Alert archive / North Carolina / Flash Flood Warnings in 2004

Flash Flood Warning 7, NWS Greenville-Spartanburg, SC

June 8, 2004Gaston County, North Carolina

NWS Greenville-Spartanburg, SC issued this flash flood warning at Jun 8, 2004, 1:27 PM EDT for Gaston County, North Carolina. It was in force for 78 min. No storm report in the archive falls inside the area while it was in force.

The area

The outline as issued.

The facts

Issued
Jun 8, 2004, 1:27 PM EDT (17:27 UTC)
Expired
Jun 8, 2004, 2:45 PM EDT
In force
78 min
Issued by
NWS Greenville-Spartanburg, SC
Area
Counties, with a storm outline in the text

County Gaston 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, 5.5 hours before the alert went out and 141 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 12:00Z on 2004-06-08Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 1197 joules per kilogram.LCLLFCEL10008507005003002001001 km2 km3 km6 km9 km12 km15 km-30°-20°-10°10°20°30°40°
Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed.
HodographHodograph, Greensboro/Hi Pt, NC at 12:00Z on 2004-06-08The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 14 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
1197 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-22 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
652 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
6 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
14 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
33 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 081727
FFWGSP
NCC071-081845-

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
FLASH FLOOD WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
127 PM EDT TUE JUN 8 2004

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG HAS ISSUED A

* FLASH FLOOD WARNING FOR...
  GASTON COUNTY IN THE PIEDMONT OF NORTH CAROLINA

* UNTIL 245 PM EDT

* AT 112 PM EDT...WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED VERY HEAVY 
RAIN OVER CENTRAL GASTON COUNTY BETWEEN BESSEMER CITY AND GASTONIA. 

* NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RADAR ESTIMATES THAT ONE AND A HALF TO 
TWO AND A HALF INCHES OF RAIN HAS ALREADY FALLEN OVER THE CENTRAL 
PART OF THE COUNTY. THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED TO DEVELOP TO THE 
SOUTHEAST AND DRIFT NORTHWEST. THESE ADDITIONAL THUNDERSTORMS MAY 
RESULT IN AN ADDITIONAL INCH TO INCH AND A HALF OF RAINFALL. FLASH 
FLOODING OF SMALL STREAMS AND CREEKS WILL BE POSSIBLE.

LAT...LON 3540 8098 3516 8103 3517 8130 3541 8143

$$
1 follow-up statement
000 
WGUS72 KGSP 081800
FFSGSP
NCC071-081830-

FLASH FLOOD STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
159 PM EDT TUE JUN 8 2004

...A FLASH FLOOD WARNING CONTINUES UNTIL 230 PM EDT FOR GASTON
COUNTY...

HEAVY RAIN CONTINUES TO FALL ACROSS PARTS OF GASTON COUNTY... MAINLY 
BETWEEN GASTON AND BESSEMER CITY.  RAINGAGES CONTINUE TO INDICATE 
RAINFALL AMOUNTS UP TO ONE INCH AN HOUR FALLING ACROSS THE CROWDERS 
AND BLACKWOOD CREEK WATERSHEDS.  PERSONS NEAR THESE CREEKS CAN 
EXPECT RAPID RISES IN WATER LEVELS.  STREETS AND PROPERTY LOCATED 
ALONG THE CREEKS MAY ALSO BEGIN TO FLOOD DUE TO RUNOFF FROM THESE 
STORMS. 

