Alert archive / South Carolina / Areal Flood Warnings in 2012

Areal Flood Warning 4, NWS Wilmington, NC

May 15, 2012Georgetown County, South Carolina

NWS Wilmington, NC issued this areal flood warning at May 15, 2012, 5:22 PM EDT for Georgetown County, South Carolina. It was in force for 2 hr. No storm report in the archive falls inside the area while it was in force.

The area

The counties it named.

The facts

Issued
May 15, 2012, 5:22 PM EDT (21:22 UTC)
Expired
May 15, 2012, 7:46 PM EDT
In force
2 hr
Issued by
NWS Wilmington, NC
Area
Storm-based polygon
Flood severity
None

County Georgetown County, SC

The radar

The Wilmington radar (KLTX), 103 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 21:22 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.

The nearest sounding before it

Charleston AFB, SC (KCHS), launched 12:00Z, 9.4 hours before the alert went out and 87 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, Charleston AFB, SC at 12:00Z on 2012-05-15Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 1682 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, Charleston AFB, SC at 12:00Z on 2012-05-15The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 51 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
1682 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-6 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
555 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
22 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
51 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
74 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
1.5

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

What forecasters said that day

The local office's own words before this areal flood warning went out, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.

NWS Wilmington, NC wrote its last area forecast discussion before this areal flood warning went out at May 15, 1:42 PM EDT, 3 hours 40 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, May 15, 1:42 PM EDT, 3 hours 40 minutes before
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WILMINGTON NC
142 PM EDT TUE MAY 15 2012

.SYNOPSIS...
A VERY SLOW MOVING COLD FRONT WILL BE A FOCUS FOR SHOWERS AND
THUNDERSTORMS TODAY...WITH A FEW THUNDERSTORMS PRODUCING HEAVY
RAIN AND GUSTY WINDS. SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL DEVELOP AGAIN
WEDNESDAY BEFORE COLD FRONT MOVES OFFSHORE WEDNESDAY NIGHT. HIGH
PRESSURE WILL BUILD INTO THE REGION THURSDAY...BRINGING DRIER AND
SEASONABLE WEATHER INTO THE WEEKEND.

&&

.NEAR TERM /THROUGH TONIGHT/...
AS OF 2:00 PM TUESDAY...STATIONARY FRONT REMAINS TO THE WEST AS A
BROAD SOUTHWESTERLY FLOW CONTINUES ALOFT. SEA BREEZE CONVECTION
HAS FIRED AND SPC MESO-ANALYSIS PAGE SHOWS MIXED LAYER CAPE VALUES
NEAR 2000 J/KG INLAND. SHOULD SEE CONVECTION FIRE SHORTLY IN THESE
AREAS AS HEATING CONTINUES. GFS HAS BACKED OFF THE POPS INLAND FOR
OVERNIGHT BUT THE NAM AND HRRR CONTINUE TO BE QUITE AGGRESSIVE.
BACKED OFF POPS SLIGHTLY BUT WILL CONTINUE TO ADVERTISE LIKELY
VALUES MAXIMIZED AROUND 0000 UTC ACROSS WESTERN COUNTIES WITH
CHANCE ELSEWHERE. LATEST SPC DAY ONE OUTLOOK HAS NOT CHANGED FROM
EARLIER VERSIONS. FOR OVERNIGHT LOWS...WITH THE TROPICAL AIRMASS
IN PLACE CONTINUED TO GO WARMER THAN GUIDANCE.

&&

.SHORT TERM /WEDNESDAY THROUGH THURSDAY NIGHT/...
AS OF 2:00 PM TUESDAY...COLD FRONT WILL REMAIN A FOCUS FOR
CONVECTION ON WEDNESDAY AS IT MOVES SLOWLY SOUTHEAST ACROSS THE
FORECAST AREA. AIR MASS WILL REMAIN JUICY AND WARM AND AT LEAST
MARGINALLY UNSTABLE...WITH DEW POINTS WELL IN THE 60S AND P/W
VALUES OF AROUND AN INCH AND A HALF. FRONT SHOULD MOVE OFFSHORE
AROUND DAYBREAK ON THURSDAY.

