Alert archive / North Carolina / Flash Flood Warnings in 2004
Flash Flood Warning 6, NWS Greenville-Spartanburg, SC
NWS Greenville-Spartanburg, SC issued this flash flood warning at May 22, 2004, 3:43 PM EDT for Caldwell 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
- May 22, 2004, 3:43 PM EDT (19:43 UTC)
- Expired
- May 22, 2004, 6:45 PM EDT
- In force
- 3 hr
- Issued by
- NWS Greenville-Spartanburg, SC
- Area
- Counties, with a storm outline in the text
County Caldwell County, NC
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 12:00Z, 7.7 hours before the alert went out and 160 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
- 535 J/kg
- Mixed-layer CIN
- -197 J/kg
- Mixed-layer LCL
- 1059 m above ground
- 0-6 km bulk shear
- 12 kt
- 0-1 km storm-relative helicity
- 18 m²/s²
- 0-3 km storm-relative helicity
- 21 m²/s²
- Significant tornado parameter
- 0.0
- Supercell composite
- 0.0
The text
As transmitted, in the capitals the NWS used until 2016.
000
WGUS52 KGSP 221942
FFWGSP
NCC027-222245-
BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
FLASH FLOOD WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
343 PM EDT SAT MAY 22 2004
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG HAS ISSUED A
* FLASH FLOOD WARNING FOR...
NORTHWESTERN CALDWELL COUNTY IN WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA
* UNTIL 645 PM EDT
* AT 340 PM EDT...WEATHER RADAR SHOWED THAT EXTREMELY HEAVY RAINFALL
HAS BEEN FALLING AROUND THE BLOWING ROCK AREA SINCE 230 PM. AS
MUCH AS 5 INCHES OR MORE OF RAIN MAY HAVE OCCURRED IN THAT TIME.
* SMALL STREAMS ALONG THE MOUNTAIN SLOPES...TO THE FOOTHILLS AREA OF
THE COUNTY...GENERALLY ALONG AND 5 MILES EITHER SIDE OF HIGHWAY
321...ARE AT IMMEDIATE RISK FOR DANGEROUS FLASH FLOODING.
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.
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 3611 8157 3605 8164 3605 8165 3599 8173
3602 8176 3606 8173 3611 8179
$$
LANE/JONES3 follow-up statements
000 WGUS72 KGSP 222012 FFSGSP NCC027-222245- FLASH FLOOD STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC 413 PM EDT SAT MAY 22 2004 ...A FLASH FLOOD WARNING CONTINUES UNTIL 645 PM EDT FOR NORTHWESTERN CALDWELL COUNTY... HEAVY RAINFALL CONTINUES TO FALL IN THE MOUNTAINOUS AREAS OF CALDWELL COUNTY...AROUND BLOWING ROCK. HEAVY RAIN WAS ALSO SHOWN BY RADAR MOVING DIRECTLY ACROSS THE WARNING AREA NOW. SOME FLASH FLOODING HAS ALREADY BEEN REPORTED IN THE WILSON CREEK AREA...AND SEVERE FLASH FLOODING IS IMMINENT ALONG ALL SMALL STREAMS FLOWING FROM THE MOUNTAINS INTO THE PIEDMONT...OF NORTHWEST CALDWELL COUNTY. PEOPLE IN CAMPGROUNDS NEAR STREAMS SHOULD MOVE TO HIGHER GROUND IMMEDIATELY. DO NOT BECOME A FATALITY DO NOT CROSS FLOODED ROADS...THE ROAD COULD BE WASHED OUT FROM THE FLOW OF THE WATER...AND YOUR CAR COULD BE SWEPT AWAY BY THE SWIFTLY MOVING WATER. WHEN DRIVING ALONG ROADS WHERE THE TERRAIN IS STEEP OR ROCKY...REMAIN ALERT FOR POSSIBLE ROCK OR MUD SLIDES DUE TO THE HEAVY RAIN. $$ LANE/JONES
