Alert archive / Georgia / Flash Flood Warnings in 2009
Flash Flood Warning 43, NWS Greenville-Spartanburg, SC
NWS Greenville-Spartanburg, SC issued this flash flood warning at Sep 20, 2009, 6:07 AM EDT for Rabun County, Georgia; Oconee County, South Carolina. It was in force for 3 hr. 2 reports 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
- Sep 20, 2009, 6:07 AM EDT (10:07 UTC)
- Expired
- Sep 20, 2009, 9:00 AM EDT
- In force
- 3 hr
- Issued by
- NWS Greenville-Spartanburg, SC
- Area
- Storm-based polygon
- Flood severity
- None
Counties Rabun County, GA, Oconee County, SC
The radar
The Greer radar (KGSP), 103 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 10:08 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 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 20, 8:40 AM EDT | FLASH FLOOD | 1 N Long Creek, SC | CASSIDY BRIDGE ROAD FLOODED BY CREEK OVERFLOWING. |
| Sep 20, 8:40 AM EDT | FLASH FLOOD | 3 N Long Creek, SC | WHETSTONE ROAD FLOODED DUE TO STREAM OVERFLOWING BANK. |
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 2 storm reports to this flash flood warning; the first came 153 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
Peachtre/Fal Fld, GA (KFFC), launched 00:00Z, 10.1 hours before the alert went out and 196 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
- 1577 J/kg
- Mixed-layer CIN
- -6 J/kg
- Mixed-layer LCL
- 548 m above ground
- 0-6 km bulk shear
- 13 kt
- 0-1 km storm-relative helicity
- 70 m²/s²
- 0-3 km storm-relative helicity
- 177 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 201007
FFWGSP
GAC241-SCC073-201300-
/O.NEW.KGSP.FF.W.0043.090920T1007Z-090920T1300Z/
/00000.0.ER.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.OO/
BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
FLASH FLOOD WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
607 AM EDT SUN SEP 20 2009
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG HAS ISSUED A
* FLASH FLOOD WARNING FOR...
EASTERN RABUN COUNTY IN NORTHEAST GEORGIA...
WEST CENTRAL OCONEE COUNTY IN UPSTATE SOUTH CAROLINA...
* UNTIL 900 AM EDT
* AT 606 AM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED
FLASH FLOODING FROM PERSISTENT HEAVY RAIN OVER THE WARNED AREA. RAIN
WILL CONTINUE TO FALL AT THE RATE OF ONE TO TWO INCHES PER HOUR
WHICH SHOULD CAUSE CREEKS AND STREAMS TO COME OUT OF THEIR BANKS.
SPECIFICALLY...WARWOMAN CREEK...HOODS CREEK...LICK LOG CREEK...AND
OTHER SMALL STREAMS THAT FEED INTO THE CHATTOOGA RIVER IN NORTHEAST
RABUN COUNTY GEORGIA...AND WESTERN OCONEE COUNTY SOUTH CAROLINA...
ARE EXPECTED TO COME OUT OF THEIR BANKS. ADDITIONAL RAIN IS EXPECTED
TO MOVE INTO RABUN COUNTY. THIS COULD FORCE STEKOA CREEK AND THE
HEADWATERS OF THE LITTLE TENNESSEE RIVER OUT OF THEIR BANKS AS WELL.
* LOCATIONS IN THE WARNING INCLUDE BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO SKY VALLEY.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
EXCESSIVE RUNOFF FROM HEAVY RAINFALL WILL CAUSE FLOODING OF SMALL
CREEKS AND STREAMS...COUNTRY ROADS...AS WELL AS FARMLAND ALONG THE
BANKS OF CREEKS AND STREAMS.
WHEN DRIVING ALONG ROADS WHERE THE TERRAIN IS STEEP OR ROCKY...REMAIN
ALERT FOR POSSIBLE ROCK OR MUD SLIDES DUE TO THE HEAVY RAIN.
