Alert archive / South Carolina / Flash Flood Warnings in 2004

Flash Flood Warning 70, NWS Greenville-Spartanburg, SC

December 9, 2004Anderson County, Pickens County, South Carolina

NWS Greenville-Spartanburg, SC issued this flash flood warning at Dec 9, 2004, 11:11 PM EST for Anderson County, Pickens County, South 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
Dec 9, 2004, 11:11 PM EST (04:11 UTC)
Expired
Dec 10, 2004, 2:00 AM EST
In force
3 hr
Issued by
NWS Greenville-Spartanburg, SC
Area
Counties, with a storm outline in the text

Counties Anderson County, SC, Pickens County, SC

The radar

The Greer radar (KGSP), 55 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 04:11 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

Peachtre/Fal Fld, GA (KFFC), launched 00:00Z, 4.2 hours before the alert went out and 214 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, Peachtre/Fal Fld, GA at 00:00Z on 2004-12-10Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 976 joules per kilogram.LCLLFCEL10008507005003002001001 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, Peachtre/Fal Fld, GA at 00:00Z on 2004-12-10The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 246 square meters per square second.1939587897117Sfc1 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
976 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-10 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
568 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
60 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
246 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
243 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
1.5
Supercell composite
5.9

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

As transmitted, in the capitals the NWS used until 2016.

000 
WGUS52 KGSP 100410
FFWGSP
SCC007-077-100700-

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
FLASH FLOOD WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
1111 PM EST THU DEC 9 2004

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG HAS ISSUED A

* FLASH FLOOD WARNING FOR...
  ANDERSON COUNTY IN UPSTATE SOUTH CAROLINA
  PICKENS COUNTY IN UPSTATE SOUTH CAROLINA

* UNTIL 200 AM EST

* AT 1053 PM EST...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RADAR SHOWED VERY HEAVY  
  RAINFALL CONTINUING IN THUNDERSTORMS ACROSS THE WARNING AREA.  A   
  STREAM GAGE ALONG TWELVE MILE CREEK WEST OF PICKENS WAS ABOVE      
  FLOOD STAGE...AND THE COUNTY AND THE PUBLIC HAVE REPORTED          
  EXCESSIVE WATER ON ROADS...CAUSING TRAVEL PROBLEMS. THERE WILL BE  
  A THREAT OF ADDITIONAL HEAVY SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS INTO THE    
  EARLY MORNING HOURS.  SEVERE URBAN FLOODING WILL LIKELY DEVELOP    
  AROUND ANDERSON.

* LOCATIONS IN THE WARNING INCLUDE BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO
  WILLIAMSTON...SANDY SPRINGS...ROCKY BOTTOM...PICKENS...PENDLETON...
  NORRIS...NINE TIMES...LIBERTY...EASLEY...CLEMSON AND CENTRAL.

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 3444 8293 3425 8273 3448 8234 3469 8254
      3506 8261 3503 8295 3458 8283

$$
JONES
1 follow-up statement
000 
WGUS72 KGSP 100526
FFSGSP

FLASH FLOOD STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
1227 AM EST FRI DEC 10 2004

SCC007-077-100700-
ANDERSON SC-PICKENS SC-
1227 AM EST FRI DEC 10 2004

...A FLASH FLOOD WARNING CONTINUES UNTIL 200 AM EST FOR PICKENS AND
ANDERSON COUNTIES...

AT 1213 AM EST...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RADAR SHOWED SCATTERED TO 
NUMEROUS SHOWERS OVER THE WARNING AREA...WITH MOST OF THE VERY HEAVY 
RAINFALL NOW EAST OF ANDERSON AND PICKENS COUNTIES.  HOWEVER...THESE 
ADDITIONAL SHOWERS COULD ADD ANOTHER QUARTER TO HALF INCH OF 
RAINFALL QUICKLY.

SOME URBAN AND SMALL STREAM FLOODING HAS BEEN REPORTED AROUND EASLEY 
AND ANDERSON.  THE SALUDA RIVER WAS ALSO RISING...AND SMALL 
TRIBUTARIES ALONG THE RIVER COULD FLOOD FROM EASLEY DOWN TO PELZER.  
MORE THAN 3 INCHES OF RAIN FELL DURING THE EVENING IN PARTS OF THE 
AREA.  THE TWELVE MILE CREEK WEST OF PICKENS WAS ABOVE 9 FEET AND 
STILL RISING.

LOCATIONS IN THE WARNING INCLUDE BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO ROCKY
BOTTOM...PICKENS...PENDLETON...NORRIS...NINE TIMES...LIBERTY...
EASLEY...CLEMSON AND CENTRAL.

EXCESSIVE RUNOFF FROM HEAVY RAINFALL WILL CAUSE FLOODING OF SMALL
CREEKS...STREAMS AND COUNTRY ROADS...AS WELL AS FARMLAND ALONG THE
BANKS OF CREEKS AND STREAMS.