000 WGUS72 KGSP 222133 FFSGSP NCC027-222245- FLASH FLOOD STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC 532 PM EDT SAT MAY 22 2004 ...A FLASH FLOOD WARNING CONTINUES UNTIL 645 PM EDT FOR CALDWELL COUNTY... ALTHOUGH HEAVY RAIN HAS ENDED ACROSS THE AREA...RAPID RISES ARE POSSIBLE ALONG CREEKS AND STREAMS AS RUNOFF FROM EARLIER HEAVY RAINFALL MOVES DOWNSTREAM INTO THE LOWER ELEVATIONS. PEOPLE NEAR CREEKS OR STREAMS ARE ADVISED TO BE ALERT TO RISES AND MOVE TO HIGHER GROUND IF NECESSARY. DO NOT BECOME A FATALITY DO NOT CROSS FLOODED ROADS...THE ROAD COULD BE WASHED OUT FROM THE FLOW OF THE WATER...AND YOUR CAR COULD BE SWEPT AWAY BY THE SWIFTLY MOVING WATER. $$ JDL/JRL
000 WGUS72 KGSP 222249 FFSGSP NCC027-222300- FLASH FLOOD STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC 649 PM EDT SAT MAY 22 2004 ...THE FLASH FLOOD WARNING WHICH WAS IN EFFECT FOR CALDWELL COUNTY HAS EXPIRED AS OF 645 PM EDT... THE HEAVY RAIN HAS ENDED OVER THE WARNED AREA. ALTHOUGH NO INCIDENTS OF FLOODING COULD BE CONFIRMED ACROSS THE AREA...SOME ROADWAYS MAY BE COVERED WITH WATER. MOTORISTS ARE ADVISED TO AVOID DRIVING THROUGH FLOODED ROADWAYS. $$ LANE
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 May 22, 1:10 PM EDT, 2 hours 33 minutes earlier.
Area forecast discussion, May 22, 1:10 PM EDT, 2 hours 33 minutes before
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC 110 PM EDT SAT MAY 22 2004 .SHORT TERM... RELATIVELY STRONG RIDGE SET UP OVER THE SOUTHEASTERN U.S. WITH ZONAL FLOW TO THE NORTH OF CWA. DURING THE NEXT WEEK WE ARE LOOKING AT A SERIES OF SHORT WAVES MOVING OVER THE RIDGE...PROVIDING A LITTLE EXTRA FORCING TO THE SUMMERTIME PATTERN. BEST CHANCE OF CONVECTION APPEARS TO BE TOMORROW. .LONG TERM... THE RIDGE CONTINUES TO WEAKEN A LITTLE AND GET PUSHED TO THE SOUTH. LOOKING AT SLIGHTLY HIGHER POPS ON THURSDAY IN ADVANCE OF A WEAK FRONT...BUT MODELS ARE TOO INCONSISTENT TO ADVERTISE AN INCREASE IN THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY. MAV IS DRY...ETA MOS IS DRIER. SO WILL KEEP ISOLATED WORDING APPROPRIATE FORECASTS. GFS ADVERTISES STRONG SHORT WAVE FOR NEXT SATURDAY THAT MAY DEPRESS RIDGE FAR ENOUGH SOUTH TO TRIGGER MORE SHOWERS BY NEXT WEEKEND. THIS TROUGH LOOKS WAY TO STRONG AND THE TIMING IN SUSPECT...SO AGAIN WILL STICK WITH ISOLATED WORDING. TEMPS REMAIN ABOUT THE SAME AS RIDGE DOMINATES WEATHER. GRIDS CONTAIN ADDITIONAL MESOSCALE FEATURES LIKE CLT URBAN HEAT ISLAND AND LOCAL MORNING COOLS SPOTS. && .PRELIMINARY POINT TEMPS/POPS... GSP 66 89 66 90 / 20 30 20 20 AND 66 89 65 91 / 20 30 20 20 CLT 68 89 66 90 / 20 30 20 20 HKY 66 88 65 88 / 20 30 20 20 AVL 59 84 61 85 / 20 30 20 20 && .GSP WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... GA...NONE. NC...NONE. SC...NONE. && DICARLO
Hazardous weather outlook, May 22, 4:59 AM EDT, 10 hours 44 minutes before
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC 459 AM EDT SAT MAY 22 2004 GAZ010-017-018-026-028-029-NCZ033>037-048>059-062>072-082-SCZ001>014- 019-230900- 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- 502 AM EDT SAT MAY 22 2004 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA... UPSTATE SOUTH CAROLINA...AND EXTREME NORTHEAST GEORGIA. .DAY ONE... SCATTERED AFTERNOON AND EVENING THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED ACROSS THE FORECAST AREA...ESPECIALLY OVER THE MOUNTAINS. LARGE HAIL...DAMAGING WINDS AND HEAVY RAIN ARE POSSIBLE. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN... SCATTERED LATE DAY THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED MONDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY. LARGE HAIL...DAMAGING WINDS AND HEAVY RAIN ARE POSSIBLE. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE REQUIRED. RB