LATEST GUIDANCE HINTS AT FRONT LINGERING JUST OFFSHORE INTO THE
DAYLIGHT HOURS ON THURSDAY AS AN UPPER WEAKNESS LINGERS OVER THE
EASTERN CAROLINAS. THIS WILL KEEP IN THE POSSIBILITY OF
CONVECTION ON THURSDAY...ESPECIALLY FOR THE COASTAL COUNTIES.
MODEL SOUNDINGS ALSO KEEP IN DEEP MOISTURE FOR MUCH OF THAT DAY.
HAVE RAMPED UP POPS FOR THURSDAY AS A RESULT...ALTHOUGH CONFIDENCE
NOT HIGH AT THIS POINT.

&&

.LONG TERM /FRIDAY THROUGH TUESDAY/...
AS OF 300 AM TUESDAY...THERE ARE TWO GUIDANCE CAMPS FOR THE
EXTENDED. THE GFS/CMC DEVELOP ELONGATED RIDGING ACROSS THE OH VLY
WITH A BAGGY TROUGH PERSISTING FROM THE WESTERN ATLANTIC INTO
FLORIDA...WHILE THE ECMWF STILL DEVELOPS A CLOSED UPPER LOW OVER THE
WESTERN ATLANTIC ABOVE A HYBRID SURFACE CYCLONE. ALTHOUGH THE ECMWF
HAS BEEN SHOWING THIS FOR SEVERAL RUNS...WEAKER BLOCKING UPSTREAM
COMBINED WITH THE VERY SIMILAR GFS/CMC AND OVERALL DRIER FORECAST
PROFILES SUGGEST MUCH LESS CHANCE OF HYBRID CYCLONE DEVELOPMENT.
STILL...SOME LOWERED HEIGHTS TROUGHING BACK TOWARDS THE SOUTHEAST
SUGGEST THAT THE GFS IS NOT GIVING UP ON THIS SOLUTION
ENTIRELY...AND EVEN SO...WOULD NOT JUMP EXCLUSIVELY ON THE CMC/GFS
BANDWAGON SINCE THIS MARKS A LARGE DEPARTURE FROM PREVIOUS
SOLUTIONS. HOWEVER...WILL GO WITH A DRY FORECAST THROUGH THE PERIOD
THANKS TO SURFACE RIDGING PERSISTING FROM THE NORTH...AND THE NOW
EXPECTED DRY/STABLE LAYERS ABOVE THE SURFACE.

WITH NE FLOW THROUGH THE PERIOD...TEMPS WILL REMAIN RIGHT AROUND
CLIMO FOR BOTH HIGHS AND LOWS...EVEN AS THICKNESSES BEGIN TO RETURN
TO MORE SUBTROPICAL LEVELS. SOME PRECIP MAY AGAIN APPROACH THE
REGION MONDAY...BUT FOR NOW WILL KEEP POP OUT OF THE FORECAST 7 DAYS
OUT.

&&

.AVIATION /18Z TUESDAY THROUGH SUNDAY/...
AS OF 18Z...THERE MAY BE ENOUGH OF A DRY PUNCH ALOFT TO KEEP STORMS
FROM BEING NUMEROUS THIS AFTERNOON. THERE WILL BE TWO MAIN
AREAS...ALONG THE SEA BREEZE BOUNDARY EARLY...MAINLY OVER NORTH
CAROLINA...AND ALONG A TROUGH OVER THE WESTERN CWA TOWARDS EVENING.
THE AREA WEST WILL PROBABLY HAVE THE STRONGEST STORMS.
OVERNIGHT...CONVECTION WILL STILL BE ONGOING AND WILL LIKELY NOT DIE
OUT UNTIL AFTER MIDNIGHT...AND EVEN THEN WE MAY GET ISOLATED
ACTIVITY REACHING THE COAST. STRATUS/FOG WILL COME INTO THE PICTURE
AGAIN WITH ALL THE LOW LEVEL MOISTURE AVAILABLE. WEDNESDAY...SLOW
IMPROVEMENT IN THE CEILINGS...BUT ANOTHER ROUND OF CONVECTION LIKELY
WITH DAYTIME HEATING. CONTINUED SOUTHWEST FLOW.