LAT...LON 3444 8293 3425 8273 3448 8234 3469 8254
      3506 8261 3503 8295 3458 8283

$$
JONES

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 Dec 9, 9:54 PM EST, 1 hour 17 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Dec 9, 9:54 PM EST, 1 hour 17 minutes before
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION...UPDATED
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
954 PM EST THU DEC 9 2004

.SHORT TERM (REST OF TONIGHT)...
WILL UPDATE FOR TORNADO WATCH #918 UNTIL 3 AM FOR PORTIONS OF NE GA
AND THE UPSTATE. WARM FRONT DEPICTED ON LAPS RUNS FROM ANDERSON
TO LAURENS TO NEWBERRY ATTM. VERY IMPRESSIVE AIR IS BUILDING
BEHIND THE FRONT WILL KGRD SURGING TO 67 OVER 64. CAPES ESTIMATED
BY LAPS RANGE FROM 300-1400 J/KG WILL LLVL HELICITIES AROUND 300
M2/S2 AND SWEAT >400. AS THE WARM FRONT SLOWLY OVERTAKES THE CAD
AREA THE TOR/SVR THREAT WILL MOVE NORTH WITH IT. IN ADDITION...
STORMS HAVE TRAINED ACROSS THE REGION ALONG AND WEST OF I-85. PW
OVER 1.2 AND K-INDEX OVER 35 WILL EXPECT SOME FLOODING PROBLEMS.

DENSE FOG ADVISORY WILL REMAIN...SEE BELOW FOR DETAILS.
&&

.PREVIOUS DISCUSSION...
THE FOLLOWING WAS ORIGINALLY ISSUED AT 628 PM EST THU DEC 9 2004

SHORT TERM (REST OF TONIGHT)...
LATEST SFC ANALYSIS SHOWS THAT THE WARM FRONT HAS ADVANCED AS FAR
NORTH AS THE UPPER SAVANNAH RIVER VALLEY. AHEAD OF THE
FRONT...CONDITIONS ARE RIPE FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF DENSE FOG THIS
EVENING AND TONIGHT. AS THE IN SITU WEDGE WEAKENS AND IS DISPLACED
FURTHER NORTH...THE BL WILL REMAIN VERY MOIST AND STABLE OVERNIGHT.
ATTM PATCHY DENSE FOG HAS BEEN OBSERVED ACROSS THE PIEDMONT OF THE
CAROLINAS. MESOETA SFC CONDENSATION PRESSURE DEFICITS REMAIN LESS
THAN A MB OVER THE NC FOOTHILLS AND PIEDMONT THROUGH 12Z...WILL
EXPECT WIDESPREAD DENSE FOG TO DEVELOP AFTER MIDNIGHT.
ELSEWHERE...THE LLVLS WILL REMAIN WARM AND MOIST
OVERNIGHT...HOWEVER...SFC WINDS SOUTH OF THE WARM FRONT AND AHEAD OF
THE COLD FRONT MAY KEEP THE BL MIXED ENOUGH TO LIMIT WIDESPREAD
DENSE FOG. HAVE ISSUED A DENSE FOG ADVISORY FOR THE NC COUNTIES EAST
OF THE MTNS AND THE EXTREME NRN TIER OF THE SC UPSTATE THROUGH 8 AM
TO HIGHLIGHT. NEW 18Z MAV...DOES ADVERTISE AT LEAST A PERIOD OF
DENSE FOG AT MOST STATIONS...WHICH LOOKS GOOD. WILL ADD PATCHY DENSE
FOG TO THE AREAS OUTSIDE THE WATCH TO THE GRIDS.

THE REST OF THE FORECAST LOOKS GOOD AND WILL LEAVE IT BE. IF NEEDED
WILL COMPLETE ANOTHER UPDATE TO THE FORECAST LATER THIS EVENING.

THE FOLLOWING WAS ORIGINALLY ISSUED AT 240 PM EST THU DEC 9 2004
&&

.GSP WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
GA...TORNADO WATCH FOR ZONES GAZ026-028-029 UNTIL 3 AM EST.
NC...DENSE FOG ADVISORY FOR ZONES NCZ034-035-037-038-054>057-
     066>072-082 TONIGHT AND FRIDAY MORNING.
SC...TORNADO WATCH FOR ZONES SCZ010>014-019 UNTIL 3 AM EST.
  ...DENSE FOG ADVISORY FOR ZONES SCZ008-009-014 TONIGHT AND FRIDAY
     MORNING.
&&

SHORT TERM (UPDATE)...NED
Hazardous weather outlook, Dec 9, 3:10 PM EST, 8 hours 1 minute before
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
310 PM EST THU DEC 9 2004

GAZ010-017-018-026-028-029-NCZ033>037-048>059-062>072-082-SCZ001>014-
019-101100-
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-
310 PM EST THU DEC 9 2004

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

.DAY ONE...

