Alert archive / North Carolina / Flash Flood Warnings in 2004

Flash Flood Warning 53, NWS Greenville-Spartanburg, SC

September 1, 2004Burke County, North Carolina

NWS Greenville-Spartanburg, SC issued this flash flood warning at Sep 1, 2004, 10:07 PM EDT for Burke 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
Sep 1, 2004, 10:07 PM EDT (02:07 UTC)
Expired
Sep 2, 2004, 1:00 AM EDT
In force
3 hr
Issued by
NWS Greenville-Spartanburg, SC
Area
Counties, with a storm outline in the text

County Burke County, NC

The radar

The Greer radar (KGSP), 123 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 02:09 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, 2.1 hours before the alert went out and 176 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 2004-09-02Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 967 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 2004-09-02The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity -26 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
967 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-3 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
738 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
4 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
-26 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
-10 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 020212
FFWGSP
NCC023-020500-

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
FLASH FLOOD WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
1007 PM EDT WED SEP 1 2004

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG HAS ISSUED A

* FLASH FLOOD WARNING FOR...
  NORTHERN BURKE COUNTY IN WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA

* UNTIL 100 AM EDT

* AT 1007 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR
  INDICATED LIKELY FLASH FLOODING FROM A CLUSTER OF THUNDERSTORMS
  NEAR JONAS RIDGE...OR ABOUT 7 MILES SOUTH OF NEWLAND. THESE 
  THUNDERSTORMS WERE NEARLY STATIONARY.

RAINFALL AMOUNTS OF NEARLY TWO INCHES IN THE PAST HOUR...AND ABOUT 
THREE INCHES OVER THE PREVIOUS TWO HOURS...WILL CAUSE FLASH FLOODING 
TO DEVELOP ALONG THE LINVILLE RIVER. EXCESSIVE RUNOFF FROM THIS 
STORM MAY ALSO PRODUCE FLASH FLOODING OF OTHER NEARBY CREEKS AND 
STREAMS...ROADS AND ROADSIDE CULVERTS. THE HEAVY RAINS COULD ALSO 
TRIGGER ROCK AND MUDSLIDES IN STEEP TERRAIN.

BE ESPECIALLY CAUTIOUS AT NIGHT WHEN IT IS HARDER TO RECOGNIZE THE 
DANGERS OF FLOODS AND FLASH FLOODS. 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 3596 8185 3596 8181 3595 8179 3594 8178
      3593 8178 3589 8190 3592 8192 3597 8193
      3599 8189

$$
HG
2 follow-up statements
000 
WGUS72 KGSP 020326
FFSGSP
NCC011-023-020500-

FLASH FLOOD STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
1124 PM EDT WED SEP 1 2004

...A FLASH FLOOD WARNING CONTINUES UNTIL 100 AM EDT FOR AVERY AND 
NORTHERN BURKE COUNTIES...

AT 1124 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR CONTINUED TO 
INDICATE NEARLY STATIONARY THUNDERSTORMS STRETCHING FROM NEWLAND TO 
CROSSNORE TO JONAS RIDGE. RADAR INDICATED RAINFALL RATES OF NEARLY 
TWO INCHES PER HOUR IN THE HEAVIEST DOWNPOURS...WITH THREE TO FOUR 
INCHES OVER THE PAST THREE HOURS.

AVERY COUNTY OFFICIALS REPORT WORSENING FLOODING CONDITIONS IN THE 
LINVILLE RIVER BASIN IN THE SOUTHERN END OF THE COUNTY...WITH CREEK 
AND STREAM FLOODING NOW SPREADING INTO THE NEWLAND AREA. FLOODING 
CONDITIONS WILL LIKELY WORSEN RAPIDLY FROM NEWLAND TO JONAS 
RIDGE...AND DOWN INTO THE LINVILLE GORGE OVER THE NEXT HOUR.

IF YOU LIVE NEAR A STREAM OR CREEK...CHECK STREAM LEVELS FREQUENTLY 
AS WATER LEVELS WILL LIKELY RISE VERY RAPIDLY. BE PREPARED TO MOVE 
QUICKLY TO HIGHER GROUND IF NECESSARY. IF DRIVING...BE ESPECIALLY 
CAUTIOUS SINCE IT IS HARDER TO RECOGNIZE THE DANGERS OF FLASH 
FLOODS. DO NOT ATTEMPT TO DRIVE THROUGH FLOODED ROADWAYS.

LAT...LON 3584 8192 3594 8181 3622 8193 3611 8208
$$
HG
000 
WGUS72 KGSP 020432
FFSGSP
NCC011-023-020500-

FLASH FLOOD STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
1230 AM EDT THU SEP 2 2004

...A FLASH FLOOD WARNING CONTINUES UNTIL 100 AM EDT FOR AVERY AND 
NORTHERN BURKE COUNTIES...