EXTENDED OUTLOOK...UNSETTLED WEATHER THROUGH THURSDAY WITH A GOOD
CHANCE FOR SHOWERS/ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS/TEMPO MVFR. VFR FRIDAY
THROUGH SUNDAY.

&&

.MARINE...
NEAR TERM /THROUGH TONIGHT/...
AS OF 2:00 PM TUESDAY...SUMMERTIME PATTERN CONTINUES ACROSS THE
COASTAL WATERS WITH THE SOUTH TO SOUTHWESTERLY FLOW BETWEEN A WEAK
STATIONARY FRONT TO THE WEST AND BERMUDA HIGH PRESSURE TO THE
EAST. WILL PROBABLY SEE A SIMILAR PATTERN OF WINDS BACKING OFF A
COUPLE OF KNOTS LATE TONIGHT TO NEAR TEN KNOTS AS THE GRADIENT
DECREASES SLIGHTLY. SEAS REMAIN CONSISTENT AS WELL WITH 2-4 FEET.

SHORT TERM /WEDNESDAY THROUGH THURSDAY NIGHT/...
AS OF 2:00 PM TUESDAY...A COLD FRONT WILL DROP SLOWLY SOUTHEAST
ACROSS THE CAROLINAS ON WEDNESDAY...MOVING ACROSS THE WATERS ON
THURSDAY MORNING. SLACK GRADIENT WILL KEEP WINDS LIGHT AND
SOUTHERLY UNTIL THEN...MAINLY IN THE 10 TO 15 KT RANGE...WITH SEAS
IN THE 3 TO 4 FT RANGE. WINDS WILL SHIFT NE ON
THURSDAY...INCREASING TO AROUND 15 KTS LATE OVERNIGHT. SEAS WILL
BE IN THE 2 TO 4 FT RANGE FOR MUCH OF THURSDAY.

LONG TERM /FRIDAY THROUGH SATURDAY/...
AS OF 3:00 AM TUESDAY...HIGH PRESSURE RIDGING DOWN THE EAST COAST
WILL KEEP MODERATE-TO-STRONG NE WINDS THROUGH THE PERIOD. WINDS OF
15-20 KTS...WITH ONLY MINOR DIURNAL VARIATIONS...WILL OCCUR THROUGH
SATURDAY. ALTHOUGH A WEAK SE SWELL WILL PERSIST...THE SIGNIFICANT
WAVES WILL BE A NE WIND CHOP OF 5FT/5SEC WHICH BUILDS SEAS TO 4-5 FT
FRIDAY...WITH 6 FT SEAS DEVELOPING ON SATURDAY. CAUTIONARY HEADLINES
ARE LIKELY FRIDAY...WITH SCA CONDITIONS POSSIBLE FOR THE WEEKEND.
ONCE AGAIN...THERE WILL BE A SIGNIFICANT SHADOW REGION SW OF FRYING
PAN SHOALS...WHERE SEAS WILL PERSIST AT ONLY 1-3 FT IN THE INNER 10
NM OF AMZ252 AND AMZ254.

&&

.ILM WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES...
SC...NONE.
NC...NONE.
MARINE...NONE.

