Alert archive / South Carolina / Flash Flood Warnings in 2005

Flash Flood Warning 42, NWS Greenville-Spartanburg, SC

July 7, 2005Anderson County, South Carolina; Hart County, Georgia

NWS Greenville-Spartanburg, SC issued this flash flood warning at Jul 7, 2005, 5:23 AM EDT for Anderson County, South Carolina; Hart County, Georgia. 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
Jul 7, 2005, 5:23 AM EDT (09:23 UTC)
Expired
Jul 7, 2005, 8:15 AM EDT
In force
3 hr
Issued by
NWS Greenville-Spartanburg, SC
Area
Counties, with a storm outline in the text

Counties Hart County, GA, Anderson County, SC

The radar

The Greer radar (KGSP), 69 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 09:24 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

Greensboro/Hi Pt, NC (KGSO), launched 00:00Z, 9.4 hours before the alert went out and 317 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 00:00Z on 2005-07-07Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 204 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 00:00Z on 2005-07-07The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 14 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
204 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-74 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
1642 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
37 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
14 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
37 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
0.3

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

000 
WGUS52 KGSP 070923
FFWGSP
GAC147-SCC007-071215-

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
FLASH FLOOD WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
523 AM EDT THU JUL 7 2005

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG HAS ISSUED A

* FLASH FLOOD WARNING FOR...
  HART COUNTY IN NORTHEAST GEORGIA
  ANDERSON COUNTY IN UPSTATE SOUTH CAROLINA

* UNTIL 815 AM EDT

* AT 523 AM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED   
  SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS PRODUCING HEAVY RAIN THAT WILL CAUSE     
  FLASH FLOODING IN THE WARNED AREA.

LOCALLY HEAVY RAIN HAS ALREADY FALLEN ACROSS HART AND ANDERSON 
COUNTIES.  RADAR AND SATELLITE RAINFALL ESTIMATES INDICATE AS MUCH 
AS FOUR INCHES OF RAIN HAS OCCURRED IN EXTREME WESTERN HART COUNTY.  
THE AXIS OF HEAVIEST RAIN EXTENDS INTO EXTREME WESTERN ANDERSON 
COUNTY.  RADAR SHOWED A LINE OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS EXTENDING 
FROM NEAR LAKE HARTWELL SOUTHWEST INTO GEORGIA.  THE LINE IS 
EXPECTED TO REMAIN NEARLY STATIONARY FOR AT LEAST A COUPLE OF HOURS 
CAUSING HEAVY RAIN TO REPEAT OVER THE SAME AREA.

A FLASH FLOOD WARNING MEANS THAT FLOODING IS IMMINENT OR OCCURRING.
IF YOU ARE IN THE WARNING AREA MOVE TO HIGHER GROUND IMMEDIATELY.
RESIDENTS LIVING ALONG STREAMS AND CREEKS SHOULD TAKE IMMEDIATE 
PRECAUTIONS TO PROTECT LIFE AND PROPERTY. 

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 3424 8307 3431 8277 3423 8273 3448 8235
      3480 8249 3475 8259 3469 8275 3446 8299
      3449 8306

$$
LGL/PAT
1 follow-up statement
000 
WGUS72 KGSP 071030
FFSGSP

FLASH FLOOD STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
630 AM EDT THU JUL 7 2005

GAC147-SCC007-071215-
HART GA-ANDERSON SC-
630 AM EDT THU JUL 7 2005

...A FLASH FLOOD WARNING CONTINUES UNTIL 815 AM EDT FOR ANDERSON AND
HART COUNTIES...

AT 630 AM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR CONTINUED TO 
INDICATE LOCALLY HEAVY RAIN OVER THE WARNED AREA.  FLASH FLOODING 
SHOULD BE EXPECTED IN AREA CREEKS AND STREAMS.  ROADS COULD BE 
COVERED WITH SEVERAL INCHES OF WATER IN PLACES WHERE THE RAINFALL 
DOES NOT DRAIN EFFICIENTLY. 

