Alert archive / North Carolina / Flash Flood Warnings in 2005

Flash Flood Warning 70, NWS Greenville-Spartanburg, SC

August 18, 2005Burke County, North Carolina

NWS Greenville-Spartanburg, SC issued this flash flood warning at Aug 18, 2005, 12:40 AM EDT for Burke 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
Aug 18, 2005, 12:40 AM EDT (04:40 UTC)
Expired
Aug 18, 2005, 3:30 AM EDT
In force
3 hr
Issued by
NWS Greenville-Spartanburg, SC
Area
Counties, with a storm outline in the text

County Burke County, NC

The radar

The Greer radar (KGSP), 98 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 04:43 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
Aug 18, 1:19 AM EDTFLASH FLOOD10 W Morganton, NCNORTH MUDDY CREEK AND REEDY CREEK OUT OF BANKS ALONG US HIGHWAY 70. OTHER FLOODING REPORTED ALONG LAIL RD NORTH OF GLEN ALPINE.

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 39 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 00:00Z, 4.7 hours before the alert went out and 171 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 2005-08-18Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 136 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 2005-08-18The 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
136 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-7 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
917 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
15 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
-14 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
17 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 180440
FFWGSP
NCC023-180730-

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
FLASH FLOOD WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
1240 AM EDT THU AUG 18 2005

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG HAS ISSUED A

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

* UNTIL 330 AM EDT

* AT 1229 AM EDT...LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICIALS REPORTED FLASH
  FLOODING FROM A THUNDERSTORM OVER THE WARNED AREA.

* LOCATIONS IN THE WARNING INCLUDE BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO
  MORGANTON...OAK HILL...GLEN ALPINE AND GOLD.

AT 1235 AM...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR SHOWED 
PERSISTENT SLOW MOVING THUNDERSTORMS COVERING MUCH OF BURKE COUNTY. 
THE AREA FROM MORGANTON TO LAKE JAMES HAS RECEIVED TWO INCHES OF 
RAIN IN THE PAST HOUR AND WILL LIKELY RECEIVE ANOTHER INCH OR MORE 
BEFORE THE RAIN TAPERS OFF. 

IN PARTICULAR...CREEKS AND STREAMS THAT EMPTY INTO THE CATAWBA 
RIVER...INCLUDING SILVER CREEK...CANOE CREEK...AND WARRIOR 
FORK...WILL EXPERIENCE RAPID RISES AND ARE EXPECTED TO COME OUT OF 
THEIR BANKS. RESIDENTS THAT LIVE ALONG AND NEAR THESE CREEKS SHOULD 
EXPECT FLOODING IN LOW SPOTS.

BE ESPECIALLY CAUTIOUS AT NIGHT WHEN IT IS HARDER TO RECOGNIZE THE
DANGERS OF FLOODS AND FLASH FLOODS. IF FLASH FLOODING IS OBSERVED ACT
QUICKLY. MOVE UP TO HIGHER GROUND TO ESCAPE FLOOD WATERS. DO NOT STAY
IN AREAS SUBJECT TO FLOODING WHEN WATER BEGINS RISING. DO NOT 
ATTEMPT TO DRIVE INTO AREAS WHERE WATER COVERS THE ROAD.

LAT...LON 3559 8181 3561 8171 3556 8167 3556 8153
      3569 8141 3590 8174 3580 8197 3572 8187

$$

MOORE
1 follow-up statement
000 
WGUS72 KGSP 180630
FFSGSP

FLASH FLOOD STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
228 AM EDT THU AUG 18 2005

NCC023-180730-
BURKE NC-
228 AM EDT THU AUG 18 2005

...A FLASH FLOOD WARNING CONTINUES UNTIL 330 AM EDT FOR BURKE
COUNTY...

AT 225 AM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR CONTINUED TO 
INDICATE A THUNDERSTORM WITH HEAVY RAIN PRODUCING FLASH FLOODING 
OVER THE WESTERN PART OF THE COUNTY NEAR LAKE JAMES. MODERATE RAIN 
COVERED THE REST OF BURKE COUNTY.

LOCATIONS IN THE WARNING INCLUDE BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO GLEN 
ALPINE...OAK HILL...GOLD...AND BRIDGEWATER.

