Alert archive / North Carolina / Flash Flood Warnings in 2005

Flash Flood Warning 12, NWS Greenville-Spartanburg, SC

June 9, 2005Rowan County, North Carolina

NWS Greenville-Spartanburg, SC issued this flash flood warning at Jun 9, 2005, 6:46 PM EDT for Rowan County, North Carolina. It was in force for 3 hr. 1 report came from inside the area while it was in force.

The area

The outline as issued, with what was reported inside it.

The facts

Issued
Jun 9, 2005, 6:46 PM EDT (22:46 UTC)
Expired
Jun 9, 2005, 9:45 PM EDT
In force
3 hr
Issued by
NWS Greenville-Spartanburg, SC
Area
Counties, with a storm outline in the text

County Rowan County, NC

The radar

The Roanoke radar (KFCX), 157 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 22:46 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.

What was reported inside it

TimeReportWhereRemark
Jun 9, 7:00 PM EDTFLASH FLOOD5 S Salisbury, NCSPOTTER RELAYED SCANNER REPORT OF 10 TO 12 INCHES OF WATER FLOWING OVER OLD CONCORD RD.

Local storm reports filed while the alert was in force, from inside its polygon or its counties.

Did it verify

Verified. The Iowa Environmental Mesonet's Cow matched one storm report to this flash flood warning; the first came 14 minutes after it went out.

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

Roanoke, VA (KRNK), launched 12:00Z, 10.8 hours before the alert went out and 198 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, Roanoke, VA at 12:00Z on 2005-06-09Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 147 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, Roanoke, VA at 12:00Z on 2005-06-09The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 39 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
147 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-31 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
695 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
14 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
39 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
13 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 092251
FFWGSP
NCC159-100145-

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
FLASH FLOOD WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
646 PM EDT THU JUN 9 2005

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG HAS ISSUED A

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

* UNTIL 945 PM EDT

* AT 642 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED   
SLOW MOVING THUNDERSTORMS OVER CENTRAL AND SOUTHERN ROWAN COUNTY. 
THE HEAVIEST RAINFALL HAS AFFECTED LOCATIONS JUST NORTH OF CHINA 
GROVE...WHERE RADAR ESTIMATES AS MUCH AS 3 INCHES OF RAIN HAS FALLEN 
SINCE MID AFTERNOON. THROUGH LATE EVENING...SHOWERS AND 
THUNDERSTORMS WILL CONTINUE TO MOVE INTO ROWAN COUNTY FROM THE 
SOUTH...WHILE STORMS DRIFT SLOWLY NORTH ACROSS THE REST OF ROWAN 
COUNTY. THE HEAVIEST RAIN WILL CONTINUE TO AFFECT LOCATIONS FROM 
CHINA GROVE NORTH AND EAST TO GRANITE QUARRY...AND ALSO EDGE NORTH 
TOWARD SALISBURY...CLEVELAND AND SPENCER.

* SEVERE URBAN FLOODING IS LIKELY IN AND AROUND CHINA GROVE...AND 
EVENTUALLY IN SALISBURY...ESPECIALLY LOW LYING OR AREAS SUSCEPTIBLE 
TO POOR DRAINAGE. SHALLOWER STREAMS AND CREEKS COULD COME OUT OF 
THEIR BANKS SHOULD HEAVY RAINFALL PERSIST THIS EVENING...ESPECIALLY
TOWN CREEK AND COLD WATER CREEK.

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.

LAT...LON 3551 8073 3549 8021 3564 8028 3574 8047
      3585 8069 3569 8076

$$

44
1 follow-up statement
000 
WGUS72 KGSP 100018
FFSGSP

FLASH FLOOD STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
818 PM EDT THU JUN 9 2005

NCC159-100145-
ROWAN NC-
818 PM EDT THU JUN 9 2005

...A FLASH FLOOD WARNING CONTINUES UNTIL 945 PM EDT FOR ROWAN
COUNTY...

AT 815 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR SHOWED 
SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS SLOWLY WEAKENING BUT STILL COVERING MOST 
OF ROWAN COUNTY. RAINFALL REMAINED HEAVIEST BETWEEN CHINA GROVE AND 
SALISBURY...WITH RADAR ESTIMATING AS MUCH AS 4 INCHES OF RAIN HAS FALLEN
OVER THE TOWN CREEK AND GRANTS CREEK BASINS. PARTS OF OLD CONCORD 
ROAD REMAINED CLOSED DUE TO FLOODING 5 MILES SOUTH OF SALISBURY.

