Alert archive / North Carolina / Flash Flood Warnings in 2005

Flash Flood Warning 20, NWS Greenville-Spartanburg, SC

June 20, 2005Madison County, North Carolina

NWS Greenville-Spartanburg, SC issued this flash flood warning at Jun 20, 2005, 2:37 PM EDT for Madison 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 20, 2005, 2:37 PM EDT (18:37 UTC)
Expired
Jun 20, 2005, 5:30 PM EDT
In force
3 hr
Issued by
NWS Greenville-Spartanburg, SC
Area
Counties, with a storm outline in the text

County Madison County, NC

The radar

The Knoxville radar (KMRX), 72 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 18:38 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 20, 2:58 PM EDTFLASH FLOOD3 Ne Marshall, NCHIGHWAY 213 AND 25/70 FLOODED CARS AT STAND STILL.

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 21 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

Greensboro/Hi Pt, NC (KGSO), launched 12:00Z, 6.6 hours before the alert went out and 258 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 2005-06-20Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 76 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, Greensboro/Hi Pt, NC at 12:00Z on 2005-06-20The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity -7 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
76 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-30 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
606 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
7 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
-7 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
-26 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 201837
FFWGSP
NCC115-202130-

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
FLASH FLOOD WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
237 PM EDT MON JUN 20 2005

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG HAS ISSUED A

* FLASH FLOOD WARNING FOR...
  MADISON COUNTY IN WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA

* UNTIL 530 PM EDT

* AT 230 PM EDT...LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICIALS REPORTED FLASH     
  FLOODING FROM THUNDERSTORMS NEAR MARSHALL...WITH SOME CREEKS       
  BEGINNING TO COME OUT OF THEIR BANKS.  THE THUNDERSTORMS WERE      
  NEARLY STATIONARY.

* THE STORM PRODUCING FLASH FLOODING WILL CONTINUE TO AFFECT         
  MARSHALL AND MARS HILL.

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.

TO REPORT FLOODING... HAVE THE NEAREST LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCY RELAY
YOUR REPORT TO THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE FORECAST OFFICE IN
GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG.

LAT...LON 3570 8281 3575 8261 3594 8262 3589 8288

$$
JONES
1 follow-up statement
000 
WGUS72 KGSP 202033
FFSGSP

FLASH FLOOD STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
430 PM EDT MON JUN 20 2005

NCC115-202130-
MADISON NC-
430 PM EDT MON JUN 20 2005

...A FLASH FLOOD WARNING CONTINUES UNTIL 530 PM EDT FOR MADISON 
COUNTY...

AT 430 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED 
THAT THE EARLIER THUNDERSTORMS ACROSS THE COUNTY HAD TAPERED OFF TO 
LIGHT RAIN. ADDITIONAL LIGHT RAINFALL AMOUNTS...ESPECIALLY IN THE 
SOUTHERN END OF THE COUNTY...WILL BE POSSIBLE THROUGH 530 PM.

FLASH FLOODING HAS ALREADY BEEN REPORTED NEAR MARSHALL ALONG HIGHWAY 
213. ADDITIONAL UNREPORTED FLOODING MAY BE OCCURRING ELSEWHERE 
AROUND THE COUNTY. THE WARNING WILL THUS BE ALLOWED TO CONTINUE 
UNTIL 530 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. TURN AROUND AND FIND ANOTHER ROUTE.

LAT...LON 3570 8281 3575 8261 3594 8262 3589 8288

$$
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 Jun 20, 2:21 PM EDT, 16 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jun 20, 2:21 PM EDT, 16 minutes before
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
221 PM EDT MON JUN 20 2005

.SHORT TERM (TONIGHT)...
WL KEEP SCT CONVECTION IN THROUGH SUNSET...BUT WITH LIGHT SHEAR
DON/T THINK THAT TSTMS WL BE ABLE TO PERSIST AFTER DAYTIME HEATING
IS LOST. MIN TEMPS WL BE A BLEND OF THE MAV/MET MOS. WL ALSO ADD
SOME PATCHY DENSE VALLEY FOG IN THE NC MTNS.

&&

.LONG TERM (TUESDAY THROUGH MONDAY)...
DEEP AMPLITUDE TROUGH OVER THE SOUTHEAST SLOWLY DISSIPATES
AS KICKER SHIFTS ENERGY TO NORTH PART OF FLOW.  RIDGE
SLOWLY DRIFTING FROM PLAINS INTO SOUTHEAST AND SETTING
UP VERY WARM THICKNESS PATTERN BY THE WEEKEND.  AGREE
WITH HPC ASSESSMENT AND WILL STICK WITH GFS/EC SOLUTION.