TO REPORT HIGH WATER...FLOODING...MUDSLIDES...LANDSLIDES OR OTHER
SEVERE WEATHER THROUGH OUR AUTOMATED REPORTING SYSTEM...CALL OUR TOLL
FREE NUMBER...1 8 7 7...6 3 3...6 7 7 2.
&&
LAT...LON 3499 8347 3500 8331 3492 8321 3493 8313
3484 8318 3476 8326 3470 8335 3473 8339
3472 8341 3475 8348 3485 8349
$$
MOORE1 follow-up statement
000
WGUS72 KGSP 201310
FFSGSP
FLASH FLOOD STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
910 AM EDT SUN SEP 20 2009
GAC241-SCC073-201311-
/O.EXP.KGSP.FF.W.0043.000000T0000Z-090920T1300Z/
/00000.0.ER.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.OO/
RABUN GA-OCONEE SC-
910 AM EDT SUN SEP 20 2009
...THE FLASH FLOOD WARNING HAS EXPIRED FOR WEST CENTRAL OCONEE AND
EASTERN RABUN COUNTIES...
AT 900 AM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED THE
AREA OF HEAVIEST RAIN HAD MOVED NORTHEAST. LIGHT TO MODERATE RAIN
WILL CONTINUE TO FALL WHICH WILL CAUSE MANY CREEKS AND STREAMS TO
RUN BANKFULL...WITH MINOR FLOODING ALONG THE BANKS. THE WARNING WAS
ALLOWED TO EXPIRE BUT A NEW WARNING MAY BE NEEDED IF HEAVIER RAIN
REDEVELOPS OVER THE AREA.
LAT...LON 3499 8347 3500 8331 3492 8321 3493 8313
3484 8318 3476 8326 3470 8335 3473 8339
3472 8341 3475 8348 3485 8349
$$
RBWhat 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 Sep 20, 3:30 AM EDT, 2 hours 37 minutes earlier.
Area forecast discussion, Sep 20, 3:30 AM EDT, 2 hours 37 minutes before
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC 330 AM EDT SUN SEP 20 2009 .SYNOPSIS... BROAD LOW PRESSURE OVER THE MISSISSIPPI RIVER VALLEY WILL CONTINUE TO BRING DEEP MOISTURE ACROSS THE SOUTHEAST TODAY AND TONIGHT. WEAK HIGH PRESSURE WILL LINGER OVER THE REGION FOR MOST OF THE WORK WEEK. && .NEAR TERM /THROUGH TONIGHT/... NUMEROUS TO WIDESPREAD SHOWER ACTIVITY CONTINUES AT 06Z ACROSS THE WESTERN CAROLINAS IN A WARM ADVECTION UPGLIDE/SE UPSLOPE FLOW REGIME. SOME OF THE SHOWERS HAVE BEEN CONCENTRATED/ANCHORED NEAR THE BLUE RIDGE RESULTING IN WHAT SHOULD BE SOME IMPRESSIVE RAINFALL TOTALS. FOR THE VERY NEAR TERM THIS WILL REQUIRE A CATEGORICAL POP NEAR THE BLUE RIDGE AND OVER TOWARD METRO CLT...AND LIKELY ELSEWHERE. THE INGREDIENTS FOR CONTINUED HEAVY RAIN REMAIN IN PLACE THROUGH THIS MORNING WITH LOW LEVEL MOISTURE CONVERGENCE...HIGH PW...AND ADDITIONAL FORCING ARRIVING FROM THE SW. HAVE GENERALLY ACCEPTED THE HIGH MOSGUIDE POP WHICH KEEPS CATEGORICAL RAIN FORECAST ON THE E SIDE OF THE HIGH TERRAIN...THEN TAPERING OFF ACROSS THE WRN PIEDMONT. EXPECT TEMPS TO REMAIN COOL TODAY SO THE COOLER GUIDANCE WAS FOLLOWED. SUNDAY NIGHT LOOKS VERY SIMILAR TO THE SITUATION WE HAVE RIGHT