Alert archive / North Carolina / Flash Flood Warnings in 2011

Flash Flood Warning 31, NWS Greenville-Spartanburg, SC

December 22, 2011Henderson County, North Carolina

NWS Greenville-Spartanburg, SC issued this flash flood warning at Dec 22, 2011, 9:57 PM EST for Henderson County, North Carolina. It was in force for 6 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
Dec 22, 2011, 9:57 PM EST (02:57 UTC)
Expired
Dec 23, 2011, 4:00 AM EST
In force
6 hr
Issued by
NWS Greenville-Spartanburg, SC
Area
Storm-based polygon
Flood severity
None

County Henderson County, NC

The radar

The Greer radar (KGSP), 51 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 02:58 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
Dec 22, 11:00 PM ESTFLASH FLOOD1 Ese Hendersonville, NCJACKSON PARK CLOSED DUE TO FLOODING OF BAT FORK CREEK.

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, 3.0 hours before the alert went out and 245 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 2011-12-23Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 27 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 2011-12-23The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 244 square meters per square second.1939587897Sfc1 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
27 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-4 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
457 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
59 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
244 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
278 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.

914 
WGUS52 KGSP 230257
FFWGSP
NCC089-230900-
/O.NEW.KGSP.FF.W.0031.111223T0257Z-111223T0900Z/
/00000.0.ER.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.OO/

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
FLASH FLOOD WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
957 PM EST THU DEC 22 2011

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG HAS ISSUED A

* FLASH FLOOD WARNING FOR...
  CENTRAL HENDERSON COUNTY IN WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA...

* UNTIL 400 AM EST FRIDAY

* AT 946 PM EST...HEAVY RAIN FROM EARLIER THUNDERSTORMS HAVE 
PRODUCED LARGE AMOUNTS OF RUN OFF INTO BAT FORK AND MUDDY CREEKS. 
RECENT STREAM GAUGES HAVE INDICATED VERY QUICK RISES IN THE PAST 
HOUR AND CONTINUED STEADY RUNOFF WILL ENABLE BAT CREEK AND POSSIBLY 
MUD CREEK TO REACH AND EXCEED FLOOD STAGE...MOST LIKELY WITHIN THE 
NEXT HOUR OR TWO. CURRENT GAUGE READINGS ARE JUST OVER 6 FEET AT 
BOTH STREAM GAUGE SITES AND FLOOD STAGE AT EACH SITE IS 7.5 FEET. 

* AT 6.5 FEET...WATER LEVELS AT BAT CREEK WILL APPROACH AN EARTHEN  
RIDGE PROTECTING AIRPORT ROAD. AT 6.8 FEET...WATER WILL OVERFLOW THE 
RIDGE AND BEGIN TO FLOOD AIRPORT ROAD WITH ABOUT 1 FOOT OF WATER. 

* AT 6.0 FEET...WATER FROM MUD CREEK WILL APPROACH KING STREET AND 
THE SOUTH-CENTER INTERSECTION AREA.    

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WILL CONTINUE TO MONITOR THIS 
DEVELOPING SITUATION. 

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

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

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 3535 8237 3527 8237 3524 8253 3533 8254

$$

KRENTZ
2 follow-up statements
155 
WGUS72 KGSP 230540
FFSGSP

FLASH FLOOD STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
1240 AM EST FRI DEC 23 2011

NCC089-230900-
/O.CON.KGSP.FF.W.0031.000000T0000Z-111223T0900Z/
/00000.0.ER.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.OO/
HENDERSON NC-
1240 AM EST FRI DEC 23 2011

...FLASH FLOOD WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR CENTRAL HENDERSON COUNTY
UNTIL 400 AM EST...

AT 1236 AM EST...AUTOMATED STREAM GAUGES INDICATED THAT FLASH 
FLOODING WAS OCCURRING IN THE HENDERSONVILLE AREA. BAT FORK CREEK 
WAS AT 7.38 FEET. AT THIS LEVEL...FLOODING OF AIRPORT ROAD WILL 
OCCUR AND JACKSON PARK WILL FLOOD AS WELL.