SCATTERED TO NUMEROUS SHOWERS WILL LINGER THROUGH TONIGHT. HEAVY
SHOWERS AND PERHAPS A THUNDERSTORM WILL BE SEEN AS WELL. HEAVY RAIN
EARLIER TODAY WILL CONTINUE TO RESULT IN HIGH WATER CONDITIONS IN A
FEW SPOTS.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...

SCATTERED TO NUMEROUS SHOWERS WILL CONTINUE ON FRIDAY.  AS COLD AIR
FILTERS INTO THE REGION BEHIND THE COLD FRONT...THE RAIN SHOWERS WILL
TRANSITION TO SNOW SHOWERS IN THE HIGHER ELEVATIONS OF THE MOUNTAINS
FRIDAY NIGHT.  SCATTERED SNOW SHOWERS WILL CONTINUE IN THE MOUNTAINS
WITH NORTHWEST FLOW ON SATURDAY.  THESE SNOW SHOWERS WILL GRADUALLY
DECREASE AS THE MOISTURE FEED DECREASES TOWARD THE END OF THE DAY.
THE LAST LOCATIONS TO SEE SNOW SHOWERS WILL BE IN THE TENNESSEE
BORDER LOCATIONS SATURDAY NIGHT.

FOR MORE INFORMATION ON THE EXPECTED SNOWFALL...SEE CAESPSGSP.

SCATTERED RAIN AND SNOW SHOWERS ARE AGAIN POSSIBLE IN THE NORTHERN
MOUNTAINS ON MONDAY.

NEXT WEEK WILL HAVE MUCH BELOW NORMAL TEMPERATURES.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT ANTICIPATED.

In the hours before

Special weather statement, Dec 9, 7:51 PM EST, 3 hours 20 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
751 PM EST THU DEC 9 2004

GAZ026-028-029-SCZ010>012-019-100900-
ABBEVILLE SC-ANDERSON SC-ELBERT GA-FRANKLIN GA-GREENWOOD SC-HART GA-
LAURENS SC-
751 PM EST THU DEC 9 2004

...SEVERE WEATHER OUTLOOK...

A WARM FRONT WILL MOVE GRADUALLY NORTHWARD OVER THE SAVANNAH RIVER
VALLEY AND INTO THE UPSTATE OF SOUTH CAROLINA THROUGH LATE TONIGHT.
THE AIR MASS TO THE SOUTH OF THE WARM FRONT WILL BE SOMEWHAT UNSTABLE
OVERNIGHT WITH MUCH WARMER AND MORE HUMID AIR AT THE SURFACE. WIND
SHEAR WILL ALSO INCREASE LATER THIS EVENING.

SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS WILL DEVELOP IN THE AIR MASS TO THE SOUTH OF
THE WARM FRONT OVERNIGHT. THERE IS A SMALL POSSIBILITY THAT A FEW OF
THE THUNDERSTORMS COULD PRODUCE SEVERE WEATHER IN FORM OF WIND DAMAGE
OR AN ISOLATED TORNADO...GIVEN THE EXPECTED STRENGTH OF THE WIND
SHEAR. WHAT REMAINS TO BE SEEN IS HOW FAR NORTH THE WARM FRONT WILL
MOVE OVERNIGHT...WHICH IS KEY TO THE SEVERE WEATHER POTENTIAL FOR
EXTREME NORTHEAST GEORGIA AND THE LOWER PIEDMONT REGION OF SOUTH
CAROLINA.

PRESENT INDICATIONS ARE THAT THE WARM FRONT WILL MOVE INTO THE AREA
FROM ELBERTON TO ABBEVILLE AND GREENWOOD BY LATE TONIGHT. THUS...A
POTENTIAL EXISTS FOR SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ALONG AND IMMEDIATELY NORTH
OF THE WARM FRONT BOUNDARY...INTO THE AREA FROM HARTWELL TO ANDERSON
AND LAURENS...THROUGH LATE TONIGHT.

SPOTTER GROUPS SHOULD BE PREPARED TO ACTIVATE QUICKLY LATE THIS
EVENING AND OVERNIGHT. DISPATCHERS SHOULD ENSURE COUNTY
EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT OFFICIALS ARE AWARE OF THIS INFORMATION.

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

MOORE

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Dec 9, 10:05 PM ESTFlash Flood WarningGSPGreenville3 hr
Dec 9, 10:48 PM ESTSevere Thunderstorm WarningGSPAnderson42 min
Dec 9, 11:18 PM ESTFlash Flood WarningGSPSpartanburg3 hr
Dec 9, 11:49 PM ESTTornado WarningGSPAnderson41 min

Nearby

Flash Flood Warnings in South 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.