IN PARTICULAR...FLOODING IS EXPECTED ALONG CREEKS THAT EMPTY INTO 
THE CATAWBA RIVER IN THE WESTERN PART OF THE COUNTY...INCLUDING 
NORTH MUDDY CREEK AND REEDY CREEK. CANOE CREEK IS ALSO EXPECTED TO 
RISE OUT OF ITS BANKS. FLOOD WATERS WILL ALSO MOVE DOWN THE WARRIOR 
FORK...INCLUDING STEELS CREEK.

ADDITIONAL RAINFALL AMOUNTS OF ONE TO TWO INCHES ARE POSSIBLE IN THE 
WARNED AREA. THIS IS A VERY SERIOUS FLOOD SITUATION

BE ESPECIALLY CAUTIOUS AT NIGHT WHEN IT IS HARDER TO RECOGNIZE THE
DANGERS OF FLOODING. IF FLASH FLOODING IS OBSERVED ACT QUICKLY. MOVE
UP TO HIGHER GROUND TO ESCAPE FLOOD WATERS. DO NOT STAY IN AREAS
SUBJECT TO FLOODING WHEN WATER BEGINS RISING.

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 3559 8181 3561 8171 3556 8167 3556 8153
      3569 8141 3590 8174 3580 8197 3572 8187

$$

MOORE

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 Aug 17, 8:28 PM EDT, 4 hours 12 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Aug 17, 8:28 PM EDT, 4 hours 12 minutes before
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
828 PM EDT WED AUG 17 2005

.SHORT TERM (REST OF TONIGHT)...
MINOR CHANGES TO TONIGHTS PACKAGE WITH CONVECTION RUNNING
PAST MIDNIGHT IN PIEDMONT OF THE CAROLINAS.  POPS INCREASED
IN EASTERN CWA AS OUTFLOW INDUCED LINE OF SHOWERS/THUNDERSTORMS
CONTINUES NORTHWARD UP I77. CONVECTION LINGERING IN MTNS SO
LIKE POPS WILL CONTINUE THERE.  LATEST MOS GUIDANCE CONTINUES
LIKELY AND HIGH POPS FOR THURSDAY SO NO CHANGES PAST TONIGHT.

&&

.PREVIOUS DISCUSSION...
(ISSUED 232 PM EDT WED AUG 17 2005)

SHORT TERM (TONIGHT THROUGH SATURDAY)...
AN EMBEDDED SHORTWAVE RIDING EAST OVER THE FLAT SOUTHERN RIDGE WILL
BRUSH THE NORTH CAROLINA MOUNTAINS TONIGHT. LOW LEVEL FLOW IS
EXPECTED TO BECOME INCREASINGLY UPSLOPE INTO THE EASTERN ESCARPMENT
OF THE MOUNTAINS AS WELL...WHICH COULD POSE A HYDRO PROBLEM WITH
PREVAILING LIGHT WESTERLY FLOW ABOVE 700 MB. SOUTHWEST MOUNTAIN
CONVECTION SHOULD CONTINUE TO BECOME INCREASINGLY WIDESPREAD BY
EVENING...WITH VERY SLOWLY MOVING OR NEARLY ANCHORED CELLS NEAR THE
BLUE RIDGE AND THE WESTERN FOOTHILLS. DIFFERENTIAL HEATING ALONG THE
STALLED FRONT IS ALSO KEEPING SOME THERMAL CONTRAST IN PLACE...AND
CONVERGENCE ALONG THE BOUNDARY SHOULD AID SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS
OVER THE PIEDMONT THROUGH EVENING...WITH MORE NUMEROUS THUNDERSTORMS
OVER THE WESTERN UPSTATE...WHERE BOTH FRONTAL AND TERRAIN FORCING
COULD COME INTO PLAY.

ONGOING CONVECTION WILL BE MONITORED THROUGH ISSUANCE TIME...AND AN
SPS HIGHLIGHTING THE HEAVY RAIN POTENTIAL WILL LIKELY BE NEEDED. A
FLASH FLOOD WATCH REMAINS POSSIBLE...BUT THE THREAT AREA WILL BE
DIFFICULT TO PIN DOWN.

THE LOW LEVEL CONVERGENCE AXIS AND DEEPEST MOISTURE SHIFT BACK TO
THE WESTERN FRINGE OF THE MOUNTAINS ON THURSDAY. THE SURFACE FRONT
APPEARS TO HAVE NEARLY WASHED OUT ON THE NAM...WHILE DEEPER MOISTURE
FROM NC TO VA KEEPS WEAK THERMAL PACKING IN PLACE ACROSS THE CWFA ON
THE GFS. MORE ABUNDANT CLOUDS WILL KEEPS MAXES ONE TO TWO CATEGORIES
COOLER IN MOST LOCATIONS. SLOWLY MOVING THUNDERSTORMS COULD FURTHER
ENHANCE MOUNTAIN RAINFALL PROBLEMS FOR TOMORROW.