A COLD FRONT HAS MOVED THROUGH THE REGION...BRINGING HEAVY RAIN TO 
AN END. HOWEVER...HIGH WATER WILL CONTINUE FOR A FEW MORE 
HOURS...PARTICULARLY ON THE SOUTH AND EAST SIDE OF HENDERSONVILLE.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

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

&&

LAT...LON 3535 8237 3527 8237 3524 8253 3533 8254

$$

MCAVOY
087 
WGUS72 KGSP 230902
FFSGSP

FLASH FLOOD STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
402 AM EST FRI DEC 23 2011

NCC089-230916-
/O.EXP.KGSP.FF.W.0031.000000T0000Z-111223T0900Z/
/00000.0.ER.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.OO/
HENDERSON NC-
402 AM EST FRI DEC 23 2011

...THE FLASH FLOOD WARNING THAT WAS IN EFFECT FOR CENTRAL HENDERSON
COUNTY HAS BEEN ALLOWED TO EXPIRE...

EXCESS RUNOFF FROM HEAVY RAIN HAS ENDED OVER THE WARNED AREA. STREAMS
AND CREEKS IN THE WARNED AREA HAVE RECEDED OR WERE BEGINNING TO
RECEDE...ENDING THE FLOOD THREAT. IF FLOODING HAS BEEN OBSERVED...
PLEASE REPORT IT TO YOUR LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT AGENCY.

LAT...LON 3535 8237 3527 8237 3524 8253 3533 8254

$$

MCAVOY

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 Dec 22, 9:50 PM EST, 7 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Dec 22, 9:50 PM EST, 7 minutes before
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
950 PM EST THU DEC 22 2011

.SYNOPSIS...
A COLD FRONT WILL SWEEP ACROSS THE REGION TONIGHT FOLLOWED BY DRY
AIR OVERSPREADING THE AREA FRIDAY INTO SATURDAY. LOW PRESSURE WILL
SLIDE BY OFF TO OUR SOUTH CHRISTMAS DAY INTO MONDAY.

&&

.NEAR TERM /THROUGH FRIDAY/...
AT 905 PM EST...AN UPPER RIDGE WAS LOCATED OVER THE WESTERN
ATLANTIC...WHILE AN UPPER TROUGH WAS OVER THE SOUTHERN ROCKIES.
A COLD FRONT WAS ANALYZED OVER THEN NC MOUNTAINS THIS EVENING.
SHOWERS AHEAD OF THIS FRONT WERE MOVING QUICKLY EAST INTO THE
FOOTHILLS AND PIEDMONT...AND THE REMAINING UPPER SAVANNAH RIVER
COUNTIES WILL BE CLEARED FORM THE TORNADO WATCH. CATEGORICAL POPS
WILL BE CARRIED AHEAD OF THE FRONT INTO THE LATE EVENING...AFTER
WHICH VEERING WINDS WILL INTRODUCE A DOWNSLOPE FLOW COMPONENT...
ENDING PRECIPITATION. WINDS ARE EXPECTED TO BE GREAT ENOUGH TO
PREVENT FOG FROM FORMING OVER MOST OF THE AREA...BUT THE UPPER
SAVANNAH RIVER VALLEY MAY HAVE ENOUGH OF A LULL IN WINDS FOR SOME
PATCHY DENSE FOG. TEMPERATURES WILL BE WELL ABOVE NORMAL...AS COLD
ADVECTION WILL BE SLOW TO SET UP BEHIND THE FRONT.

DRY AIR WILL INCREASE IN THE WAKE OF THE COLD FRONT...YIELDING
CLEARING SKY CONDITIONS FRIDAY. A FEW NW FLOW SHRA MAY DEVELOP OVER
THE TN BORDER DURING THE MORNING...BUT FADE IN THE AFTERNOON. EXPECT
DRY WX...NW WINDS...AND HIGHS IN THE MID 50S WITHIN THE MTN VALLEYS
TO MID TO UPPER 60S EAST OF I-85.