AT 1230 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR CONTINUED TO 
SHOW SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS DEVELOPING ALONG THE BLUE RIDGE FROM 
JUST SOUTH OF GRANDFATHER MOUNTAIN TO CROSSNORE TO JONAS RIDGE. 
THESE THUNDERSTORMS WERE DRIFTING VERY SLOWLY SOUTHWEST...WITH RADAR 
INDICATED RAINFALL RATES OF 1 TO 2 INCHES IN THE PAST HOUR...WITH 4 
TO 6 INCHES OVER THE LINVILLE RIVER BASIN IN AVERY COUNTY OVER THE 
PAST THREE HOURS.

FLASH FLOODING ACROSS THE SOUTHERN END OF THE COUNTY...ESPECIALLY 
FROM FROM LINVILLE TO CROSSNORE...HAS BEEN REPORTED BY AVERY COUNTY 
OFFICIALS. VERY SERIOUS FLASH FLOODING COULD DEVELOP IN THE LINVILLE 
AND MILL TIMBER CREEK BASINS IF THE CURRENT RAINFALL RATES PERSIST. 
BURKE COUNTY COULD STILL SEE FLOODING FROM JONAS RIDGE TO THE 
LINVILLE GORGE AS HEAVY PRECIPITATION CONTINUES OVER THE HEADWATERS 
UPSTREAM.

IF YOU LIVE NEAR A STREAM OR CREEK...CONTINUE TO CHECK STREAM LEVELS 
FREQUENTLY AS WATER LEVELS WILL LIKELY RISE VERY RAPIDLY. BE 
PREPARED TO MOVE QUICKLY TO HIGHER GROUND IF NECESSARY. IF 
DRIVING...BE ESPECIALLY CAUTIOUS SINCE IT IS HARDER TO RECOGNIZE THE 
DANGERS OF FLASH FLOODS. DO NOT ATTEMPT TO DRIVE THROUGH FLOODED 
ROADWAYS.

LAT...LON 3584 8192 3594 8181 3622 8193 3611 8208
$$
HG

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 Sep 1, 3:15 PM EDT, 6 hours 52 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Sep 1, 3:15 PM EDT, 6 hours 52 minutes before
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
315 PM EDT WED SEP 1 2004

.SHORT TERM (TONIGHT THROUGH FRIDAY NIGHT)...
KGSP 88-D SHOWS CONVECTION AFFECTING ALL QUADRANTS OF THE CWFA
AT PRESENT...EXCEPT FOR EXTREME NORTHEAST. ISENTROPIC UPGLIDE PER
305K THETA SURFACE...WEAK DIFFERENTIAL POSITIVE VORTICITY ADVECTION
WITH VORTICITY LOBE LIFTING SOUTH TO NORTH...AND GENERAL SLOW
MOVEMENT OF ANY CELLS WILL CALL FOR LIKELY POPS IN THE FAR WEST AND
SOUTHWEST CWFA THIS EVENING. WE WILL INCLUDE A GOOD CHANCE GROUP
FOR THE CENTRAL MOUNTAINS AND CENTRAL UPSTATE...WITH LOW CHANCE FAR
NORTHEAST THIS EVENING. WILL HAVE TO MONITOR FOR HEAVY RAINFALL IN
WEAK STEERING FLOW ENVIRONMENT. WE EXPECT MOST CONVECTION TO END BY
THE START OF THE PREDAWN HOURS...BUT MAINTAINED CHANCE POPS THROUGH
THE OVERNIGHT FOR THE FAR WEST/SOUTHWEST TIER...SINCE WEAK UPPER
DIVERGENCE IS NOTED ON ETA/GFS THROUGH THE PERIOD. MEANWHILE...
DRIER AIR SLOWLY BEGINNING TO INVADE THE EASTERN AND NORTHERN CWFA
LATE. LOW LEVELS STAY MOIST MOUNTAINS/FOOTHILLS...WHERE DENSE FOG
WAS NOTED THIS MORNING SO WE WILL INCLUDE PATCHY DENSE FOG THERE
AGAIN TONITE. OVERNIGHT MINIMUMS WERE RAISED A DEGREE OR TWO OVER
GUIDANCE AS WE HAVE BEEN UNDERFORECASTING LOWS OF LATE.

FOR THURSDAY...SURFACE RIDGE CENTER PROGD OVER SOUTHERN ONTARIO
LATE IS EXPECTED TO SHIFT EAST...CONTINUING ADVECTION OF DRIR AIR
INTO THE REGION. SOUTHWEST CWFA WILL BE THE LAST TO DRY OUT...AND
THERE IS STILL AN UPGLIDE COMPONENT INTO THE MOUNTAINS...SO WESTERN
CWFA WILL SEE CHANCES OF CONVECTION...DRY FORECAST ADVERTISED FOR
THE EASTERN ZONES...INCLUDING ALL OF INTERSTATE 77 CORRIDOR. ALSO
WENT SLIGHTLY WARMER EAST.