&&

NEAR TERM...SHK
SHORT TERM...REK
LONG TERM...JDW
AVIATION...DL
MARINE...REK/JDW/SHK
Hazardous weather outlook, May 15, 2:41 PM EDT, 2 hours 41 minutes before
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In the hours before

Special weather statement, May 15, 3:55 PM EDT, 1 hour 27 minutes before
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Local storm report, May 15, 4:26 PM EDT, 56 minutes before
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Special weather statement, May 15, 4:33 PM EDT, 49 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WILMINGTON NC
433 PM EDT TUE MAY 15 2012

NCZ087-096-152130-
BLADEN-ROBESON-
433 PM EDT TUE MAY 15 2012

...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WILL MOVE ACROSS BLADEN AND ROBESON COUNTIES
THROUGH 530 PM EDT...

AT 433 PM EDT...DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A STRONG THUNDERSTORM OVER
BLADENBORO...OR ABOUT 10 MILES SOUTHEAST OF LUMBERTON...MOVING
NORTHEAST AT 20 MPH.

SOME LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE ELIZABETHTOWN...AMMON...BLADENBORO...
DUART...HOWELLSVILLE...JEROME...RUSKIN...SMITHS...TOLARSVILLE...WHITE
OAK...DUBLIN AND TAR HEEL.

HAZARDS INCLUDE...
PEA SIZE HAIL.
GUSTY WINDS OF 30 TO 40 MPH.
HEAVY RAINFALL AND MINOR FLOODING.

A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 900 PM EDT
TUESDAY EVENING FOR SOUTHEAST NORTH CAROLINA AND NORTHEAST SOUTH
CAROLINA.

&&

LAT...LON 3475 7839 3450 7876 3465 7896 3486 7881
      3485 7852 3486 7850
TIME...MOT...LOC 2033Z 226DEG 17KT 3458 7884

BACON
Special weather statement, May 15, 4:42 PM EDT, 40 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WILMINGTON NC
442 PM EDT TUE MAY 15 2012

SCZ055-056-152145-
COASTAL GEORGETOWN-INLAND GEORGETOWN-
442 PM EDT TUE MAY 15 2012

...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WILL MOVE ACROSS GEORGETOWN COUNTY THROUGH
545 PM EDT...

AT 442 PM EDT...DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A STRONG THUNDERSTORM OVER
OATLAND...OR ABOUT 10 MILES NORTHWEST OF GEORGETOWN...MOVING
NORTHEAST AT 10 MPH.

SOME LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE MURRELLS INLET...GRAVES...JACKSON...
OATLAND...PLANTERSVILLE AND YAUHANNAH.

HAZARDS INCLUDE...
PEA SIZE HAIL.
GUSTY WINDS OF 30 TO 40 MPH.

THUNDERSTORMS CAN POSE A VARIETY OF THREATS INCLUDING GUSTY WINDS...
SMALL HAIL...CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING...AND LOCALIZED FLOODING. IT
IS RECOMMENDED THAT YOU REMAIN INDOORS UNTIL THE STORMS PASS.

A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 900 PM EDT
TUESDAY EVENING FOR SOUTHEAST NORTH CAROLINA AND NORTHEAST SOUTH
CAROLINA.

&&

LAT...LON 3337 7938 3351 7951 3371 7927 3370 7924
      3370 7918 3366 7915 3365 7912 3363 7913
      3361 7912 3361 7910 3357 7910 3357 7900
TIME...MOT...LOC 2042Z 231DEG 10KT 3350 7936

BACON
Local storm report, May 15, 5:01 PM EDT, 21 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WILMINGTON NC
501 PM EDT TUE MAY 15 2012

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

0557 PM     DOWNBURST        4 SW LONGS              33.90N  78.78W
05/14/2012  E 70 MPH         HORRY              SC   NWS STORM SURVEY

            DOWNBURST DAMAGE...EIGHT 8 INCH PINE TREES SNAPPED WITH
            NUMEROUS LIMBS SNAPPED. DAMAGE AREA 0.8 MILES BY 40 YARDS
            WIDE.

