Alert archive / North Carolina / Flash Flood Warnings in 2005

Flash Flood Warning 59, NWS Greenville-Spartanburg, SC

July 19, 2005Transylvania County, North Carolina

NWS Greenville-Spartanburg, SC issued this flash flood warning at Jul 19, 2005, 6:18 PM EDT for Transylvania County, North 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
Jul 19, 2005, 6:18 PM EDT (22:18 UTC)
Expired
Jul 19, 2005, 9:15 PM EDT
In force
3 hr
Issued by
NWS Greenville-Spartanburg, SC
Area
Counties, with a storm outline in the text

County Transylvania County, NC

The radar

The Greer radar (KGSP), 64 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 22:20 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 12:00Z, 10.3 hours before the alert went out and 253 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 12:00Z on 2005-07-19Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 700 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 12:00Z on 2005-07-19The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity -2 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
700 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-49 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
903 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
8 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
-2 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
5 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 192222
FFWGSP
NCC175-200115-

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
FLASH FLOOD WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
618 PM EDT TUE JUL 19 2005

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG HAS ISSUED A

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

* UNTIL 915 PM EDT

* AT 615 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED
  AS MUCH AS 3 INCHES OF RAIN HAD FALLEN THIS AFTERNOON FROM A SERIES
  OF THUNDERSTORMS THAT AFFECTED WESTERN TRANSYLVANIA COUNTY...BETWEEN
  SAPPHIRE AND LAKE TOXAWAY. RADAR SHOWED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS
  REMAINING OVER THE WESTER HALF OF THE COUNTY...WITH ADDITIONAL
  SHOWERS AND STORMS POISED TO MOVE IN FROM THE WEST. 

  SIGNIFICANT RISES TO OVER BANKFULL MAY OCCUR ON BEARWALLOW CREEK
  AND TOXAWAY RIVER. SEVERE URBAN FLOODING MAY DEVELOP AROUND LAKE
  TOXAWAY...AND NUMEROUS DRAINAGE CULVERTS WILL LIKELY FILL UP AND
  OVERFLOW ONTO ROADS. 
    
* OTHER LOCATIONS IN THE WARNING INCLUDE BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO   
LITTLE RIVER AND CEDAR MOUNTAIN.

DO NOT DRIVE VEHICLES INTO AREAS WHERE WATER COVERS THE ROADWAY.
IT MAY BE TOO DEEP FOR YOUR VEHICLE TO CROSS SAFELY.

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

LAT...LON 3501 8306 3512 8262 3526 8261 3533 8273
      3531 8287

$$
2 follow-up statements
000 
WGUS72 KGSP 200007
FFSGSP

FLASH FLOOD STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
803 PM EDT TUE JUL 19 2005

NCC175-200115-
TRANSYLVANIA NC-
803 PM EDT TUE JUL 19 2005

...A FLASH FLOOD WARNING CONTINUES UNTIL 915 PM EDT FOR TRANSYLVANIA
COUNTY...

AT 8 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR CONTINUED TO 
SHOW SHOWERS AND ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS DRIFTING TO THE SOUTHEAST 
ACROSS TRANSYLVANIA COUNTY. RAINFALL INTENSITIES WERE LIGHT...AS 
HEAVY RAIN HAS SHIFTED SOUTH INTO SOUTH CAROLINA. 

TRANSYLVANIA COUNTY OFFICIALS REPORT FLAT CREEK VALLEY ROAD WAS 
CLOSED DUE TO FLOODING FROM A SWOLLEN FLAT CREEK. DEPUTIES WERE 
INVESTIGATING A POSSIBLE SECOND ROAD THAT MAY BE CLOSED DUE TO 
FLOODING THIS SECOND LOCATION WAS ON ROSMAN ROAD NEAR THE COUNTY 
LINE.

LOCATIONS IN THE WARNING INCLUDE BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO 
SAPPHIRE...AND LAKE TOXAWAY.