DURING HEAVY RAIN EVENTS...SEVERE URBAN FLOODING CAN OCCUR IN AREAS
SUCH AS UNDERPASSES...AND LOW AREAS WHERE WATER TENDS TO COLLECT. DO
NOT LET YOUR CHILDREN PLAY NEAR SMALL STREAMS OR FLOODED DRAINAGE
DITCHES AND STORM SEWERS.

$$

PAT

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 Jun 8, 10:20 AM EDT, 3 hours 7 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jun 8, 10:20 AM EDT, 3 hours 7 minutes before
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION...UPDATED
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
1020 AM EDT TUE JUN 8 2004

.UPDATE...
LARGE SCALE PATTERN FAVORS CONTINUATION OF WIDESPREAD SHOWERS ACRS
THE WESTERN CWFA WITHIN AREA OF LIFT ALONG FRONT SIDE OF STALLED
MID-LVL S/WV AND DEEP SELY FLOW...ALL IN CONCERT WITH 12Z OBSERVED
PWATS OF AROUND 130 PERCENT OF NORMAL. INCOMING 12Z ETA DOES
DIMINISH AMOUNT OF UPPER DIVERGENCE THIS AFTERNOON AND HOPEFULLY
THIS WILL KEEP RAINFALL RATES WITHIN THE MANAGEABLE ISOLATED
EXCESSIVE THREAT RANGE. THIS MORNINGS GRID UPDATE WILL AT LEAST
CONSIST OF AN INCREASE IN POPS AND LOWERING OF MAXES...ESPECIALLY
IN THE SW.
&&

.PREV DISCUSSION...
LARGE AREA OF STRATIFORM RAIN ASSOCIATED WITH LAST EVENINGS LOOSELY
ORGANIZED MCS COVERS MUCH OF EXTREME NORTHEAST GA AND THE WESTERN
UPSTATE. PRECIP CONTINUES TO SHOW A CONSISTENT WEAKENING TREND...AND
THIS WILL CONTINUE OVER THE NEXT COUPLE OF HOURS. WILL GO AHEAD AND
CANCEL THE FLOOD WATCH...BUT HEAVY RAINFALL AND ISOLATED FLASH
FLOODING WILL AGAIN BE A THREAT LATER TODAY.

SURFACE BOUNDARY REMAINS STALLED TO THE SOUTH OF THE AREA...WHILE
WEAK UPPER TROUGH AND ASSOCIATED H8 TROUGH WILL REMAIN MORE OR LESS
STATIONARY IN THE VICINITY OF THE SAVANNAH RIVER VALLEY OVER THE
NEXT DAY OR SO. ALTHOUGH THE ATMOSPHERE WILL REMAIN VERY WEAKLY
FORCED...IT WILL ALSO REMAIN VERY MOIST (PRECIPITABLE WATER 140% OR
MORE OF NORMAL) THROUGH MUCH OF THE SHORT TERM. THEREFORE...IT WILL
NOT TAKE MUCH TO INITIATE CONVECTION IN OR NEAR THE CWFA OVER THE
NEXT 24 TO 36 HOURS. THE COMBINATION OF SOUTHEAST UPSLOPE FLOW...THE
POSITION OF THE H8 TROUGH...AND THE LIKELIHOOD OF CONVECTION FIRING
ALONG THE BOUNDARY TO OUR SOUTH AND MOVING NORTH (MUCH AS IT DID
YESTERDAY) POINTS TO THE NECESSITY FOR LIKELY POPS ACROSS NORTHEAST
GA...THE UPSTATE... AND THE SOUTHERN NC MNTNS AND FOOTHILLS. ONCE
AGAIN...THE LOWEST POPS WILL EXIST IN THE NORTHWEST NC PIEDMONT...
WHICH WILL BE FARTHEST AWAY FROM SOURCES OF LIFT AND WHERE MOISTURE
IS LESS PLENTIFUL.

WILL CARRY HIGH POPS INTO THE EVENING...THEN BACK OFF TO A TOKEN
CHANCE LATE IN THE EVENING INTO THE OVERNIGHT. FOR WEDNESDAY...THE
ATMOSPHERE REMAINS VERY MOIST...BUT THE WEAK VORT BEGINS TO PICK UP
SPEED IN RESPONSE TO A SW TROUGH LIFTING OUT OF THE PLAINS. AS THE
H8 TROUGH MOVES ALONG WITH IT...WE WILL LOSE OUR UPSLOPE COMPONENT.
WILL CONTINUE A MENTION OF CHANCE POPS IN ALL AREAS TOMORROW
AFTERNOON INTO THE EVENING...BEFORE TAPERING THEM BACK  OVERNIGHT.