BOTH THE NAM AND GFS SHOW A H5 S/W RIPPLING WITHIN THE NW FLOW OVER
THE MID MISSISSIPPI VALLEY THU NIGHT. NAM DEPICTS THAT AN MCS WILL
ACCOMPANY THE S/W...HOWEVER THE FEATURE FADES AS IT CROSSES THE MTNS
15Z FRI. PLAN TO KEEP LIKELY TO HIGH CHC POPS WEST TO EAST ACROSS THE
CWA THU EVENING TO HANDLE DISSIPATING DAYTIME CONVECTION. BY FRI
AFTERNOON...CAPES SHOULD POOL TO 2K J/KG. FWC AND MET MOS SUPPORTS
CHC POPS RUNNING INTO FRI EVENING...WORDED FORECAST WILL USE 30%
POP.

LONG TERM (SATURDAY NIGHT THROUGH WEDNESDAY)...
ECMWF AND GFS SHOW S/W RIDGING BUILDING OVER THE CWA DURING THE DAY
ON SATURDAY AHEAD OF THE APPROACHING TROF. H85 TEMPS WARM TO 20C
FROM THE SW WITH WEAK DOWNSLOPE FLOW. I BELIEVE THAT SATURDAY WILL
BE THE WARMEST DAY OF THE WEEKEND AND EXTENDED PERIOD...WITH HIGHS
REACHING INTO THE 90-95 RANGE EAST OF THE MTNS. THE WARM TEMPS WILL
COMBINE WITH DWPTS IN THE L70S TO YIELD CAPES 2K-3K J/KG BY THE LATE
AFTERNOON. LITTLE IS SEEN AS A CONVECTIVE TRIGGER...HOWEVER RIDGETOP
CONVERGENCE SHOULD BE ENOUGH OF FOR INITIATION...STORMS SHOULD SPREAD
EAST OFF THE MTNS DURING THE AFTERNOON. NATURALLY...COVERAGE WILL BE
THE GREATEST OVER THE MTNS WITH LESSER AMOUNTS FURTHER EAST...WILL
USE CHC POPS.

CLOUD COVER SHOULD INCREASE MONDAY NIGHT OVER THE FA AS FRONTAL
BOUNDARY MOVES ACROSS KY/TN. THE COLD FRONT SHOULD ENCOUNTER THE
SOUTHERN APPALACHIANS MIDDAY SUN AND CONTINUE TO SLOWLY MOVE EAST
DURING THE REST OF THE DAY. GFS CONVECTIVE SCHEMES DO NOT GENERATE A
LARGE AMOUNT OF RAINFALL FROM THE EXPECTED CONVECTIVE LINE. WILL
CARRY HIGH CHC/LOW LIKELY POPS FOR THE MTNS WITH 40-30% EAST. GIVEN
THE TIMING OF THE FRONT...WILL KEEP TEMPS A FEW DEGREES COOLER THAN
EXPECTED ON SAT. CHC WILL REMAIN IN THE EAST SUN NIGHT AS FRONT
COMPLETES IT/S TRIP ACROSS THE FA.

MON THROUGH WED...CANADIAN HIGH PRESSURE WILL BUILD OVER THE
FA...WITH IT/S 1020+MB CENTER REMAINING NORTH OF THE WESTERN
CAROLINAS. GFS HAS BEEN INCONSISTENT WITH THE POSITION AND TIMING OF
THE FRONT POTENTIALLY STALLING OUT. GIVEN THE LATEST ECMWF/GFS/HPC
GUIDANCE I WILL FORECAST THE HIGH TO TOTALLY COVER THE FA DURING THE
PERIOD. TEMPERATURES SHOULD PAN OUT AROUND CLIMO WITH DWPTS RANGING
IN THE LOW TO MID 60S EAST OF THE MTNS...EVEN BETTER IN THE MTNS. I
KEPT A DIURNAL SLGT CHC EACH AFTERNOON AND EVENING.

