Alert archive / North Carolina / Flash Flood Warnings in 2004

Flash Flood Warning 54, NWS Greenville-Spartanburg, SC

September 1, 2004McDowell County, Mitchell County, North Carolina

NWS Greenville-Spartanburg, SC issued this flash flood warning at Sep 1, 2004, 11:48 PM EDT for McDowell County, Mitchell 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, 11:48 PM EDT (03:48 UTC)
Expired: Sep 2, 2004, 2:45 AM EDT
In force: 3 hr
Issued by: NWS Greenville-Spartanburg, SC
Area: Counties, with a storm outline in the text

Counties McDowell County, NC, Mitchell County, NC

The radar

The Knoxville radar (KMRX), 112 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 03:52 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, 3.8 hours before the alert went out and 205 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-p

Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed.

Hodograph

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 020352
FFWGSP
NCC111-121-020645-

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
FLASH FLOOD WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
1148 PM EDT WED SEP 1 2004

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG HAS ISSUED A

* FLASH FLOOD WARNING FOR...
  MITCHELL COUNTY IN WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA
  MCDOWELL COUNTY IN WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA

* UNTIL 245 AM EDT

* AT 1138 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED
  A CLUSTER OF THUNDERSTORMS LIKELY TO PRODUCE FLASH FLOODING FROM
  SPRUCE PINE TO ASHFORD...WHICH WERE NEARLY STATIONARY.

RADAR INDICATED RAINFALL RATES OF 1 TO 2 INCHES IN THE PAST HOUR. 
THESE RATES ARE LIKELY TO CONTINUE THROUGH AT LEAST 1 AM. 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. 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 3610 8209 3597 8206 3590 8196 3583 8195
      3576 8215 3590 8214 3594 8219 3600 8219
      3601 8223 3599 8225 3604 8230 3602 8233
      3607 8234 3609 8240 3614 8222

$$
HG

3 follow-up statements

000 
WGUS72 KGSP 020446
FFSGSP
NCC111-121-020645-

FLASH FLOOD STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
1240 AM EDT THU SEP 2 2004

...A FLASH FLOOD WARNING CONTINUES UNTIL 245 AM EDT FOR MCDOWELL AND 
MITCHELL COUNTIES...

AT 1240 AM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR CONTINUED TO 
INDICATE A CLUSTER OF THUNDERSTORMS DEVELOPING NEAR THE BLUE RIDGE 
FROM SPRUCE PINE TO ASHFORD TO WOODLAWN. THESE THUNDERSTORMS WERE 
NEARLY STATIONARY...AND WERE PRODUCING RAINFALL AT THE RATE OF 1 TO 
1.5 INCHES PER HOUR.

FLASH FLOODING IS LIKELY EARLY THIS MORNING ALONG EAST FORK GRASSY 
CREEK AND PEPPER CREEK IN EXTREME SOUTHERN MITCHELL COUNTY. FLOODING 
MAY ALSO DEVELOP ALONG HONEYCUTT CREEK IN EXTREME NORTHERN MCDOWELL 
COUNTY. OTHER NEARBY STREAMS AND CREEKS COULD BE AFFECTED AS WELL 
THROUGH 245 AM.

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. DO NOT DRIVE YOUR 
VEHICLE INTO AREAS WHERE THE WATER COVERS THE ROADWAY.

LAT...LON 3610 8209 3597 8206 3590 8196 3583 8195
      3576 8215 3590 8214 3594 8219 3600 8219
      3601 8223 3599 8225 3604 8230 3602 8233
      3607 8234 3609 8240 3614 8222

$$
HG

000 
WGUS72 KGSP 020547
FFSGSP
NCC111-121-020645-

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

...A FLASH FLOOD WARNING CONTINUES UNTIL 245 AM EDT FOR MCDOWELL AND 
MITCHELL COUNTIES...

AT 145 AM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR CONTINUED TO 
INDICATE NUMEROUS SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS DEVELOPING ALONG THE 
BLUE RIDGE NEAR THE BORDER BETWEEN MCDOWELL AND MITCHELL COUNTIES. 
THESE THUNDERSTORMS WERE DRIFTING SLOWLY NORTHWARD ACROSS MITCHELL 
COUNTY AND PRODUCING RAINFALL AT THE RATE OF ONE HALF TO ONE INCH 
PER HOUR. FLASH FLOODING WILL LIKELY DEVELOP ALONG STREAMS AND 
CREEKS FROM SPRUCE PINE TO ASHFORD.

