Alert archive / North Carolina / Flash Flood Warnings in 2005
Flash Flood Warning 72, NWS Greenville-Spartanburg, SC
NWS Greenville-Spartanburg, SC issued this flash flood warning at Aug 18, 2005, 2:12 AM EDT for Caldwell 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, 2:12 AM EDT (06:12 UTC)
- Expired
- Aug 18, 2005, 5:15 AM EDT
- In force
- 3 hr
- Issued by
- NWS Greenville-Spartanburg, SC
- Area
- Counties, with a storm outline in the text
County Caldwell County, NC
The radar
The Greer radar (KGSP), 128 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 06:15 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
| Time | Report | Where | Remark |
|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 18, 3:15 AM EDT | FLASH FLOOD | 3 Sw Collettsville, NC | PLAYMORE BEACH ROAD FLOODED AT THE FIRST BRIDGE...NEAR CONFLUENCE OF WILSONS CREEK AND THE JOHNS RIVER. |
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 63 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, 6.2 hours before the alert went out and 163 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.
- 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
The text
As transmitted, in the capitals the NWS used until 2016.
000 WGUS52 KGSP 180618 FFWGSP NCC027-180915- BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED FLASH FLOOD WARNING NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC 212 AM EDT THU AUG 18 2005 THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG HAS ISSUED A * FLASH FLOOD WARNING FOR... CALDWELL COUNTY IN WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA * UNTIL 515 AM EDT * AT 210 AM EDT...LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICIALS REPORTED FLASH FLOODING FROM A THUNDERSTORM OVER THE WESTERN PART OF THE COUNTY. * LOCATIONS IN THE WARNING INCLUDE BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO COLLETTSVILLE AND EDGEMONT. AT 215 AM...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A LARGE AREA OF PERSISTENT MODERATE RAIN COVERING MOST OF CALDWELL COUNTY. ABOUT THREE INCHES OF RAIN FELL EARLIER THIS PAST EVENING IN THE HEADWATERS OF WILSON CREEK NEAR EDGEMONT. ANOTHER INCH OF RAIN COULD FALL ACROSS THE WESTERN PART OF THE COUNTY BEFORE THE RAIN TAPERS OFF. FLOODING HAS ALREADY BEEN REPORTED IN THE WILSON CREEK GORGE AND AROUND BROWN MOUNTAIN BEACH. OTHER REPORTS OF FLOODING HAVE BEEN RECEIVED ALONG THE JOHNS RIVER NEAR COLLETTSVILLE. WITH THE PERSISTENT RAIN...THE FLOODING ALONG WILSON CREEK AND THE JOHNS RIVER AND ITS TRIBUTARIES WILL NOT IMPROVE FOR THE NEXT FEW HOURS. RESIDENTS IN THE WESTERN PART OF THE COUNTY ALONG THESE STREAMS SHOULD MONITOR THE WATER LEVELS AND MOVE TO HIGHER GROUND WHEN THREATENED. 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 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 3596 8181 3583 8164 3597 8153 3604 8175 $$ MOORE
2 follow-up statements
000 WGUS72 KGSP 180818 FFSGSP FLASH FLOOD STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC 412 AM EDT THU AUG 18 2005 NCC027-180915- CALDWELL NC- 412 AM EDT THU AUG 18 2005 ...A FLASH FLOOD WARNING CONTINUES UNTIL 515 AM EDT FOR CALDWELL COUNTY... AT 409 AM EDT...LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICIALS REPORTED THAT FLOODING CONTINUED ALONG WILSONS CREEK...AND WAS AFFECTING LOCATIONS ALONG BROWN MOUNTAIN ROAD AND PLAYMORE BEACH ROAD. NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED THAT RAIN WAS TAPERING OFF ACROSS THE COUNTY. HOWEVER...SOME ADDITIONAL SHOWERS COULD MOVE IN FROM THE WEST THROUGH 5 AM. LOCATIONS IN THE WARNING INCLUDE BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO EDGEMONT AND COLLETTSVILLE. FLOOD WATERS ARE MOVING DOWN WILSONS CREEK FROM EDGEMONT TO BROWN MOUNTAIN BEACH AND THE COUNTY LINE...AND ALONG THE JOHNS RIVER FROM COLLETTSVILLE TO THE COUNTY LINE. BE ESPECIALLY CAUTIOUS AT NIGHT WHEN IT IS HARDER TO RECOGNIZE THE DANGERS OF FLOODING. DO NOT DRIVE ACROSS BRIDGES OR LOW SPOTS THAT ARE UNDER WATER. THE ROADWAY MIGHT BE WASHED OUT. IT IS IMPORTANT TO KNOW WHERE YOU ARE RELATIVE TO STREAMS...RIVERS...OR CREEKS WHICH CAN BECOME KILLERS IN HEAVY RAINS. CAMPERS AND HIKERS SHOULD AVOID STREAMS OR CREEKS. LAT...LON 3596 8181 3583 8164 3597 8153 3604 8175 $$ MOORE
000 WGUS72 KGSP 180909 FFSGSP FLASH FLOOD STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC 510 AM EDT THU AUG 18 2005 NCC027-180915- CALDWELL NC- 510 AM EDT THU AUG 18 2005 ...A FLASH FLOOD WARNING CONTINUES UNTIL 515 AM EDT FOR CALDWELL COUNTY... AT 510 AM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED LIGHT TO MODERATE RAIN MOVING EAST INTO THE WESTERN PART OF CALDWELL COUNTY. ADDITIONAL RAINFALL AMOUNTS OF ONE HALF INCH ARE POSSIBLE IN THE WARNED AREA. THIS ADDITIONAL RAINFALL IN THE HEADWATERS OF WILSON CREEK WILL KEEP THE WATER FROM RECEDING. ALTHOUGH THE FLASH FLOOD WARNING EXPIRES AT 515 AM...A NEW FLOOD WARNING WILL BE ISSUED FOR THE WESTERN PART OF WESTERN CALDWELL COUNTY...BECAUSE OF THE FLOODING THAT CONTINUES ALONG WILSON CREEK AND THE JOHNS RIVER. LOCATIONS IN THE WARNING INCLUDE BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO EDGEMONT AND COLLETTSVILLE. FLOODING IS OCCURRING OR IS IMMINENT. MOST FLOOD RELATED DEATHS OCCUR IN AUTOMOBILES. DO NOT ATTEMPT TO CROSS WATER COVERED BRIDGES... DIPS...OR LOW WATER CROSSINGS. NEVER TRY TO CROSS A FLOWING STREAM... EVEN A SMALL ONE...ON FOOT. TO ESCAPE RISING WATER...MOVE TO HIGHER GROUND. LAT...LON 3596 8181 3583 8164 3597 8153 3604 8175 $$ 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, 5 hours 44 minutes earlier.
Area forecast discussion, Aug 17, 8:28 PM EDT, 5 hours 44 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, 19 hours 51 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, 5 hours 37 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, 5 hours 16 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.
&&
OUTLAWThe office that day
Everything else NWS Greenville-Spartanburg, SC issued on the same UTC day.
| Issued | Product | Office | Counties | Lasted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 18, 12:40 AM EDT | Flash Flood Warning | GSP | Burke | 3 hr |
| Aug 18, 12:57 AM EDT | Flash Flood Warning | GSP | McDowell | 3 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.