AVIATION...
THUNDERSTORM COVERAGE WILL INCREASE ACROSS THE SOUTHWEST
MOUNTAINS...THREATENING KAVL THROUGH THE LATE AFTERNOON AND EVENING
HOURS. WITH LOW LEVEL EASTERLY UPSLOPE AND WESTERLY STEERING WINDS
ABOVE 700 MB...THUNDERSTORMS WILL LIKELY TRIGGER NEAR THE HIGHER
TERRAIN THROUGH THE EVENING HOURS. A SECONDARY MAXIMA OF
THUNDERSTORMS IS LIKELY ALONG THE WEAK FRONTAL BOUNDARY ORIENTED
WEST TO EAST ACROSS THE REGION. ASIDE FROM HIGHER COVERAGE NEAR
KAVL...TSRA SHOULD REMAIN IN THE VICINITY FROM KAND TO KGSP TO
KHKY...WITH SMALLER CHANCES NEAR KCLT. SOUTHEAST UPGLIDE AND UPSLOPE
FLOW SHOULD STEADILY PRODUCE LOWERING MVFR CIG OVERNIGHT...WITH
CONTINUED SCATTERED SHOWERS EXPECTED. THE OVERVIEW PERIOD SHOULD BE
A RELATIVE LULL...BUT WITH FAIRLY SOLID MVFR OR SLOWLY IMPROVING VFR
CIG BY NOON THU.

&&

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

SHORT TERM...VAD
Hazardous weather outlook, Aug 17, 6:21 AM EDT, 18 hours 19 minutes before
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
621 AM EDT WED AUG 17 2005

GAZ010-017-018-026-028-029-NCZ033>037-048>059-062>072-082-
SCZ001>014-019-181030-
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-
621 AM EDT WED AUG 17 2005

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

.DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT

SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS WILL ONCE AGAIN THREATEN THE REGION THIS
AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT. LOCALLY STRONG STORMS ARE POSSIBLE...
PRODUCING HEAVY RAIN...FREQUENT LIGHTNING AND GUSTY WIND.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY

A DAILY CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS CONTINUE INTO THE WEEKEND.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

SPOTTER ACTIVATION WILL NOT BE NEEDED.

In the hours before

Special weather statement, Aug 17, 8:35 PM EDT, 4 hours 5 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
835 PM EDT WED AUG 17 2005

SCZ007>009-013-014-180130-
CHEROKEE-CHESTER-SPARTANBURG-UNION-YORK-
840 PM EDT WED AUG 17 2005

...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WERE AFFECTING CHEROKEE...CHESTER...
SPARTANBURG...UNION AND YORK COUNTIES...

AT 840 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED
STRONG THUNDERSTORMS MOVING VERY SLOWLY ACROSS THE EASTERN PART OF
UPSTATE SOUTH CAROLINA. STROMS WERE MOVING VERY LITTLE BUT NEW
STORMS WERE DEVELOPING TO THE NORTH AND NORTHEAST.

PEA SIZE HAIL...AND WINDS 30 TO 40 MPH ARE POSSIBLE WITH THESE STORMS.

HEAVY RAINS WILL CAUSE PONDING ON ROADS AND MAY FLOOD SOME LOW LYING
AREAS SUCH AS DITCHES AND UNDERPASSES.

FREQUENT LIGHTNING IS OCCURRING WITH THESE STORMS. IF OUTDOORS...STAY
AWAY FROM ISOLATED HIGH OBJECTS SUCH AS TREES. MOVE INDOORS IF
POSSIBLE. WHEN INDOORS...STAY AWAY FROM WINDOWS AND DOORS AND AVOID
USING TELEPHONES UNLESS IT IS AN EMERGENCY. TRY TO UNPLUG
UNNECESSARY ELECTRICAL APPLIANCES BEFORE THE THUNDERSTORM APPROACHES.

RB
Local storm report, Aug 17, 8:56 PM EDT, 3 hours 44 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
856 PM EDT WED AUG 17 2005

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

0400 PM     TSTM WND DMG     4 SSW GREENVILLE        34.79N 82.40W
08/17/2005                   GREENVILLE         SC   BROADCAST MEDIA

            FOX CHANNEL 21 REPORTED 7 TO 10 TREES DOWN ON DUKE STREET
            NEAR GREENVILLE MEMORIAL HOSPITAL. TIME OF EVENT WAS
            DERIVED FROM RADAR.

&&

OUTLAW

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Aug 18, 12:57 AM EDTFlash Flood WarningGSPMcDowell3 hr
Aug 18, 2:12 AM EDTFlash Flood WarningGSPCaldwell3 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.