In the hours before
Special weather statement, May 22, 12:11 PM EDT, 3 hours 32 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC 1211 PM EDT SAT MAY 22 2004 GAZ010-017-018-026-028-029-NCZ033>037-048>059-062>072-082-SCZ001>014- 019-222000- 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- 1211 PM EDT SAT MAY 22 2004 ...SEVERE WEATHER OUTLOOK... ISOLATED SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS AND FLASH FLOODING ARE POSSIBLE ACROSS THE WESTERN CAROLINAS AND NORTHEAST GEORGIA THIS AFTERNOON. VERY WARM AND MOIST CONDITIONS WILL RESULT IN THE ATMOSPHERE BECOMING QUITE UNSTABLE THIS AFTERNOON ACROSS THE WESTERN CAROLINAS AND NORTHEAST GEORGIA. SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL CONTINUE TO DEVELOP OVER THE MOUNTAINS THROUGHOUT THE AFTERNOON...WHILE ISOLATED TO WIDELY SCATTERED SHOWERS AND STORMS ARE EXPECTED TO DEVELOP OVER THE PIEDMONT AND FOOTHILLS LATER THIS AFTERNOON. THE MAGNITUDE OF FORECAST INSTABILITY SUGGESTS THAT A FEW SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE POSSIBLE...WITH LARGE HAIL AND DAMAGING WINDS THE MAIN THREATS. SINCE COVERAGE OF SHOWERS AND STORMS IS EXPECTED TO BE GREATEST IN THE MOUNTAINS...THIS WILL BE THE MOST LIKELY LOCATION FOR SEVERE WEATHER. HOWEVER...A SEVERE STORM WILL BE POSSIBLE ANYWHERE ACROSS THE REGION THIS AFTERNOON. IN ADDITION...STORMS WILL MOVE VERY SLOWLY TODAY...AND THIS WILL CREATE THE ADDITIONAL THREAT OF LOCALIZED HEAVY RAINFALL AND FLASH FLOODING. STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR YOUR FAVORITE MEDIA OUTLET FOR THE LATEST UPDATES CONCERNING THIS POTENTIAL SEVERE WEATHER SITUATION. LANE
Local storm report, May 22, 3:25 PM EDT, 18 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
325 PM EDT SAT MAY 22 2004
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION...ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0255 PM HAIL 2 S BLOWING ROCK 36.10N 81.67W
05/22/2004 1.50 INCH CALDWELL NC PUBLIC
0235 PM HAIL 2 S BLOWING ROCK 36.10N 81.67W
05/22/2004 1.50 INCH CALDWELL NC PUBLIC
&&
LAMBThe office that day
Everything else NWS Greenville-Spartanburg, SC issued on the same UTC day.
| Issued | Product | Office | Counties | Lasted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| May 22, 1:29 PM EDT | Flash Flood Warning | GSP | Jackson | 3 hr |
| May 22, 2:34 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | GSP | Caldwell | 41 min |
| May 22, 3:27 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | GSP | Burke, McDowell | 63 min |
| May 22, 5:14 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | GSP | Alexander | 46 min |
| May 22, 5:18 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | GSP | Gaston, Lincoln | 57 min |
| May 22, 7:08 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | GSP | Cleveland | 52 min |
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.