AS TROUGH WEAKEN AND MOVES OFFSHORE HIGHER LEVEL FORCING
WILL NO LONGER ENHANCE CONVECTION OVER AREA.  PLAN
TO KEEP SLIGHT CHANCE AND LOW CHANCE AFTN AND EVENING
TSTMS OVER MTN REGIONS.

&&

.AVIATION...
LIGHT EASTERLY UPSLOPE FLOW SHOULD HELP TSTMS TO DEVELOP IN THE KHKY
AND KAVL VCNTY OVER THE NEXT COUPLE HRS. THEREFORE HAVE A TEMPO
GROUP IN AT THOSE SITES FOR TSTMS THROUGH 2100 UTC. NOT CONFIDENT
ENUF ANYWHERE ELSE FOR TEMPO...BUT CONVECTION WL BE PREVALENT ENUF
THAT WL CONTINUE VCTS AND CB IN THE OTHER TAFS. OVERNIGHT...HAVE
GONE WITH IFR CIGS AND VSBYS LATER TNGT AT KAVL AS VALLEY FOG SHOULD
AGAIN DEVELOP. MOST OTHER TAF SITES ARE CLOSE TO CROSS OVER
TEMPERATURES...BUT NOT QUITE THERE...SO HAVE NOT INCLUDED FOG OR LOW
CLOUDS ANYWHERE ELSE. HAVE ADDED CB TO ALL TAFS STARTING AT NOON
TMRW...BUT HELD OFF ON VCTS AS EXPECT COVERAGE TO BE A LITTLE LESS
TMRW.

&&

.GSP WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
GA...NONE.
NC...FLASH FLOOD WATCH FOR NCZ048-051-052-058-059-062-063 UNTIL 6
     PM MONDAY.
SC...NONE.
&&

SHORT TERM...BPM
LONG TERM...VAD
AVIATION...BPM
Hazardous weather outlook, Jun 20, 1:05 PM EDT, 1 hour 32 minutes before
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
105 PM EDT MON JUN 20 2005

GAZ010-017-018-026-028-029-NCZ033>037-048>059-062>072-082-
SCZ001>014-019-210945-
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-
105 PM AM EDT MON JUN 20 2005

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

.DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT
SCATTERED TO NUMEROUS SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED AGAIN
TODAY...MAINLY FROM THE FOOTHILLS OF NORTH CAROLINA WESTWARD. THE
STORMS WILL BE VERY SLOW MOVING...AND A FLASH FLOOD WATCH HAS BEEN
ISSUED FOR THIS AFTERNOON FOR MADISON... HAYWOOD... JACKSON...
SWAIN... GRAHAM... AND MACON COUNTIES FOR THE AFTERNOON HOURS. A FEW
SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS ARE ALSO POSSIBLE...AND HAIL UP TO AN INCH IN
DIAMETER WILL BE POSSIBLE. MOST OF THE STORMS WILL WEAKEN RAPIDLY
THIS EVENING WITH THE LOSS OF DAYTIME HEATING.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY

MAINLY AFTERNOON SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS CAN BE EXPECTED ACROSS
THE HIGHER TERRAIN WEDNESDAY AHEAD OF A BACK DOOR COLD FRONT.
ANOTHER FRONT WILL RETURN CHANCES OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS TO
THE MOUNTAINS FOR THE UPCOMING WEEKEND. FOOTHILL AND PIEDMONT
AREAS SHOULD BE MOSTLY DRY DURING THIS PERIOD. NO HAZARDOUS
WEATHER IS ANTICIPATED AT THIS TIME.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...
SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL BE NEEDED THIS AFTERNOON. SPOTTER ACTIVATION
IS NOT ANTICIPATED FOR THE TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY PERIOD AT THIS
TIME.

In the hours before

Special weather statement, Jun 20, 11:46 AM EDT, 2 hours 51 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
1146 AM EDT MON JUN 20 2005

NCZ048-051-052-059-201800-
MADISON-SWAIN-HAYWOOD-NORTHERN JACKSON-
INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...CHEROKEE...WAYNESVILLE...SYLVA
1146 AM EDT MON JUN 20 2005

...NEARLY STATIONARY STRONG THUNDERSTORMS ALONG THE STATE LINE...

AT 1130 AM EDT...WEATHER RADAR SHOWED A BAND OF STORMS ALONG THE
TENNESSEE NORTH CAROLINA STATE LINE...FROM NEAR CLINGMANS DOME TO
WEST OF SPRING CREEK. SOME OF THE RAIN EXTENDED AS FAR SOUTH AS
THE NORTHERN TIP OF HAYWOOD COUNTY.