NOW...WITH CONINUED UPSLOPE/UPGLIDE. IF THIS GOES DOWN IN A SIMILAR FASHION...THEN WE ARE GOING TO HAVE TO CONSIDER A FLOOD WATCH FOR THE ZONES NEAR THE BLUE RIDGE. WOULD RATHER NOT ISSUE A WATCH RIGHT NOW FOR ZONES THAT ALREADY HAVE A WARNING...SO IT WILL BE EVALUATED LATER IN THE MORNING. TEMPS WERE KEPT CLOSE TO THE GUIDANCE FOR LOWS. && .SHORT TERM /MONDAY THROUGH TUESDAY/... AS OF 240 AM SUNDAY...ON MONDAY AND TUESDAY...BOTH THE 0Z GFS AND ECMWF AGREE THAT A MID LEVEL LOW WILL CLOSE OFF OVER THE PLAINS AS A RIDGE BUILDS OVER THE ATLANTIC COAST. AT THE SFC...WEAK HIGH PRESSURE WILL LIKELY CONTINUE TO NOSE SE ACROSS THE CWA. THIS PATTERN SHOULD FAVOR A CONTINUATION OF MOSTLY CLOUDY CONDITIONS WITH TEMPERATURES AT OR SLIGHTLY LESS THAN NORMAL. ON MONDAY...IT APPEARS THAT UPSLOPE FLOW AND DIURNAL INSTABILITY WILL SUPPORT LIKELY COVERAGE OF SHRA AND POSSIBLY TSRA OVER THE MTNS...SCT COVERAGE EAST. LI/S ON THE GFS INDICATE THAT THE SOUTHERN TIER OF THE CWA IS FAVORED FOR INCREASED INSTABILITY. ON TUESDAY...ATLANTIC RIDGE AXIS BEGINS TO SHIFT WEST...WITH THE CENTER PIVOTING OVER THE DEEP SOUTH. THE RIDGE SHOULD REDUCE TUESDAY/S COVERAGE FROM MONDAY...DUE TO DECREASED AFTERNOON INSTABILITY. I WILL FORECAST CHC POPS THROUGH EARLY AFTERNOON...WITH LIKELY COVERAGE OVER THE MTN PEAKS DURING THE MID TO LATE AFTERNOON. && .LONG TERM /TUESDAY NIGHT THROUGH SATURDAY/... AS OF 3 AM SUNDAY...I WILL FAVOR THE ECMWF FOR ADJUSTMENTS WITHIN THE EXTENDED PERIOD. WEAK MID LEVEL RIDGING WILL CONTINUE ACROSS THE CWA FROM MID WEEK INTO THE EARLY WEEKEND. AT THE SFC...PRESSURES SHOULD FAVOR SLIGHT HIGH PRESSURE...HOWEVER...A WEAK COLD FRONT COULD SWEEP ACROSS THE REGION LATE IN THE WORK WEEK. TIMING AND STRENGTH OF EXTENDED RANGE SFC FEATURES ARE TOO UNCERTAIN AT THIS TIME. HOWEVER...THE CLOSED LOW OVER THE PLAINS WILL LIKELY MOVE EAST...INCREASING MOISTURE AND LLVL RETURN FLOW ACROSS THE REGION. OVERALL...DIURNAL SWINGS IN POPS ARE ANTICIPATED...PEAKING WITH CHC DURING THE AFTERNOON AND EVENING WITH SCHC AT NIGHT. MOS GUIDANCE AND PATTERN SUPPORT TEMPERATURES AT OR SLIGHTLY ABOVE NORMAL. && .AVIATION /08Z SUNDAY THROUGH THURSDAY/... AT KCLT...A LARGE AREA OF SLOW MOVING LIGHT TO MODERATE RAIN WILL AFFECT THE TERMINAL FOR AT LEAST THE NEXT HOUR. THIS SHOULD KEEP A PREVAILING MVFR VISIBILITY WITH CEILING COMING IN AND OUT OF LOW END MVFR. WHEN THE RAIN FINALLY MOVES OUT...THERE COULD BE A BRIEF PERIOD OF VFR...BUT THIS SHOULD FILL IN QUICKLY WITH FOG AND LOW CLOUDS. GUIDANCE IS PESSIMISTIC WITH A TREND TOWARD IFR BY 09Z AND WITH THE AIR MASS BEING FORCED BY MOIST UPGLIDE THIS SEEMS