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 3501 8306 3512 8262 3526 8261 3533 8273
      3531 8287

$$

BURRUS
000 
WGUS72 KGSP 200116
FFSGSP

FLASH FLOOD STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
915 PM EDT TUE JUL 19 2005

NCC175-200125-
TRANSYLVANIA NC-
915 PM EDT TUE JUL 19 2005

...THE FLASH FLOOD WARNING FOR TRANSYLVANIA COUNTY EXPIRED AT 915 PM
EDT...

HEAVY RAIN MOVED OUT OF THE COUNTY...ALTHOUGH LIGHT RAIN WILL FALL 
ON AND OFF FOR THE NEXT FEW HOURS. THE ONLY REPORT OF ONGOING 
FLOODING IS ALONG FLAT CREEK VALLEY ROAD...WHERE THE DEPARTMENT OF 
TRANSPORTATION PUT UP BARRICADES WHERE FLAT CREEK FLOODED THE ROAD.
NO OTHER FLOODING IS FORECAST FOR TRANSYLVANIA COUNTY OVERNIGHT...AS 
LONG AS HEAVY RAIN DOES NOT REDEVELOP.

WATER LEVELS SHOULD CONTINUE TO RECEDE OVERNIGHT.

LAT...LON 3501 8306 3512 8262 3526 8261 3533 8273
      3531 8287

$$

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 Jul 19, 3:06 PM EDT, 3 hours 12 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Jul 19, 3:06 PM EDT, 3 hours 12 minutes before
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
306 PM EDT TUE JUL 19 2005

.SHORT TERM (TONIGHT THROUGH THURSDAY)...
MID LEVEL WLY FLOW HELPING TO KEEP A CONVECTION MINIMA ACROSS MOST
OF NE GA/UPSTATE AND NC PIEDMONT. BEST COVERAGE OVER NC MTNS AND
FOOTHILLS AS IN PAST COUPLE OF DAYS. CANNOT RULE OUT CONVECTION
ANYWHERE GIVEN THE INSTABILITY AND STORM MOVEMENT. HOWEVER HAVE
HIGHEST POP THIS EVENING OVER MTNS AND FOOTHILLS...WITH LOW CHC MOST
OF NE GA/UPSTATE AND NC PIEDMONT. THEN HAVE SLIGHTLY HIGHER...BUT
STILL CHC...POP ALONG THE SRN CWFA BORDER WHERE SECONDARY CONVECTIVE
MAXIMA OCCURRING.

VERY WARM AND MUGGY NIGHT AGAIN TONIGHT...WITH LIGHT FOG MOST
LOCATIONS. ISOLATED LOCATIONS OUTSIDE OF THE MTNS AND MTN VALLEYS
WILL SEE PATCHY DENSE FOG...BUT HAVE LEFT DENSE WORDING OUT OF THE
ZONES FOR NOW.

ATMOSPHERE SHOULD DRY IN THE MID LEVELS AS LEE TROF SHOULD PIVOTS TO
THE EAST WED AFTERNOON. THE NAM IS THE MOST AGGRESSIVE WITH THE
DRYING...RESULTING IN LOW POPS. BELIEVE THAT THE GFS IS THE BEST
SOLUTION WITH KEEPING MUCH OF THE FA IN THE MOIST AIR...RESULTING IN
SCT COVERAGE. EITHER SOLUTION WILL YIELD NEARLY STATIONARY/SLOW
PROPAGATING STORMS WED...WHICH IS REASON ENOUGH FOR LOW POPS. H5
WEAKENS THU...ALLOWING WEAK VORTS TO MOVE ALONG WITH THE NW FLOW
INTO THE FA. THU HIGHS ARE EXPECTED TO REACH THE L90S OVER L70S
YIELDING CAPES AROUND 3K. HOWEVER...WIND FIELDS ARE VERY WEAK AND
STORM MOTIONS SHOULD BE LIMITED TO 5-10 KTS. WITH WEAK
CAPPING...EXPECT THE BEST COVERAGE OVER THE MTNS AND A LESSER CHC
EAST.

