUGH FRIDAY)... DIFFICULT TO RESOLVE WEAK FEATURES RIPPLING THROUGH BROAD LOW AMPLITUDE TROUGH CURRENTLY OVER THE REGION...BUT SHORT RANGE MODELS IN DECENT ENUF AGREEMENT IN DIMINISHING BETTER OVERALL FORCING AS THE EVENING WEARS ON...LEAVING JUST SOME SW WAA FLOW AND TERRAIN AS SOURCES FOR LIFT INTO THE OVERNIGHT HOURS. MEAN PATTERN DOES NOT CHANGE A WHOLE LOT WEDNESDAY ALTHOUGH MODEL TIMEHEIGHTS DO SHOW SOME MEAN DRYING...A LITTLE MORE WESTERLY COMPONENT TO LOW LEVEL FLOW AND LESS FAVORABLE UPPER JET POSITIONING ..SO WENT AHEAD AND BACKED OFF FROM THE GOING CHC DIURNAL POPS. STILL ON TRACK FOR RIDGING TO BUILD OVER THE SOUTHEAST STARTING WED NITE AND HEIGHTS CONTINUE TO RISE THROUGH THURSDAY. SHORT RANGE MDLS ALSO CONTINUING TO HINT AT WEAK ELONGATED VORT MOVING UP BACK SIDE OF UPPER RIDGE WITH NOW EVEN SOME INCREASE IN BETTER RETURN FLOW MOISTURE TO ACCOMPANY. IT IS INCONCLUSIVE WHETHER OR NOT THESE PARAMETERS WILL BE ENUF TO REINTRODUCE OF CHC POPS...BUT I DOUBT IT...ESPECIALLY WITH MOS POPS ACRS THE BOARD IN THE TEENS AT ALL SITES. DEEPER AND MORE MOIST SW FLOW ON FRIDAY WARRANTS A CONTINUATION OF GOING CHC POPS. LONG TERM (FRIDAY NIGHT THROUGH TUESDAY)... MEDIUM RANGE MODELS HAVE BEGUN TO VACILLATE ON THE FRONTAL SYSTEM EXPECTED TO AFFECT THE AREA THIS WEEKEND. GFS IS NOW RUSHING THE FRONT THROUGH BY 06Z SUNDAY...FOLLOWED BY HEIGHT RISES AND DRYING. AM NOT GOING TO MAKE ANY SIGNIFICANT TIMING CHANGES FOR POPS AND WX SINCE CONFIDENCE IS SO LOW. WILL RETAIN THE CHANCE OF SHOWER AND THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY FOR SATURDAY THROUGH SUNDAY. REGARDLESS OF THE EXACT FRONTAL TIMING...CLOUD COVER WILL REMAIN THICK THROUGH MOST OF THE WEEKEND...ALONG WITH TEMPS BEING HELD DOWN. POST-FRONTAL RIDGING WILL BE SHORT LIVED AS ANOTHER SYSTEM APPROACHES MID-WEEK. SWLY FLOW WILL RETURN BY MONDAY AHEAD OF ANOTHER FRONT...SO HAVE ADDED CHANCE POPS FOR MONDAY AFTERNOON. AVIATION... TSRA ACTIVITY WILL LIKELY INCREASE NEAR THE TERMINAL LOCATIONS THROUGH THE LATE AFTERNOON HOURS AS CONVECTION TRIGGERS NEAR THE MOUNTAINS AND THEN IS STEERED EASTWARD INTO THE PIEDMONT. BKN VFR CIG SHOULD TRANSITION TO MVFR DURING PRECIP THROUGH THE EVENING...WITH MVFR VSBY LIKELY THROUGHOUT BY THE EARLY OVERNIGHT. SOME LOCATIONS COULD SEE IFR CIG AND VSBY AS MID LEVELS DRY SLIGHTLY OVERNIGHT...BUT WIDESPREAD IFR IS NOT ANTICIPATED. WINDS WILL COME UP GRADUALLY OUT OF THE SW WED WITH ANY SLIGHT CONVECTIVE CHANCES HOLDING OFF UNTIL AFTERNOON. && .GSP WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... GA...NONE. NC...NONE. SC...NONE. && SHORT TERM (UPDATE)...SAB
Hazardous weather outlook, Aug 17, 5:56 AM EDT, 16 hours 40 minutes before
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC 556 AM EDT TUE AUG 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- 556 AM EDT TUE AUG 17 2004 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA... UPSTATE SOUTH CAROLINA...AND EXTREME NORTHEAST GEORGIA. .DAY ONE... SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL AFFECT THE AREA TODAY... ESPECIALLY IN THE AFTERNOON AND EVENING. ONE OR TWO STORMS COULD PRODUCE BRIEF PERIODS OF DAMAGING WINDS AND LARGE HAIL. HOWEVER... THE PRIMARY THREATS WILL BE LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL AND CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN... SCATTERED...MAINLY AFTERNOON AND EVENING SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED MOST DAYS THROUGH SUNDAY. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT ANTICIPATED. LANE
In the hours before
Local storm report, Aug 17, 9:04 PM EDT, 1 hour 32 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
904 PM EDT TUE AUG 17 2004
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION...ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0853 PM HAIL ANDERSON 34.52N 82.65W
08/17/2004 0.75 INCH ANDERSON SC COUNTY OFFICIAL
MARBLE TO PENNY SIZED HAIL REPORTED BY ANDERSON COUNTY
PUBLIC SAFETY.
&&
MOORENearby
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.