REASONABLE. ONCE AGAIN...THESE CONDITIONS ARE EXPECTED TO IMPROVE DURING THE MID TO LATE MORNING. CEILING SHOULD PROGRESS UPWARD THROUGH MVFR AND PROBABLY TO LOW END VFR IN THE AFTERNOON. IF IT DOES BREAK OUT...EXPECT A GREATER CHANCE OF SEEING SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS...BUT THIS WILL NOT BE PUT IN THE TAF FOR NOW. ELSEWHERE...SHOWERS AIDED BY UPSLOPE/WARM ADVECTION SHOULD CONTINUE TO DEVELOP ACROSS THE REGION THROUGH AT LEAST MID MORNING. WIDESPREAD FLIGHT RESTRICTIONS ARE EXPECTED LATE TONIGHT WITH AREAS OF IFR LIKELY TOWARD SUNRISE. DIURNAL IMPROVEMENT IS ALSO LIKELY ON SUNDAY...WITH CIGS/VSBY IMPROVING FROM MID-MORNING ONWARD AND PROBABLY BECOMING UNRESTRICTED ACRS MUCH OF THE FA DURING THE AFTERNOON. HOWEVER...THIS SHOULD FILL RIGHT BACK IN DURING THE EVENING HOURS. OUTLOOK...A STAGNANT PATTERN WILL FAVOR PERIODS OF RAIN THROUGH MID WEEK. EXPECT RESTRICTIONS...MAINLY MVFR...ESPECIALLY AT NIGHT...WITH IFR POSSIBLE AROUND DAWN. && .GSP WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... GA...NONE. NC...NONE. SC...NONE. && SYNOPSIS...NED NEAR TERM...PM SHORT TERM...NED LONG TERM...NED AVIATION...PM
Hazardous weather outlook, Sep 20, 5:00 AM EDT, 1 hour 7 minutes before
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC 500 AM EDT SUN SEP 20 2009 GAZ010-017-018-026-028-029-NCZ033-048>053-058-059-062>065-501>510- SCZ001>007-010-210900- RABUN-HABERSHAM-STEPHENS-FRANKLIN-HART-ELBERT-AVERY-MADISON-YANCEY- MITCHELL-SWAIN-HAYWOOD-BUNCOMBE-GRAHAM-NORTHERN JACKSON-MACON- SOUTHERN JACKSON-TRANSYLVANIA-HENDERSON-CALDWELL MOUNTAINS- GREATER CALDWELL-BURKE MOUNTAINS-GREATER BURKE-MCDOWELL MOUNTAINS- EASTERN MCDOWELL-RUTHERFORD MOUNTAINS-GREATER RUTHERFORD- POLK MOUNTAINS-EASTERN POLK-OCONEE MOUNTAINS-PICKENS MOUNTAINS- GREENVILLE MOUNTAINS-GREATER OCONEE-GREATER PICKENS- GREATER GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG-ANDERSON- 500 AM EDT SUN SEP 20 2009 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR NORTHEAST GEORGIA...WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA AND UPSTATE SOUTH CAROLINA. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT. PERIODS OF MODERATE TO HEAVY RAIN WILL CONTINUE ACROSS THE NORTH CAROLINA MOUNTAINS AND ADJACENT FOOTHILLS THIS MORNING. SEVERAL INCHES OF RAIN HAS ALREADY FALLEN ACROSS THE EAST FACING SLOPES EARLIER THIS MORNING. ADDITIONAL RAINFALL TODAY COULD RESULT IN RAPID RISES ALONG SMALL STREAM AND CREEKS AND POSSIBLY DEEP STANDING WATER WITHIN AREAS OF POOR DRAINAGE. IN ADDITION...ISOLATED MUD SLIDES MAY OCCUR DURING HEAVY RAINFALL RATES ACROSS STEEP TERRAIN. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY. NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SKYWARN SPOTTERS ARE REQUESTED TO FORWARD ANY REPORTS OF FLASH FLOODING TO OUR OFFICE. NCZ035>037-056-057-068>072-082-SCZ008-009-011>014-019-210900- ALEXANDER-IREDELL-DAVIE-CATAWBA-ROWAN-CLEVELAND-LINCOLN-GASTON- MECKLENBURG-CABARRUS-UNION NC-CHEROKEE-YORK-ABBEVILLE-LAURENS- UNION SC-CHESTER-GREENWOOD- 500 AM EDT SUN SEP 20 2009 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR PIEDMONT NORTH CAROLINA...WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA AND UPSTATE SOUTH CAROLINA. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT. SCATTERED TO NUMEROUS SHOWERS...A FEW HEAVY AT TIMES...WILL CONTINUE ACROSS THE PIEDMONT THIS MORNING. HIGH RAINFALL RATES WILL LIKELY LEAD TO STANDING WATER WITHIN AREAS OF POOR DRAINAGE. OTHERWISE...NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY. NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SKYWARN SPOTTERS ARE REQUESTED TO FORWARD ANY REPORTS OF FLASH FLOODING TO OUR OFFICE. NED
In the hours before
Local storm report, Sep 20, 5:36 AM EDT, 31 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
536 AM EDT SUN SEP 20 2009
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0500 AM FLASH FLOOD 4 NE HENDERSONVILLE 35.37N 82.41W
09/20/2009 HENDERSON NC OFFICIAL NWS OBS
THE CLEAR CREEK STREAM GAUGE OBSERVED 8.1 FEET AT 9Z. A 8
FEET...FRUITLAND ROAD AND LOW LYING AREAS NEAR THE RIVER
BEGIN TO FLOOD.
&&
NEDThe office that day
Everything else NWS Greenville-Spartanburg, SC issued on the same UTC day.
| Issued | Product | Office | Counties | Lasted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sep 20, 4:30 AM EDT | Flash Flood Warning | GSP | Rabun | 4 hr |
| Sep 20, 8:14 AM EDT | Areal Flood Warning | GSP | Rabun | 4 hr |
| Sep 20, 9:34 AM EDT | Areal Flood Advisory | GSP | Habersham | 56 min |
| Sep 20, 10:28 AM EDT | Areal Flood Advisory | GSP | Stephens | 62 min |
| Sep 20, 10:39 AM EDT | Flash Flood Warning | GSP | Stephens | 3 hr |
| Sep 20, 11:59 AM EDT | Areal Flood Warning | GSP | Habersham, Rabun | 6 hr |
| Sep 20, 2:31 PM EDT | Areal Flood Warning | GSP | Stephens | 3 hr |
| Sep 20, 5:32 PM EDT | Areal Flood Warning | GSP | Habersham, Rabun, Stephens | 3 hr |
| Sep 20, 6:19 PM EDT | Flood Watch | GSP | Franklin, Habersham, Rabun, Stephens | 36 hr |
| Sep 20, 6:19 AM EDT | Areal Flood Warning | GSP | Greenville | 4 hr |
Nearby
Flash Flood Warnings in Georgia, 2009Flash Flood Warnings in South Carolina, 2009Every flash flood warning in 2009
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.