RAINFALL RATES ARE EXPECTED TO CONTINUE WEAKENING THROUGH LATE 
EVENING...BUT ADDITIONAL FLOODING COULD DEVELOP BETWEEN SALISBURY 
AND SPENCER. THE FLASH FLOOD WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 945 PM. 

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.

LAT...LON 3551 8073 3549 8021 3564 8028 3574 8047
      3585 8069 3569 8076

$$
44

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 9, 2:14 PM EDT, 4 hours 32 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jun 9, 2:14 PM EDT, 4 hours 32 minutes before
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
214 PM EDT THU JUN 9 2005

.SHORT TERM (TODAY THROUGH SUNDAY NIGHT)...
UPPER LEVEL RIDGE TO REMAIN ALONG SE USA COAST...WITH TROUGH
UPSTREAM OVER GULF STATES. MOISTURE ON W SIDE OF RIDGE TO REMAIN
BANKED UP AGAINST S APPALACHIANS IN WEAK UPSLOPE COMPONENT THROUGH
FRI EVENING...SUPPORTING POPS RANGING FROM CHANCE E AND TN
LINE...TO LIKELY ALONG BLUE RIDGE ESCARPMENT. ON SAT MODELS TRY TO
BRING DRIER AIR INTO AREA FROM ATLANTIC. GFS SHOWING SWATH OF HIGH
RH WELL E OF TC ARLENE...WHILE ETA...THROUGH FARTHER E WITH
ARLENE...IS LESS AGREESIVE WITH MOISTURE. AT THIS TIME...PREFER
DRIER ETA SCENARIO AS ITS TRACK IS CLOSER TO TPC TRACK...THOUGH
FASTER. ALSO BELIEVE THERE WILL BE A SHARP GRADIENT TO CONVECTION
BETWEEN MOIST INFLOW E SIDE OF ARLENE AND DRIER ATLANTIC AIR. WILL
LIMIT CHANCE POPS SAT TO MTS AND UPPER SAVANAH RIVER VALLEY.
MODELS CONTINUE TO DIFFER WITH MOISTURE SPREADING N AND E INTO
AREA SUN AS DRIER ATLANTIC AIR RETREATS...AND HAVE COMPROMISED
WITH CHANCE POPS SUN...AGAIN FAVORING BLUE RIDGE IN UPSLOPE
COMPONENT.

MAX TEMPERATURES TO REMAIN RATHER LIMITED IN CLOUD COVER...EXCEPT
IN DRIER AIR ON SAT WHERE FORECAST TRENDS TOWARD HIGH SIDE OF
GUIDANCE. MINIMUM TMEPERATURES TO REAMIN UP IN MOIST AIR MASS.
WIND GENERALLY FROM SE EARLY...SLOWLY VEERING TO S. LIMITED GUSTS
TO LATE SAT AND SUN WHEN GRADIENT TIGHTENS BETWEEN RIDGE AND ARLENE.

&&

.LONG TERM (MONDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY)...
MEDIUM RANGE FCST LITTLE CHANGED FROM GOING FCST. UPPER RIDGE OVER
THE AREA AT THE START OF THE PERIOD WEAKENS AND GIVES WAY TO A
SERIES OF SHORT WAVES ON WED WHICH CARVE A TROF OVER THE EAST COAST
THURSDAY. SLY FLOW AND DEEP MOISTURE CONTINUE ACROSS THE AREA THRU
WED WHEN A COLD FRONT MOVES IN. CHC...MAINLY DIURNAL...POP CONTINUES
THRU THEN. DRIER AIR MOVES IN BEHIND THE FRONT FOR THU...BUT ENOUGH
MOISTURE REMAINS ACROSS THE MTNS FOR CHC POP. SOME MINOR ADJUSTMENTS
TO TEMPS...BUT VALUES REMAIN CLOSE TO PREV FCST.