&&

.SHORT TERM /FRIDAY NIGHT THROUGH SUNDAY NIGHT/...
AS OF 230 PM THU...A CONFLUENT UPPER FLOW PATTERN SHOULD EXIST
ACROSS THE E THROUGH THE WEEKEND. NRN STREAM ENERGY WILL MOVE EWD
ACROSS THE GREAT LAKES TO NEW ENGLAND...WHILE A SRN STREAM SYSTEM
DEVELOPS OVER THE SRN PLAINS AND W TX. AN UPPER JETLET SE OF THESE
FEATURES AND NW OF THE FORECAST AREA WILL LIKELY KEEP SOME HIGH
LEVEL CLOUDINESS IN THE PICTURE THROUGH THE PERIOD. AT THE
SFC...WEAK HIGH PRES WILL DEVELOP UNDER THE CONFLUENT FLOW ALOFT AND
PERSIST THROUGH SAT. SHALLOW MOISTURE AHEAD OF THE SRN STREAM SYSTEM
MAY RETURN TO THE AREA LATE SAT NIGHT INTO SUNDAY. THE NAM SHOWS
VERY LIMITED FORCING WITH LITTLE TO NO WARM ADVECTION THROUGH THE
DAY ON SUNDAY...AND THE BEST MOISTURE PASSING JUST S OF THE AREA.
THE ECMWF HAS BEEN MORE AGGRESSIVE WITH THE SUNDAY MOISTURE...BUT
THE 12Z RUN DID BACK OFF A BIT. THE GFS APPEARS TO BE A MORE MIDDLE
OF THE ROAD SOLUTION. THE CONSENSUS WILL FEATURE THE BEST SUNDAY
PRECIP CHANCES IN THE SE HALF OF THE AREA. EXPECT MAX TEMPS A COUPLE
OF CATEGORIES ABOVE NORMAL SAT...AND SLIGHTLY ABOVE NORMAL SUNDAY.

&&

.LONG TERM /MONDAY THROUGH THURSDAY/...
AS OF 230 PM THU...DRY RIDGING WILL DEVELOP OVER THE AREA ON MON. IN
A CONTINUED PROGRESSIVE FLOW PATTERN...ANOTHER SRN STREAM SYSTEM
OVER W TX MON MAY LIFT EWD TO THE BASE OF THE APPALACHIANS LATE TUE.
AN ASSOCIATED SFC REFLECTION SHOULD DEVELOP OVER THE ERN GULF. THE
CONSENSUS SOLUTION IS THAT THE BEST PRECIPITATION CHANCES WILL
STRIKE A GLANCING BLOW ACROSS THE SE PART OF THE AREA SUN AFTN. THE
12Z ECM HAS COME IN FEATURING A DIFFERENT SOLUTION...WITH A STRONGER
E COAST RIDGE PUSHING MOISTURE BACK INTO THE SRN APPALACHIANS TUE.
WILL NOT TREND THE FORECAST TOWARD THIS SOLUTION AT PRESENT.

ON WED...A TROUGH AXIS IS EXPECTED TO CARVE OUT OVER THE MID SECTION
OF THE COUNTRY AND THEN SWING EWD ACROSS THE REGION ON THURSDAY.
THIS SYSTEM WILL TRANSLATE EWD SO QUICKLY THAT LITTLE TO NO GULF
MOISTURE TAP APPEARS POSSIBLE...AND LITTLE DEEP MOISTURE WILL
ACCOMPANY THE WAVE. WILL THUS KEEP THE FORECAST ON THE LOW SIDE OF
GUIDANCE POPS FOR THU.

&&

.AVIATION /03Z FRIDAY THROUGH TUESDAY/...
AT KCLT...MVFR WILL CONTINUE FOR SEVERAL HOURS BEHIND DEPARTING
PRECIPITATION...UNTIL VEERING WINDS INTRODUCE ENOUGH OF A DOWNSLOPE
COMPONENT TO RETURN VFR BEFORE DAWN.