DOWNSLOPE FLOW IN THE WAKE OF THE EXITING VORT COULD RESULT IN A
RETURN TO DRIER WEATHER FOR THURSDAY. INHERITED LOW CHANCE POPS AND
WILL LEAVE AS IS FOR NOW...BUT CURRENT MODEL GUIDANCE INDICATES THAT
CONVECTION WILL BE DIFFICULT TO COME BY EAST OF THE HIGHER TERRAIN.
NO CHANGES ARE REQUIRED TO THE FORECAST PAST THURSDAY.
&&

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

CSH
Hazardous weather outlook, Jun 8, 5:42 AM EDT, 7 hours 45 minutes before
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
542 AM EDT TUE JUN 8 2004

GAZ010-017-018-026-028-029-NCZ033>037-048>059-062>072-082-SCZ001>014-
019-090945-
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-
542 AM EDT TUE JUN 8 2004

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

.DAY ONE...
SCATTERED TO NUMEROUS SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL DEVELOP AGAIN
TODAY ACROSS THE REGION. THE MAIN THREAT FROM THIS ACTIVITY WILL BE
LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL AND ISOLATED FLASH FLOODING. PLEASE SEE
CAESPSGSP FOR MORE INFORMATION ON THE HEAVY RAINFALL THREAT. IN
ADDITION...AN ISOLATED STORM OR TWO COULD PRODUCE LARGE HAIL AND
DAMAGING WINDS.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...

SCATTERED AFTERNOON AND EVENING THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED FOR EACH
OF THE NEXT 7 DAYS. THERE WILL BE A THREAT OF ISOLATED SEVERE WEATHER
AND LOCALLY HEAVY RAINFALL AND FLASH FLOODING ON MOST DAYS.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT ANTICIPATED.

LANE

In the hours before

Special weather statement, Jun 8, 10:50 AM EDT, 2 hours 37 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
1050 AM EDT TUE JUN 8 2004

GAZ010-017-018-026-028-029-NCZ033>037-048>059-062>072-082-SCZ001>014-
019-082000-
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-
1050 AM EDT TUE JUN 8 2004

...ISOLATED EXCESSIVE RAINFALL THREAT...

WIDESPREAD...LOCALLY HEAVY SHOWERS...WILL CONTINUE TO THREATEN
PORTIONS OF THE WESTERN CAROLINAS AND EXTREME NORTHEAST GEORGIA
INTO THIS AFTERNOON.

THE GREATEST THREAT FOR EXCESSIVE RAINFALL WILL BE ACROSS THE
NORTHWEST UPSTATE...NORTHEAST GEORGIA AND THE SOUTHERN MOUNTAINS
OF NORTH CAROLINA WHERE LOCALIZED ADDITIONAL RAINFALL COULD BE
AROUND AN INCH OR TWO.

AS THE DAY WEARS ON...SHOWERS AND SOME THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE
INCREASING IN COVERAGE ACROSS THE REST OF THE REGION AND WITH
THE ONGOING HIGH ATMOSPHERIC MOISTURE CONTENT...ANY SHOWER OR
STORM WILL BE CAPABLE OF PRODUCING HEAVY RAINFALL.

AS PREVIOUSLY MENTIONED...LOCATIONS ALONG THE BLUE RIDGE WILL BE
ESPECIALLY SUSCEPTIBLE TO HEAVY RAINFALL THIS AFTERNOON...AS LOW
LEVEL SOUTHEAST WINDS COULD ALLOW SHOWERS TO DEVELOP THEN REMAIN
NEARLY STATIONARY ALONG THE ESCARPMENT FOR LONG PERIODS OF TIME.

STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR THE MEDIA FOR THE LATEST WEATHER
INFORMATION.

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Jun 8, 12:41 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningGSPGaston49 min
Jun 8, 2:17 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningGSPDavie43 min
Jun 8, 6:31 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningGSPMecklenburg59 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.