LOCATIONS IN THE WARNING INCLUDE BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO
WILLIAMSTON...SANDY SPRINGS...POWDERSVILLE...PIEDMONT...PENDLETON...
BELTON AND ANDERSON.

REMEMBER THAT MOST FLOOD FATALITIES ARE THE RESULT OF DRIVING INTO
FLOODED STREETS...ROADS...OR STREAMS...OR OCCUR WHEN CHILDREN PLAY IN
OR NEAR STORM DRAINS OR STREAMS.

LAT...LON 3424 8307 3431 8277 3423 8273 3448 8235
      3480 8249 3475 8259 3469 8275 3446 8299
      3449 8306

$$
LGL

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 7, 3:57 AM EDT, 1 hour 26 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jul 7, 3:57 AM EDT, 1 hour 26 minutes before
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
357 AM EDT THU JUL 7 2005

.SHORT TERM (TODAY THROUGH SATURDAY)...
6Z SFC ANALYSIS SHOWS THE CENTER OF CINDY OVER CENTRAL AL WITH A TMB
FEATURE RUNNING FROM KMCN NE TO KAGS AND KCAE. NE SFC FLOW REMAINS
OVER THE CWA NORTH OF THE UPPER SAVANNAH RIVER VALLEY. CAPES ALONG
MOISTURE BOUNDARY POOLING TO 500-1000 J/KG. SREF AND GFS SHOW THAT
0-1 KM HELICITY WILL INCREASE OVER THE FA THROUGH 12Z TO 200-300
M2/S2. AS CINDY APPROACHES...MOISTURE BOUNDARY WILL MOVE FURTHER
INTO THE FA...INCREASING THE TOR THREAT THIS MORNING EAST OF THE
MTNS. TORNADO WATCH 617 HAS BEEN ISSUED UNTIL 10 AM.

WITH HEAVIER CONVECTIVE ELEMENTS ROTATING INTO THE FOOTHILLS AND
MOUNTAINS...RAINFALL RATES SHOULD ACCELERATE THIS MORNING. GFS IS
DEFINITELY THE MODEL OF CHOICE AS IT HAS PREFERRED TIMING AND
PLACEMENT OF MAIN FEATURES...COULD BE A TAD TOO SLOW THOUGH. KGSP
VAD SHOWS UPSLOPE FLOW IMPROVING BETWEEN 3-5 KFT OVER THE PAST
SEVERAL VOLUME SCANS. RADAR ESTIMATES THAT HEAVIER CELLS PRODUCE
1-2 AN HOUR. BOTH THE GFS AND NAM DEVELOP A BAND OF FRONTOGENESIS
ALONG AND JUST WEST OF THE SPINE OF THE SOUTHERN APPALACHIANS AFTER
12Z. W/V CONFIRMS THAT LIFT IS BEGINNING OVER EASTERN TN. THE RESULT
COULD BE A SHARP LINE FROM HEAVY RAINFALL TO LIGHT AMOUNTS.
NEVERTHELESS...EVERY INCH OF THE FA WILL SEE MEASURABLE RAINFALL AND
AT LEAST ONE PERIOD OF HEAVY RAIN TODAY. WILL LEAVE FLOOD WATCH IN
PLACE FOR THE ENTIRE FA UNTIL 6 AM FRI. EXPECT BY FRI
MORNING...REPORTS OF 4-5 WILL BE COMMON IN THE MTNS...WITH AROUND
AN INCH OVER THE EXTREME EAST.