DEEP STANDING WATER IN LOW SPOTS IS ALSO LIKELY CLOSER TO 
BAKERSVILLE...AND IN WESTERN MCDOWELL COUNTY AWAY FROM THE IMMEDIATE 
ESCARPMENT.

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. DO NOT DRIVE YOUR 
VEHICLE INTO AREAS WHERE THE WATER COVERS THE ROADWAY.

LAT...LON 3610 8209 3597 8206 3590 8196 3583 8195
      3576 8215 3590 8214 3594 8219 3600 8219
      3601 8223 3599 8225 3604 8230 3602 8233
      3607 8234 3609 8240 3614 8222

$$
HG

000 
WGUS72 KGSP 020643 RRA
FFSGSP
NCC111-121-020700-

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

...THE FLASH FLOOD WARNING FOR MCDOWELL AND MITCHELL COUNTIES WILL 
EXPIRE AT 245 AM EDT...

AT 240 AM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED 
FAIRLY LIGHT RAIN SHOWERS FALLING OVER MUCH OF THE WARNING AREA. 
COUNTY OFFICIALS REPORT NO FLOODING THUS FAR...SO THE WARNING WILL 
BE ALLOWED TO EXPIRE ON SCHEDULE.

UNREPORTED HIGH WATER CONDITIONS COULD EXIST AROUND THE COUNTY 
HOWEVER...SO BE VERY CAUTIOUS IF YOU VENTURE OUT. IT IS ALWAYS 
HARDER TO RECOGNIZE FLOODING WHEN IT IS DARK OUTSIDE. 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. DO NOT DRIVE YOUR VEHICLE INTO AREAS WHERE THE WATER 
COVERS THE ROADWAY.

LAT...LON 3610 8209 3597 8206 3590 8196 3583 8195
      3576 8215 3590 8214 3594 8219 3600 8219
      3601 8223 3599 8225 3604 8230 3602 8233
      3607 8234 3609 8240 3614 8222

$$
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, 10:30 PM EDT, 1 hour 18 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Sep 1, 10:30 PM EDT, 1 hour 18 minutes before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION...UPDATED
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
1030 PM EDT WED SEP 1 2004

.SHORT TERM (REST OF TONIGHT)...
CAME TO THE CONCLUSION EARLIER THIS EVENING THAT DEEP AND MOIST
EASTERLY FLOW AND LINGERING INSTABILITY WOULD WARRANT AN EXTENSION
OF POPS INTO THE OVERNIGHT FOR THE WESTERN HALF OF THE CWFA. 88D
ACCUMULATED PCPN THROUGHOUT THE EVENING SHOWS A SWATH OF HEAVY
AMOUNTS ALONG BLUE RIDGE FROM AVERY TO BUNCOMBE COUNTIES. INCOMING
00Z ETA SUPPORTS EARLIER THINKING OF INCREASING THE MOIST EASTERLY
1000-850 MB FLOW AND STRENGTHENING UPPER DIVERGENCE ALL ACRS THE
SOUTHERN APLCNS THANKS TO FAVORABLE RIGHT ENTRANCE REGION
CIRCULATION OF JET STREAK. SO...BASED ON THIS AND ANTECEDENT
CONDS...ISSUED FFA CENTERED ON EVENING PCPN MAX.
&&

.GSP WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
GA...NONE.
NC...FLASH FLOOD WATCH NCZ033-034-049-050-053>055-065>067 UNTIL 6 AM.
SC...NONE.
&&

SHORT TERM (UPDATE)...CSH

Hazardous weather outlook, Sep 1, 5:21 AM EDT, 18 hours 27 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.

Issued	Product	Office	Counties	Lasted
Sep 1, 10:06 PM EDT	Flash Flood Warning	GSP	Avery	3 hr
Sep 1, 10:07 PM EDT	Flash Flood Warning	GSP	Burke	3 hr
Sep 2, 1:01 AM EDT	Flash Flood Warning	GSP	Avery, Burke	3 hr
Sep 2, 3:20 AM EDT	Flash Flood Warning	GSP	Caldwell	3 hr
Sep 2, 8:32 AM EDT	Flash Flood Warning	GSP	Mitchell	3 hr

Nearby

Flash Flood Warnings in North Carolina, 2004 Every 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.