Alert archive / North Carolina / Flash Flood Warnings in 2005

Flash Flood Warning 40, NWS Greenville-Spartanburg, SC

July 4, 2005Rowan County, North Carolina

NWS Greenville-Spartanburg, SC issued this flash flood warning at Jul 4, 2005, 7:28 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
Jul 4, 2005, 7:28 PM EDT (23:28 UTC)
Expired
Jul 4, 2005, 10:30 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), 156 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 23:32 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
Jul 4, 8:30 PM EDTFLASH FLOODSalisbury, NCSMALL TRIBUTARIES OF GRANTS CREEK THAT DRAIN CITIES OF SALISBURY AND SPENCER ARE OUT OF THEIR BANKS. ROADS LEADING TO KNOX MIDDLE SCHOOL ARE SUBMERGED. GRANTS CREEK OUT OF ITS BANKS AT 3RD STREET EXTENSION IN SPENCER.

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 62 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, 11.5 hours before the alert went out and 70 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 2005-07-04Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 553 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 2005-07-04The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 46 square meters per square second.193958Sfc1 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
553 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-7 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
563 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
18 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
46 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
60 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 042328
FFWGSP
NCC159-050230-

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
FLASH FLOOD WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
728 PM EDT MON JUL 4 2005

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG HAS ISSUED A

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

* UNTIL 1030 PM EDT

* AT 721 PM EDT...TRAINED WEATHER SPOTTERS REPORTED FLASH FLOODING
  FROM A THUNDERSTORM OVER THE WARNED AREA.

* LOCATIONS IN THE WARNING INCLUDE BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO SPENCER AND
  SALISBURY.

AMATEUR RADIO SPOTTERS REPORTED THAT MULTIPLE STREETS AND ROADS WERE 
BECOMING IMPASSABLE.

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.

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 3556 8054 3556 8032 3574 8031 3574 8053

$$
JONES
3 follow-up statements
000 
WGUS72 KGSP 050000
FFSGSP

FLASH FLOOD STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
759 PM EDT MON JUL 4 2005

NCC159-050230-
ROWAN NC-
759 PM EDT MON JUL 4 2005

...A FLASH FLOOD WARNING CONTINUES UNTIL 1030 PM EDT FOR ROWAN
COUNTY...

AT 746 PM EDT...THE COMMUNICATIONS CENTER REPORTED THAT SEVERE URBAN 
FLOODING HAS OCCURRED IN AND AROUND SALISBURY.  CREEKS WERE REPORTED 
OUT OF THEIR BANKS ALSO...WITH SOME FLOODING OF YARDS AND BASEMENTS 
RESULTING.  ALSO...SEVERAL STREETS WERE CLOSED BECAUSE OF 
WATER...AND SOME PEOPLE HAD BEEN RESCUED FROM STALLED VEHICLES.  THE 
CORE OF THE STORM HAD DRIFTED SLIGHTLY TO THE EAST...AND WAS BETWEEN 
SALISBURY AND HIGH ROCK LAKE...WITH RAINFALL RATES BEGINNING TO 
DIMINISH SOMEWHAT AROUND SALISBURY.

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.

LAT...LON 3551 8073 3569 8076 3584 8071 3584 8065
      3578 8052 3578 8049 3574 8045 3571 8033
      3565 8030 3562 8025 3557 8021 3551 8019

$$
JONES
000 
WGUS72 KGSP 050100
FFSGSP

FLASH FLOOD STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
856 PM EDT MON JUL 4 2005

NCC159-050230-
ROWAN NC-
900 PM EDT MON JUL 4 2005

...A FLASH FLOOD WARNING CONTINUES UNTIL 1030 PM EDT FOR ROWAN
COUNTY...

AT 850 PM EDT...RADAR SHOWED THAT THE STORM WHICH CAUSED THE FLASH 
FLOODING AROUND SPENCER AND SALISBURY HAD DISSIPATED.  
HOWEVER...SPOTTER REPORTS INDICATED THAT SERIOUS FLOODING CONTINUED 
AROUND THE AREA...WITH SEVERAL CREEKS STILL OUT OF THEIR BANKS.  IN 
ADDITION...NEW STORMS WERE DEVELOPING IN THE SOUTHERN PART OF THE 
COUNTY AND MOVING NORTHEAST.  THE HEAVIEST RAIN WAS BETWEEN CHINA 
GROVE AND ROCKWELL.

LAT...LON 3551 8073 3569 8076 3584 8071 3584 8065
      3578 8052 3578 8049 3574 8045 3571 8033
      3565 8030 3562 8025 3557 8021 3551 8019

$$
JONES
000 
WGUS72 KGSP 050227
FFSGSP

FLASH FLOOD STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
1026 PM EDT MON JUL 4 2005

NCC159-050236-
ROWAN NC-
1026 PM EDT MON JUL 4 2005

...THE FLASH FLOOD WARNING FOR ROWAN COUNTY EXPIRES AT 1030 PM EDT...

SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS HAVE ENDED FOR THE MOST PART OVER THE 
AREA.  HOWEVER...SOME HIGH WATER LINGERS...AND SOME CREEKS WILL 
CONTINUE OUT OF THEIR BANKS...OR WILL RUN VERY HIGH...FOR SEVERAL 
HOURS TONIGHT.  DO NOT DRIVE INTO FLOODED AREAS.

LAT...LON 3551 8073 3569 8076 3584 8071 3584 8065
      3578 8052 3578 8049 3574 8045 3571 8033
      3565 8030 3562 8025 3557 8021 3551 8019

$$
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 Jul 4, 3:25 PM EDT, 4 hours 3 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jul 4, 3:25 PM EDT, 4 hours 3 minutes before
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
325 PM EDT MON JUL 4 2005

.SHORT TERM (TONIGHT THROUGH WEDNESDAY NIGHT)...
SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS BLOSSOMING ON RADAR AT THIS HOUR APPEAR
TIED TO LOW LEVEL FORCING MECHANISMS OF SOUTHERLY UPSLOPE FLOW AND
WIND CONVERGENCE. ALTHOUGH NEITHER MECHANISM IS VERY STRONG...MOIST
SOUNDINGS EXHIBITING PRECIPITABLE WATER VALUES AROUND 2 INCHES
REQUIRE VERY LITTLE LIFTING TO PRODUCE SHOWERS. THE POSSIBILITY OF
TERRAIN ANCHORING EXISTS IN THE SW MTNS...AND A FLASH FLOOD WATCH
WILL LIKELY BE REQUIRED THROUGH THE EVENING HOURS UNTIL INSTABILITY
AND UPSLOPE FLOW DIMINISH.

CONVECTION FORMING AHEAD OF THE COLD FRONT...FROM THE GREAT LAKES TO
THE SOUTHERN PLAINS...COULD ORGANIZE AND MAKE A RUN AT THE SOUTHERN
APPALACHIANS LATE TONIGHT THROUGH TOMORROW GIVEN STEERING FLOW.
WESTERN MOUNTAIN PRECIPITATION CHANCES WILL THUS INCREASE AGAIN
TOWARD DAYBREAK. HIGHEST CHANCES THEN CONTINUE THROUGH TOMORROW IN
WESTERN AND NORTHERN SECTIONS NEARER WEAK H5 SHORTWAVE AND MCS
DEBRIS. MID LEVEL DRYING WILL ALSO YIELD FAIRLY HIGH EQUIVALENT
POTENTIAL TEMPERATURE LAPSE RATES BY TUE AFTN...SO SEVERE WIND GUST
POTENTIAL WILL NEED TO BE MONITORED WITH SCATTERED STRONG CONVECTION.

SOUNDINGS ALSO FEATURE THE POTENTIAL FOR RESTRICTED VSBY LATE
TONIGHT GIVEN ONSET OF MID LEVEL DRYING AND FAVORABLE LOW LEVEL
INCREASE IN MIXING RATIO. WILL JUST MENTION PATCHY FOG FOR NOW GIVEN
UNCERTAINTY WITH CLOUD COVER...BUT VSBY TRENDS WILL NEED MONITORING.

COLD FRONT CONTINUES TO MOVE ACROSS THE AREA TUESDAY NIGHT THROUGH
WEDNESDAY. THE SLOWER 12Z NAM INDICATES AN MCS TYPE SYSTEM LATE
TUESDAY EVENING ACROSS THE PIEDMONT. ETA BUFKIT SOUNDINGS FOR KCLT
HAVE CAPE MAXING OUT AT 01Z WED AROUND 1700 J/KG...WITH DECENT LOW
TO MID LEVEL LAPES RATES. HOWEVER...NOT A LOT OF UPPER DYNAMIC
SUPPORT AS WEAK RIDGING MOVES ACROSS THE AREA AND H5 DPVA LEVELS
LOOK TO REMAIN FAIRLY LOW. SO...BUMPED UP POPS ACROSS THE PIEDMONT
TO HIGH CHANCE TUESDAY EVENING. THICKNESS LEVELS MODIFY QUICKLY
WEDNESDAY AND SEE NO REASON FOR TEMPS NOT TO REACH GUIDANCE LEVELS
IN THE UPPER 80S TO AROUND 90.