BENIGN WEATHER EXPECTED THURSDAY NITE THROUGH FRIDAY NITE AS DRIER
AIR EXPECTED TO INFILTRATE ALL OF THE CWFA...BUT DOES BEGIN RETURN
MODE LATE IN THE FRIDAY PERIOD. CANNOT RULE OUT A SHOWER OR
ISOLATED THUNDESTORM...ESPECIALLY IN UPSLOPE ENVIRONS...BUT FOR NOW
WILL MAINTAIN DRY FORECAST FOR THOSE PERIODS.

&&

.LONG TERM (SATURDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY)...
EASTERLY FLOW AT LOW LEVELS...BETWEEN SURFACE RIDGE MOVING OFF NEW
ENGLAND COAST AND THE APPROACHING HURRICANE FRANCES...WILL PUMP
ATLANTIC MOISTURE UP THE EAST SLOPES OF THE APPALACHIANS SATURDAY
AND SUNDAY. EXPECT SCATTERED SHOWERS TO DEVELOP AT ANY TIME IN THE
PERIOD FROM MECHANICAL FORCING. TEMPS ARE CLOSE TO NEW GUIDANCE SO
EXPECT ONLY MINOR CHANGES.

FRANCES REMAINS THE PRIMARY CONCERN. MOST RECENT HPC MEDIUM RANGE
GUIDANCE IS SLOWER AND FARTHER WEST...BUT AGAIN...THERE REMAINS MUCH
UNCERTAINTY. PLEASE REFER TO THE OFFICIAL FORECAST FROM THE NATIONAL
HURRICANE CENTER FOR OFFICIAL TRACK INFORMATION. THE MEDIUM RANGE
GRIDS WILL REFLECT THE PASSAGE OF THE REMNANTS OF FRANCES ACROSS THE
WESTERN TIP OF NC TUESDAY EVENING AND NERN TN TUESDAY NITE. A MORE
WESTERN TRACK WOULD BRING MORE OF A SEVERE WEATHER/HEAVY RAIN
THREAT. WITH THAT IN MIND...HAVE STARTED TO RAMP UP POP HIGHER IN
THE CHANCE RANGE STARTING LATE MONDAY...AND HAVE EXTENDED POP THRU
DAY 6. HAVE RAISED MIN TEMPS A CATEGORY SUNDAY NIGHT AND LOWERED A
CATEGORY FOR MAX TEMPS MONDAY OWING TO MORE CLOUDS/PRECIP EXPECTED.
NEEDLESS TO SAY...EXPECT CHANGES.

&&

.AVIATION...
EXPECT PERSISTENT PATTERN OVER THE NEXT 24 HOURS. MVFR CEILINGS WILL
GRADUALLY IMPROVE THIS AFTERNOON AS CONVECTION CONTINUES TO FIRE.
HAZE HAS BEEN A PROBLEM BUT VISBY SHOULD IMPROVE TO 6 MILES AT MOST
SITES LATE THIS AFTERNOON. EXPECT CONVECTION TO CONTINUE WELL INTO
THE EVENING. LIKE THIS PAST MORNING...MVFR FOG AND CEILINGS SHOULD
ONCE AGAIN DEVELOP AFTER 06Z WITH WEAK UPSLOPE FLOW. THIS SHOULD
HANG ON INTO THE MIDDLE OF THE DAY THURSDAY.
&&

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

SHORT TERM...SAB
LONG TERM/AVIATION...PM
Hazardous weather outlook, Sep 1, 5:21 AM EDT, 16 hours 46 minutes before
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
521 AM EDT WED SEP 1 2004

GAZ010-017-018-026-028-029-NCZ033>037-048>059-062>072-082-SCZ001>014-
019-020920-
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-
521 AM EDT WED SEP 1 2004

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

.DAY ONE...

SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED TODAY AND TONIGHT.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...

SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED THURSDAY SOUTH OF INTERSTATE
26...WITH ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS BETWEEN INTERSTATE 26 AND INTERSTATE
40. ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED IN THE PIEDMONT
FRIDAY...SPREADING WEST ACROSS THE AREA FRIDAY NIGHT. SCATTERED
THUNDERSTORMS ARE GENERALLY EXPECTED SATURDAY THROUGH MONDAY.
HURRICANE FRANCES WILL APPROACH THE FLORIDA COAST BY THE WEEKEND.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Sep 1, 10:06 PM EDTFlash Flood WarningGSPAvery3 hr
Sep 1, 11:48 PM EDTFlash Flood WarningGSPMcDowell, Mitchell3 hr
Sep 2, 1:01 AM EDTFlash Flood WarningGSPAvery, Burke3 hr
Sep 2, 3:20 AM EDTFlash Flood WarningGSPCaldwell3 hr
Sep 2, 8:32 AM EDTFlash Flood WarningGSPMitchell3 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.