&&

.AVIATION...
AS WE MOVE THROUGH ANOTHER DAY OF WITH THE SAME AIR MASS IN
PLACE...FCST IS LITTLE CHANGED FROM PREV FEW. COULD BE SOME BRIEF
MVFR CIGS THE NEXT TWO HOURS...BUT VFR WILL PREVAIL...XCPT WHERE
TSRA MOVE OVER TAF SITES. AS IN PAST DAYS...VCTS ALL SITES THRU THE
EVENING AND WILL AMEND AS NECESSARY. ABOUT MIDNIGHT...MVFR VSBY/CIGS
RETURN. HAVE TEMPO FOR IFR VSBY/CIGS MOST LOCATIONS IN LINE WITH
THIS MORNINGS OBS. VFR VSBY BY 15Z...BUT MVFR CIGS CONTINUE AS LOW
LEVEL MOISTURE AND WEAK UPGLIDE CONTINUE.

&&

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

SHORT TERM...JAT
LONG TERM...RWH
AVIATION...RWH
Hazardous weather outlook, Jun 9, 5:45 AM EDT, 13 hours 1 minute before
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
545 AM EDT THU JUN 9 2005

GAZ010-017-018-026-028-029-NCZ033>037-048>059-062>072-082-
SCZ001>014-019-101000-
RABUN-HABERSHAM-STEPHENS-FRANKLIN-HART-ELBERT-AVERY-CALDWELL-
ALEXANDER-IREDELL-DAVIE-MADISON-YANCEY-MITCHELL-SWAIN-HAYWOOD-
BUNCOMBE-MCDOWELL-BURKE-CATAWBA-ROWAN-GRAHAM-NORTHERN JACKSON-
MACON-SOUTHERN JACKSON-TRANSYLVANIA-HENDERSON-POLK-RUTHERFORD-
CLEVELAND-LINCOLN-GASTON-MECKLENBURG-CABARRUS-UNION-
OCONEE MOUNTAINS-PICKENS MOUNTAINS-GREENVILLE MOUNTAINS-
GREATER OCONEE-GREATER PICKENS-GREATER GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG-
CHEROKEE-YORK-ANDERSON-ABBEVILLE-LAURENS-CHESTER-GREENWOOD-
545 AM EDT THU JUN 9 2005

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

.DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT

THE VERY MOIST AIR MASS ACROSS THE REGION WILL PROMOTE THE
DEVELOPMENT OF SCATTERED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS THROUGHOUT THE
DAY AND INTO TONIGHT.  LIGHT WINDS THROUGH A DEEP LAYER OF THE
ATMOSPHERE WILL RESULT IN SLOW MOVEMENT OF THE THUNDERSTORMS. THIS
WILL CAUSE LOCALLY EXCESSIVE RAINFALL AMOUNTS IN SOME LOCATIONS.
PEOPLE IN FLOOD PRONE AND POOR DRAINAGE AREAS SHOULD BE ALERT FOR
THE POSSIBILITY OF HIGH WATER LEVELS.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY

THERE IS A CHANCE OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS PRIMARILY DURING
THE AFTERNOONS AND AT NIGHT. THE POSSIBILITY OF LOCALLY HEAVY
RAINFALL EXISTS SATURDAY NIGHT AND SUNDAY... ESPECIALLY IN THE
MOUNTAINS AND FOOTHILLS.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

SPOTTER ACTIVATION MIGHT BE REQUESTED IF FLOODING DEVELOPS.

LGL

In the hours before

Special weather statement, Jun 9, 6:09 PM EDT, 37 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
609 PM EDT THU JUN 9 2005

GAZ010-017-018-026-028-029-NCZ033>037-048>059-062>072-082-
SCZ001>014-019-100015-
RABUN-HABERSHAM-STEPHENS-FRANKLIN-HART-ELBERT-AVERY-CALDWELL-
ALEXANDER-IREDELL-DAVIE-MADISON-YANCEY-MITCHELL-SWAIN-HAYWOOD-
BUNCOMBE-MCDOWELL-BURKE-CATAWBA-ROWAN-GRAHAM-NORTHERN JACKSON-
MACON-SOUTHERN JACKSON-TRANSYLVANIA-HENDERSON-POLK-RUTHERFORD-
CLEVELAND-LINCOLN-GASTON-MECKLENBURG-CABARRUS-UNION-
OCONEE MOUNTAINS-PICKENS MOUNTAINS-GREENVILLE MOUNTAINS-
GREATER OCONEE-GREATER PICKENS-GREATER GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG-
CHEROKEE-YORK-ANDERSON-ABBEVILLE-LAURENS-CHESTER-GREENWOOD-
INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...CLAYTON...CLARKESVILLE...TOCCOA...
HARTWELL...ELBERTON...NEWLAND...STATESVILLE...MOCKSVILLE...
SPRUCE PINE...CHEROKEE...WAYNESVILLE...ASHEVILLE...MARION...
MORGANTON...HICKORY...SALISBURY...SYLVA...FRANKLIN...BREVARD...
HENDERSONVILLE...COLUMBUS...RUTHERFORDTON...SHELBY...LINCOLNTON...
GASTONIA...CHARLOTTE...CONCORD...MONROE...GREENVILLE...
SPARTANBURG...GAFFNEY...ROCK HILL...ANDERSON...ABBEVILLE...
LAURENS...UNION...CHESTER...GREENWOOD
609 PM EDT THU JUN 9 2005