&&

.LONG TERM (THURSDAY THROUGH MONDAY)...
THE 12Z GFS SEEMS TO BE HAVING A DIFFICULT TIME WITH THE TROPICAL
SYSTEMS AFFECTING THE SOUTHEAST THROUGH THE LATER PERIODS. THE MODEL
HAS THE REMNANT OF TD 3 SHOOTING ACROSS THE SOUTHEAST WELL AHEAD
THE OFFICIAL NHC TRACK. ON SATURDAY...THE GFS BRINGS ANOTHER
TROPICAL STORM INTO THE SOUTHEAST. OTHER MODELS ARE HINTING AT A
TROPICAL FEATURE OVER THE WEEKEND...HOWEVER NONE ARE AS ORGANIZED OR
BOLD AS THE GFS. ANYWAY...IN THE MEANTIME WILL GO WITH DGEX AND HPC
GUIDANCE WITH THE LONG RANGE PATTERN. THE 06Z DGEX KEEPS GENERAL
UPPER TROFFINESS OVER THE EAST COAST BEGINNING FRIDAY MORNING
THROUGH SATURDAY. MEANWHILE...A FALL LIKE SFC HIGH BUILDS ACROSS THE
TENNESSEE AND OHIO VALLEYS AND LOWERS THICKNESSES ACROSS THE CWA TO
THE LOWER 570S. MOISTURE LOOKS LIMITED THROUGH THIS TIME AS WELL AND
HAVE KEPT POPS LOW TO SLIGHT. DGEX HAS ATLANTIC MOISTURE BEING
ROBBED FROM AN OFFSHORE TROPICAL SYSTEM AND A DEEP NORTHWEST FLOW
SHOULD KEEP THINGS PRETTY DRY THROUGH THE WEEKEND.

&&

.AVIATION...
TWO MECHANISMS OF TSRA ACTIVITY WILL AFFECT THE TERMINAL LOCATIONS
THROUGH 00Z THIS EVENING. LIGHT UPSLOPE FLOW INTO THE SRN MTNS WILL
KEEP THE BEST CHANCES OF TSRA NEAR KAVL FROM 18Z TO 00Z...WITH VCTS
LIKELY DEVELOPING FARTHER SOUTH INTO THE UPSTATE FROM KAND TO KGSP
AT SOME POINT. LOW LEVEL CONVERGENCE WILL ALSO FORCE NUMEROUS
SHOWERS WITH ISOLATED TSRA FROM NEAR KCLT TO KHKY. MID LEVELS WILL
DRY SOMEWHAT OVERNIGHT WITH A SLIGHLTY ENHANCED FOG POTENTIAL BY
DAYBREAK TUE...ESPECIALLY AT TERMINAL LOCATIONS THAT RECEIVE RAIN
TODAY. RESIDUAL SHRA FROM UPSTREAM MCS DEVELOPMENT LATE TONIGHT
COULD ALSO AFFECT KAVL BY DAYBREAK...BUT WITH LOW PROBABILITY AT
PRESENT.

&&

.GSP WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
GA...FLASH FLOOD WATCH FOR GAZ010 UNTIL MIDNIGHT TUESDAY.
NC...FLASH FLOOD WATCH FOR NCZ051>053-058-059-062>065 UNTIL
     MIDNIGHT TUESDAY.
SC...NONE.
&&

SHORT TERM...HG/SBK
LONG TERM...SBK
AVIATION...HG
Hazardous weather outlook, Jul 4, 6:00 AM EDT, 13 hours 28 minutes before
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
600 AM EDT MON JUL 4 2005

GAZ010-017-018-026-028-029-NCZ033>037-048>059-062>072-082-
SCZ001>014-019-051015-
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-
600 AM EDT MON JUL 4 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 SLOW MOVING SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL
DEVELOP TODAY. RAINFALL THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING MAY BECOME
LOCALLY EXCESSIVE.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY
SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED EACH DAY THIS WEEK.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT ANTICIPATED.

In the hours before

Local storm report, Jul 4, 4:49 PM EDT, 2 hours 39 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
449 PM EDT MON JUL 04 2005

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

0435 PM     FLASH FLOOD      CLARKESVILLE            34.61N 83.52W
07/04/2005                   HABERSHAM          GA   COUNTY OFFICIAL

            COUNTY REPORTS FLOODING OF DAISY CREEK IN CITY OF
            CLARKESVILLE.

0426 PM     FLASH FLOOD      ETOWAH                  35.32N 82.60W
07/04/2005                   HENDERSON          NC   COUNTY OFFICIAL

            COUNTY REPORTS FLOODING OF FOUNTAIN CREEK AT HEBRON ROAD.

&&

HG

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Jul 3, 9:24 PM EDTFlash Flood WarningGSPRowan3 hr
Jul 3, 9:40 PM EDTFlash Flood WarningGSPLincoln3 hr
Jul 3, 10:29 PM EDTFlash Flood WarningGSPIredell3 hr
Jul 4, 12:07 AM EDTFlash Flood WarningGSPCaldwell4 hr
Jul 4, 3:40 PM EDTFlash Flood WarningGSPHenderson4 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.