CONDITIONS WILL START TO DRY TONIGHT AS THE SFC LOW PULL
NE...LEAVING THE FA IN DRY SLOT AND DOWNSLOPE FLOW. WILL REDUCE POPS
TO CHC AROUND MIDNIGHT...SCHC JUST ALONG THE TN LINE BY 10Z FRI.
CONDITIONS SHOULD REMAIN DRY FRI AND SAT AM. BY SAT
AFTERNOON...COASTAL FRONT WILL BEGIN TO DRIFT WEST AS HURCN DENNIS
MOVES OFF THE WEST COAST OF FL. AS DENNIS MOVE NORTH...TROPICAL
PLUME SHOULD MOVE OVER THE FA. WITH LIS COOLING ALONG THE
FRONT...EXPECT SCT COVERAGE TO ADVANCE FURTHER WEST.

&&

.LONG TERM (SATURDAY NIGHT THROUGH WEDNESDAY)...
FA REMAINS UNDER A STATIONARY FRONT AS DENNIS MOVES ON SHORE EARLY
IN THE WEEK. WILL INCREASE SKY AND POPS FOR THE REST OF THE WEEKEND
AND EARLY WEEK. GFS INDICATES THAT THE CORE OF DENNIS WILL REMAIN
WELL WEST OF THE FA. WILL LET THE DAY SHIFT HANDLE DETAILS AFTER MON.
&&

.AVIATION...
CIGS AND VSBYS WILL BE LOWERING FROM SOUTHWEST TO NORTHEAST ACROSS
THE CWA THROUGH 12Z AS SURFACE LOW OVER GA APPROACHES SOUTHERN
APPALACHIANS.  UPSLOPE FLOW WILL ENHANCE RAINFALL AND RESULT IN
HIGHER TERRAIN OBSCURED IN CLOUDS AND PRECIPITATION. MVFR
CONDITIONS VCNTY GSP... AND... AND AVL WILL LOWER TO PERIODIC IFR
AROUND SUNRISE AND CONTINUE UNTIL APPROXIMATELY 20Z.  THEREAFTER...
VSBY WILL INCREASE TO ABOVE 3 MI AND CIG WILL BECOME OVERCAST AROUND
4K FT.  CIG AND VSBY CLT AND HKY WILL LOWER BY SUNRISE TO AROUND 3K
FT WITH VSBY 3-5 MI IN SHOWERS AND FOG THEN IMPROVE TO VFR BY 23Z.
ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS WILL OCCUR THIS MORNING INTO THE AFTERNOON.
THUNDERSTORMS WILL END AS CIGS AND VSBYS IMPROVE FROM WEST TO
EAST FOLLOWING PASSAGE OF LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM ACROSS AREA DURING DAY
REACHING VA AFT 00Z.

&&

.GSP WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
GA...FLOOD WATCH FOR GAZ010-017-018-026-028-029 UNTIL 6 AM FRIDAY.
NC...FLOOD WATCH FOR NCZ033>037-048>059-062>072-082 UNTIL 6 AM
     FRIDAY.
SC...FLOOD WATCH FOR SCZ001>014-019 UNTIL 6 AM FRIDAY.
&&

SHORT/LONG TERM...NED
AVIATION...LGL
Hazardous weather outlook, Jul 6, 6:13 PM EDT, 11 hours 10 minutes before
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
613 PM EDT WED JUL 6 2005

GAZ010-017-018-026-028-029-NCZ033>037-048>059-062>072-082-
SCZ001>014-019-071000-
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-
613 PM EDT WED JUL 6 2005

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

.DAY ONE...TONIGHT

SCATTERED TO NUMEROUS SHOWERS WILL AFFECT THE AREA THIS EVENING.
MOST OF THIS ACTIVITY WILL BE LIGHT IN NATURE. HOWEVER...COVERAGE
OF HEAVY TROPICAL RAIN SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS IS EXPECTED TO
INCREASE BY AROUND MIDNIGHT ACROSS THE AREA...AS THE REMNANTS OF
TROPICAL STORM CINDY APPROACH. THIS WILL INCREASE THE THREAT OF
FLOODING AND ISOLATED TORNADOES ACROSS THE AREA. PLEASE SEE THE
FLOOD WATCH...CAEFFAGSP AND THE SEVERE WEATHER OUTLOOK...
CAESPSGSP FOR DETAILS.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY

THE THREAT FOR FLOODING AND ISOLATED TORNADOES ASSOCIATED WITH
CINDY WILL CONTINUE ACROSS THE AREA INTO THURSDAY EVENING. AFTER
THURSDAY...THE THREAT OF AFTERNOON AND EVENING SCATTERED SHOWERS
AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL RETURN TO THE AREA AND CONTINUE THROUGH
EARLY NEXT WEEK.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. HOWEVER...
SPOTTERS SHOULD RELAY ANY REPORTS OF HEAVY RAIN...FLOODING...OR
DAMAGE TO THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE.

LANE

In the hours before

Special weather statement, Jul 7, 12:32 AM EDT, 4 hours 51 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
1232 AM EDT THU JUL 7 2005

GAZ010-017-018-026-028-029-NCZ062>064-SCZ001>006-010>012-019-
070645-
RABUN-HABERSHAM-STEPHENS-FRANKLIN-HART-ELBERT-MACON-
SOUTHERN JACKSON-TRANSYLVANIA-OCONEE MOUNTAINS-PICKENS MOUNTAINS-
GREENVILLE MOUNTAINS-GREATER OCONEE-GREATER PICKENS-
GREATER GREENVILLE-ANDERSON-ABBEVILLE-LAURENS-GREENWOOD-
INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...CLAYTON...CLARKESVILLE...TOCCOA...
HARTWELL...ELBERTON...FRANKLIN...BREVARD...GREENVILLE...
ANDERSON...ABBEVILLE...LAURENS...GREENWOOD
1232 AM EDT THU JUL 7 2005

...STRONG TO SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS WHICH EARLIER CAUSED TORNADOES
OR WIND DAMAGE AND FLASH FLOODING APPROACHING EXTREME NORTHEAST
GEORGIA AND THE WESTERN CAROLINAS...

THE FIRST ROUND OF THUNDERSTORMS FROM THE REMNANTS OF CINDY WAS
MOVING QUICKLY TOWARD THE AREA LATE TONIGHT. BASED ON CURRENT
MOVEMENT...SOME STRONG STORMS COULD REACH FRANKLIN COUNTY...HART
COUNTY...STEPHENS COUNTY...HABERSHAM COUNTY...RABUN COUNTY...AND
ELBERT COUNTY BETWEEN 1 AM AND 2 AM EDT. THERE WILL BE A THREAT OF
ISOLATED TORNADOES WITH SOME OF THESE STORMS...AND A GREATER
THREAT OF FLASH FLOODING. THESE STORMS CAUSED DAMAGE AND FLASH
FLOODING AROUND THE ATLANTA AREA.

RADAR HAS ESTIMATED THAT AS MUCH AS A HALF INCH TO INCH OF RAIN
HAS OCCURRED ALREADY ACROSS PARTS OF RABUN...HABERSHAM...AND
STEPHENS COUNTIES. WHEN RAINFALL REACHES MORE THAN 2
INCHES...BECAUSE OF EXISTING WET GROUND CONDITIONS...FLASH
FLOODING WILL BECOME MORE OF A THREAT...AND WARNINGS WILL BE
REQUIRED SOON AFTER THAT. FLASH FLOODING DEVELOPS QUICKLY
FOLLOWING THE ONSET OF HEAVY RAINFALL...AND CAUSES RAPID RISES IN
SMALL STREAMS...AND FILLS LOW AREAS ON ROADS VERY QUICKLY. AT
NIGHT...THE DANGER OF FLASH FLOODING IS MUCH GREATER.