THE LIGHTNING DISPLAY SYSTEM SHOWED QUITE A BIT OF CLOUD TO GROUND
LIGHTNING IN THE AREA...AND THE SLOW MOVEMENT WAS CAUSING LOCALLY
HEAVY RAINFALL...PERHAPS AN INCH PER HOUR OR A LITTLE MORE.
ALSO...IT IS LIKELY SOME SMALL HAIL WAS FALLING IN THE STRONGEST
STORMS.

THE STORMS WERE AFFECTING MAINLY PEOPLE ALONG THE APPALACHIAN
TRAIL AND SOME CAMP GROUNDS IN THE HIGH TERRAIN...ESPECIALLY THE
BIG CREEK AREA OF NORTHERN HAYWOOD COUNTY. PEOPLE SHOULD STAY IN
SHELTER UNTIL THE LIGHTNING ENDS.

JONES
Local storm report, Jun 20, 1:09 PM EDT, 1 hour 28 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
109 PM EDT MON JUN 20 2005

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

1255 PM     HAIL             CULLOWHEE               35.31N 83.18W
06/20/2005  0.75 INCH        JACKSON            NC   LAW ENFORCEMENT

            WESTERN CAROLINA UNIVERSITY REPORTED

&&

JONES
Local storm report, Jun 20, 1:27 PM EDT, 1 hour 10 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
127 PM EDT MON JUN 20 2005

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

0120 PM     FLASH FLOOD      CULLOWHEE               35.31N 83.18W
06/20/2005                   JACKSON            NC   COUNTY OFFICIAL

            SD REPORTED THAT FLASH FLOODING HAS CAUSED CREEKS TO
            FLOOD IN AND AROUND CULLOWHEE...WITH SOME WATER GETTING
            INTO TRAILER PARKS ALREADY.

&&

JONES
Special weather statement, Jun 20, 2:26 PM EDT, 11 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
226 PM EDT MON JUN 20 2005

GAZ010-017-018-026-028-029-NCZ033>037-048>059-062>072-082-
SCZ001>014-019-202030-
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
226 PM EDT MON JUN 20 2005

...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WITH LOTS OF LIGHTNING - HEAVY RAINFALL -
AND SOME HAIL AGAIN THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING...

NUMEROUS THUNDERSTORMS HAVE ALREADY DEVELOPED ACROSS THE
MOUNTAINS...AND WERE DEVELOPING RAPIDLY IN THE FOOTHILLS AND
PIEDMONT OF THE CAROLINAS AND NORTHEAST GEORGIA. SOME OF THE
STORMS WILL HAVE HAIL AND HEAVY RAINFALL. A FLASH FLOOD WATCH HAS
BEEN ISSUED FOR PARTS OF THE NORTH CAROLINA MOUNTAINS...AND COULD
BE EXPANDED INTO OTHER COUNTIES AND/OR EXTENDED IN TIME. SEVERAL
WARNINGS HAVE ALREADY BEEN ISSUED IN THE MOUNTAINS FOR SEVERE
WEATHER OR FLASH FLOODING.

SLOW MOVEMENT OF STORMS TODAY WILL CAUSE FLASH FLOODING TO DEVELOP
QUICKLY IN URBAN AREAS AND IN AREAS WHICH RECEIVED HEAVY RAINFALL
SATURDAY AND SUNDAY. ACCUMULATION OF EVEN SMALL HAIL COULD CAUSE
FLASH FLOODING TO DEVELOP QUICKLY IN SOME AREAS. HAIL WAS REPORTED
ACCUMULATING ON ROADS EARLIER TODAY IN PARTS OF THE NORTH CAROLINA MOUNTAINS.

EXCESSIVE LIGHTNING WILL ALSO KNOCK OUT PHONES AND COMMUNICATIONS
IN SOME AREAS...IN ADDITION TO THE USUAL LIGHTNING DANGERS. MORE
PEOPLE ARE KILLED BY LIGHTNING THAN BY SEVERE WEATHER.

KEEP UP TO DATE WITH LATEST WEATHER INFORMATION THIS AFTERNOON AND
EVENING...AND BE READY TO MOVE TO SAFE SHELTER IF A WARNING IS
ISSUED OR BAD WEATHER APPROACHES.

JONES

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Jun 20, 12:46 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningGSPJackson59 min
Jun 20, 1:05 PM EDTFlash Flood WarningGSPJackson3 hr
Jun 20, 2:03 PM EDTFlash Flood WarningGSPTransylvania3 hr
Jun 20, 2:51 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningGSPTransylvania54 min
Jun 20, 3:26 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningGSPBuncombe, Henderson64 min

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.