ELSEWHERE...MVFR WILL PERSIST BEHIND DEPARTING SHOWERS UNTIL WINDS
VEER AND BRING DOWNSLOPE FLOW AND VFR TOWARD DAYBREAK. IT NOW
APPEARS THERE WILL BE ENOUGH WINDS TO PREVENT MORNING FOG FROM
RESTRICTING VSBY...EVEN AT KAND.

OUTLOOK...VFR UNTIL MOISTURE RETURNS AHEAD OF A GULF COAST SYSTEM
SAT NIGHT INTO SUN. RESTRICTIONS SUNDAY WOULD APPEAR TO BE MINIMAL
THIS FAR NORTH OF THE SURFACE SYSTEM. VFR AGAIN ON MONDAY.

AN EXPERIMENTAL AVIATION FORECAST CONSISTENCY TABLE SHOWING THE
PERCENTAGE OF GUIDANCE MEMBERS AGREEING WITH THE SCHEDULED ISSUANCE
CATEGORY IS AVAILABLE AT FOLLOWING LINK (USE LOWER CASE)...

WWW.WEATHER.GOV/GSP/AVIATION/TABLES.HTM

&&

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

&&

SYNOPSIS...CSH
NEAR TERM...JAT/NED
SHORT TERM...HG
LONG TERM...HG
AVIATION...JAT
Hazardous weather outlook, Dec 22, 9:19 PM EST, 38 minutes before
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
919 PM EST THU DEC 22 2011

GAZ010-017-018-026-028-NCZ033-048>053-058-059-062>065-501-503-505-
507-509-SCZ001>006-010-240230-
RABUN-HABERSHAM-STEPHENS-FRANKLIN-HART-AVERY-MADISON-YANCEY-MITCHELL-
SWAIN-HAYWOOD-BUNCOMBE-GRAHAM-NORTHERN JACKSON-MACON-
SOUTHERN JACKSON-TRANSYLVANIA-HENDERSON-CALDWELL MOUNTAINS-
BURKE MOUNTAINS-MCDOWELL MOUNTAINS-RUTHERFORD MOUNTAINS-
POLK MOUNTAINS-OCONEE MOUNTAINS-PICKENS MOUNTAINS-
GREENVILLE MOUNTAINS-GREATER OCONEE-GREATER PICKENS-
GREATER GREENVILLE-ANDERSON-
919 PM EST THU DEC 22 2011

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

.DAY ONE...TONIGHT.

NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY.

NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

NONE.

GAZ029-NCZ035>037-056-057-068>072-082-502-504-506-508-510-SCZ007>009-
011>014-019-240230-
ELBERT-ALEXANDER-IREDELL-DAVIE-CATAWBA-ROWAN-CLEVELAND-LINCOLN-
GASTON-MECKLENBURG-CABARRUS-UNION NC-GREATER CALDWELL-GREATER BURKE-
EASTERN MCDOWELL-GREATER RUTHERFORD-EASTERN POLK-SPARTANBURG-
CHEROKEE-YORK-ABBEVILLE-LAURENS-UNION SC-CHESTER-GREENWOOD-
919 PM EST THU DEC 22 2011

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

.DAY ONE...TONIGHT.

ISOLATED TO SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE LATE THIS EVENING
IN THE FOOTHILLS AND PIEDMONT. CLOUDS TO GROUND LIGHTNING WILL BE
THE MAIN HAZARD WITH THESE STORMS.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...FRIDAY THROUGH WEDNESDAY.

NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

NONE.

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Dec 22, 10:07 PM ESTRiver Flood AdvisoryGSPHenderson, Transylvania12 hr
Dec 22, 10:45 PM ESTAreal Flood AdvisoryGSPTransylvania6 hr
Dec 23, 11:21 AM ESTRiver Flood AdvisoryGSPHenderson, Transylvania12 hr

Nearby

Flash Flood Warnings in North Carolina, 2011Every flash flood warning in 2011

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.