&&

EVENT NUMBER ILM1200104

DRH/RGZ
Special weather statement, May 15, 5:05 PM EDT, 17 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WILMINGTON NC
505 PM EDT TUE MAY 15 2012

SCZ017-152145-
MARLBORO-
505 PM EDT TUE MAY 15 2012

...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WILL MOVE ACROSS MARLBORO COUNTY THROUGH 545
PM EDT...

AT 506 PM EDT...DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A STRONG THUNDERSTORM OVER
CHAVISTOWN...OR ABOUT 6 MILES SOUTHEAST OF CHERAW...MOVING NORTHEAST
AT 15 MPH.

SOME LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE BENNETTSVILLE...CHAVISTOWN...
MCCOLL...WALLACE AND TATUM.

HAZARDS INCLUDE...
HALF INCH DIAMETER SIZE HAIL.
GUSTY WINDS OF 40 TO 50 MPH.

THUNDERSTORMS CAN POSE A VARIETY OF THREATS INCLUDING GUSTY WINDS...
SMALL HAIL...CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING...AND LOCALIZED FLOODING. IT
IS RECOMMENDED THAT YOU REMAIN INDOORS UNTIL THE STORMS PASS.

A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 900 PM EDT
TUESDAY EVENING FOR SOUTHEAST NORTH CAROLINA AND NORTHEAST SOUTH
CAROLINA.

&&

LAT...LON 3481 7967 3467 7950 3452 7983 3455 7983
      3458 7981 3460 7981 3462 7978 3465 7982
      3465 7983 3468 7986 3471 7989 3481 7974
TIME...MOT...LOC 2106Z 236DEG 15KT 3464 7980

BACON

The office that day

Everything else NWS Wilmington, NC issued on the same UTC day.

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
May 14, 11:36 PM EDTSpecial Weather StatementILMHorry54 min
May 14, 11:50 PM EDTTornado WarningILMHorry26 min
May 15, 1:36 PM EDTSpecial Weather StatementILMHorry39 min
May 15, 1:54 PM EDTSpecial Weather StatementILMGeorgetown36 min
May 15, 1:59 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningILMGeorgetown, Horry46 min
May 15, 2:04 PM EDTTornado WarningILMGeorgetown, Horry26 min
May 15, 2:09 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningILMHorry38 min
May 15, 2:29 PM EDTAreal Flood WarningILMGeorgetown, Horry, Marion37 min
May 15, 4:03 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningILMDillon34 min
May 15, 4:42 PM EDTSpecial Weather StatementILMGeorgetown63 min
May 15, 5:05 PM EDTSpecial Weather StatementILMMarlboro40 min
May 15, 7:39 PM EDTSpecial Weather StatementILMDillon66 min
May 14, 8:51 PM EDTSpecial Weather StatementILMBrunswick54 min
May 14, 10:05 PM EDTAreal Flood AdvisoryILMBrunswick, New Hanover35 min
May 14, 10:37 PM EDTAreal Flood WarningILMBrunswick3 hr
May 15, 12:32 AM EDTSpecial Weather StatementILMColumbus58 min
May 15, 6:28 AM EDTSpecial Weather StatementILMBrunswick62 min
May 15, 1:18 PM EDTSpecial Weather StatementILMColumbus27 min
May 15, 1:22 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningILMBladen, Pender9 min
May 15, 1:24 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningILMBladen, Columbus26 min
May 15, 2:56 PM EDTSpecial Weather StatementILMColumbus64 min
May 15, 3:55 PM EDTSpecial Weather StatementILMRobeson65 min
May 15, 4:33 PM EDTSpecial Weather StatementILMBladen57 min
May 15, 7:08 PM EDTSpecial Weather StatementILMRobeson67 min

Nearby

Areal Flood Warnings in South Carolina, 2012Every areal flood warning in 2012

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.