&&

.LONG TERM (THURSDAY NIGHT THROUGH TUESDAY)...
THU NIGHT AND FRI...BOTH THE NAM AND GFS INDICATE THAT A DECENT S/W
WILL RIPPLE OVER THE FA. THE NAM IS THE QUICKEST BRINGING AN MCS TO
THE TN/NC LINE AROUND 12Z FRI. THE GFS IS A BIT SLOWER...BRINGING
THE CORE OF THE ACTIVITY INTO THE MTNS AROUND 18Z. BELIEVE THE BEST
APPROACH IS TO USE A BLEND OF THE TWO SOLUTIONS...BEGINNING WITH AN
INCREASING TREND IN THE POPS EARLY FRI AM. WILL KEEP POPS THE
HIGHEST OVER THE WESTERN HALF...HOWEVER...6-12 HR POPS WILL FALL
AROUND 40%.

OVER THE WEEKEND THROUGH TUES...H5 RIDGE BUILDS FROM THE WEST WITH
H85 TEMPS CLIMBING INTO THE L20S C. MEX MOS WARMS HIGH TEMPS INTO
THE UPPER 90S...WHICH SEEMS TO ALSO BE THE HIGHEST ENSEMBLE MEMBER.
AT THIS POINT...I AM UNCERTAIN HOW WELL THE MEX GUIDANCE WILL
PERFORM GIVEN THE PATTERN AND RECENT CLIMO. KAVL HAS NOT SEEN THE
TEMP RISE TO 90 IN OVER TWO YEARS...BUT MEX GIVES 91 FOR
SAT...SUN...AND MON. THIS IS CERTAINLY A PATTERN FOR HOT TEMPS...BUT
WILL FORECAST VALUES BETWEEN THE MEAN AND OP. OVERALL...DEEP RIDGING
WILL YIELD HOT AND DRY WEATHER FOR THE WEEKEND INTO THE EARLY WEEK.
I FAVORED RIDGETOP POPS AND SCHC FROM THE FOOTHILLS EAST.

&&

.AVIATION...
TONIGHT SHOULD BE SIMILAR TO LAST NIGHT. SCT TO ISOLATED
CONVECTION ATTM. THUNDER CHC BEST AT KAVL/KHKY...SO HAVE VCTS
THERE...AND ONLY CB ELSEWHERE. CONVECTION SHOULD DIMINISH SHORTLY
AFTER 00Z. HAVE ALL SITES GOING TO MVFR FOG OVERNIGHT. IFR VSBY/CIG
CANNOT BE RULED OUT...BUT CHC TOO LOW FOR MENTION XCPT AT KAVL.
GUIDANCE SOLIDLY IFR THERE...SO CONDITIONS BEGIN AT 09Z WITH MVFR AT
13Z...THEN VFR AT 15Z. ALL OTHER SITES BECOMING VFR BY 14Z.

&&

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

SHORT TERM...RWH/NED
LONG TERM...NED
AVIATION...RWH
Hazardous weather outlook, Jul 19, 6:04 AM EDT, 12 hours 14 minutes before
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
604 AM EDT TUE JUL 19 2005

GAZ010-017-018-026-028-029-NCZ033>037-048>059-062>072-082-
SCZ001>014-019-201015-
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 NC-
OCONEE MOUNTAINS-PICKENS MOUNTAINS-GREENVILLE MOUNTAINS-
GREATER OCONEE-GREATER PICKENS-GREATER GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG-
CHEROKEE-YORK-ANDERSON-ABBEVILLE-LAURENS-UNION SC-CHESTER-
GREENWOOD-
604 AM EDT TUE JUL 19 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 WILL DEVELOP
ACROSS THE AREA ONCE AGAIN THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING. THERE WILL
BE A THREAT OF ISOLATED DAMAGING WINDS AND FLASH FLOODING WITH ANY
STORMS THAT DEVELOP.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY

SCATTERED...MAINLY AFTERNOON AND EVENING SHOWERS AND
THUNDERSTORMS...ALONG WITH THE THREAT OF ISOLATED DAMAGING WINDS
AND FLASH FLOODING WILL CONTINUE THROUGH FRIDAY.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL NOT BE NEEDED.

LANE

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Jul 19, 7:11 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningGSPCatawba29 min
Jul 19, 7:15 PM EDTFlash Flood WarningGSPBurke3 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; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive; radar from the NEXRAD Level II archive.