...SLOW MOVING SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS CAUSING SOME PROBLEMS...

JUST BEFORE 6 PM EDT...WEATHER RADAR SHOWED ISOLATED TO SCATTERED
SHOWERS ACROSS UPSTATE SOUTH CAROLINA AND EXTREME NORTHEAST
GEORGIA...WITH MORE COVERAGE ACROSS NORTH CAROLINA. IN THE RICH
TROPICAL AIR MASS...THE SHOWERS AND STORMS HAVE BEEN PRODUCING
LOCALLY HEAVY...AND EVEN EXCESSIVE...RAINFALL.

A FLASH FLOOD HAS OCCURRED IN EXTREME SOUTHWEST SWAIN
COUNTY...AROUND WESSER. THE WESSER CREEK WAS REPORTED OUT OF ITS
BANKS CLOSING ROADS AND POSSIBLY DAMAGING SOME HOMES. THIS FLASH
FLOOD DEVELOPED FROM A VERY SMALL RAIN STORM THAT BECAME
STATIONARY IN THE MOUNTAINS. OTHER SHOWERS TONIGHT MAY DO THE SAME
THING...SO ISOLATED FLASH FLOODING MAY BE A THREAT IN OTHER LOCATIONS.

AROUND CHARLOTTE...A LARGER COMPLEX OF SHOWERS AND STORMS EXTENDED
FROM KANNAPOLIS SOUTH TO THE CITY. OFFICIALS AT MILLER CREEK AND
INTERSTATE 85...AND AROUND UNCC...REPORTED SOME FUNNEL CLOUDS
AROUND 545 PM...BUT NO DAMAGE WAS REPORTED. THE FUNNELS COULD BE A
RAIN SHAFT...OR PERHAPS VAPOR FROM COLDER AIR ALOFT MIXING DOWN
THROUGH THE MOIST TROPICAL AIR. THIS COMPLEX OF STORMS HAD BECOME
NEARLY STATIONARY...AND A FLASH FLOOD THREAT COULD DEVELOP
QUICKLY. THESE STORMS WILL BE MONITORED CLOSELY FOR THE
POSSIBILITY OF SEVERE WEATHER AND FLASH FLOODING.

THE WEATHER COULD QUICKLY CHANGE MOST ANYWHERE IN THE FORECAST
AREA TONIGHT...SO PEOPLE SHOULD REMAIN ALERT...AND LISTEN FOR
LATER STATEMENTS AND POSSIBLY A FEW WARNINGS OF SEVERE WEATHER OR
FLASH FLOODING.

JONES
Local storm report, Jun 9, 6:41 PM EDT, 5 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
641 PM EDT THU JUN 09 2005

..TIME...   ...EVENT...      ...CITY LOCATION...     ...LAT.LON...
..DATE...   ....MAG....      ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
            ..REMARKS..

0515 PM     FLASH FLOOD      1 E WESSER              35.33N 83.57W
06/09/2005                   SWAIN              NC   TRAINED SPOTTER

            SPOTTER REPORTED 5 INCHES OF RAIN IN TWO HOURS OVER VERY
            SMALL AREA. CAUSED WESSER CREEK TO FLOOD ROADS AND HOMES
            NEAR THE NANTAHALA RIVER. COUNTY CONFIRMED FLOODING IN
            THAT AREA.

&&

JONES

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Jun 9, 5:36 PM EDTFlash Flood WarningGSPSwain3 hr
Jun 9, 6:25 PM EDTFlash Flood WarningGSPCabarrus, Mecklenburg3 hr

Nearby

Flash Flood Warnings in North Carolina, 2005Every flash flood warning in 2005

Sources

The product and its follow-ups from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service and Storm Prediction Center text; local storm reports from the same archive; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive; radar from the NEXRAD Level II archive.