LISTEN FOR LATER STATEMENTS AND POSSIBLE WARNINGS.
Special weather statement, Jul 7, 3:21 AM EDT, 2 hours 2 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
321 AM EDT THU JUL 7 2005

GAZ010-017>018-026-028>029-NCZ035>036-056>057-069-071>072-
082-SCZ001>014-019-071400-
ELBERT-FRANKLIN-HABERSHAM-HART-RABUN-STEPHENS-ALEXANDER-CABARRUS-
CATAWBA-IREDELL-LINCOLN-MECKLENBURG-ROWAN-UNION-ABBEVILLE-
ANDERSON-CHEROKEE-CHESTER-GREENVILLE--GREENWOOD-LAURENS-OCONEE--
PICKENS--SPARTANBURG-UNION-YORK-
321 AM EDT THU JUL 7 2005

...THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HAS ISSUED TORNADO WATCH 617 IN
EFFECT UNTIL 10 AM EDT FOR THE FOLLOWING AREA...

IN GEORGIA THIS WATCH INCLUDES 6 COUNTIES

IN NORTHEAST GEORGIA

ELBERT... FRANKLIN... HABERSHAM...
HART... RABUN... STEPHENS...

IN NORTH CAROLINA THIS WATCH INCLUDES 12 COUNTIES

IN PIEDMONT NORTH CAROLINA

CABARRUS... CLEVELAND... GASTON...
IREDELL... LINCOLN... MECKLENBURG...
ROWAN... UNION...

IN WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA

ALEXANDER... CATAWBA... POLK...
RUTHERFORD...

IN SOUTH CAROLINA THIS WATCH INCLUDES 12 COUNTIES

IN UPSTATE SOUTH CAROLINA

ABBEVILLE... ANDERSON... CHEROKEE...
CHESTER... GREENVILLE... GREENWOOD...
LAURENS... OCONEE... PICKENS...
SPARTANBURG... UNION... YORK...

THIS INCLUDES THE CITIES OF...ABBEVILLE...ANDERSON...
CARNESVILLE...CHARLOTTE...CHESTER...CLARKESVILLE...CLAYTON...
COLUMBUS...CONCORD...EASLEY...ELBERTON...GAFFNEY...GASTONIA...
GREENVILLE...GREENWOOD...HARTWELL...HICKORY...LAURENS...
LINCOLNTON...MONROE...MOORESVILLE...NEWTON...ROCK HILL...
RUTHERFORDTON...SALISBURY...SHELBY...SPARTANBURG...STATESVILLE...
TAYLORSVILLE...TOCCOA...UNION AND WALHALLA.

THE TORNADO WATCH AREA IS APPROXIMATELY ALONG AND 50 STATUTE MILES
NORTH AND SOUTH OF A LINE FROM 25 MILES NORTHWEST OF ATHENS GEORGIA
TO 30 MILES EAST NORTHEAST OF CHARLOTTE NORTH CAROLINA.

NED

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Jul 7, 2:40 AM EDTTornado WarningGSPAnderson53 min
Jul 7, 7:30 AM EDTFlash Flood WarningGSPGreenville3 hr
Jul 7, 8:05 AM EDTFlash Flood WarningGSPAnderson3 hr
Jul 7, 8:32 AM EDTFlash Flood WarningGSPPickens3 hr
Jul 7, 8:40 AM EDTTornado WarningGSPAnderson33 min
Jul 7, 9:15 AM EDTFlash Flood WarningGSPSpartanburg6 hr
Jul 7, 9:32 AM EDTTornado WarningGSPGreenville29 min
Jul 7, 10:07 AM EDTTornado WarningGSPSpartanburg55 min
Jul 7, 3:32 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningGSPYork58 min
Jul 7, 4:01 PM EDTFlash Flood WarningGSPYork3 hr
Jul 7, 1:37 AM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningGSPFranklin, Hart56 min
Jul 7, 2:06 AM EDTFlash Flood WarningGSPFranklin, Habersham, Rabun, Stephens4 hr

Nearby

Flash Flood Warnings in South Carolina, 2005Flash Flood Warnings in Georgia, 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; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive; radar from the NEXRAD Level II archive.