Flash Flood in South Carolina, December 25, 2009

Name: Flash Flood in South Carolina, December 25, 2009
Start: 2009-12-25T12:30
End: 2009-12-25T16:00
Location: South Carolina

December 25, 2009 · NWS GSP · 1 event in 1 county or zone

Low pressure brought a period of moderate to heavy rain to the Upstate and northwest piedmont of South Carolina on Christmas day. Around 2 to 3 inches of rain fell over the northwest piedmont resulting in an area of flash flooding to the south of Rock Hill.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it. Tap one for its entry below.

Tornadoes
Tropical storms and surge
Floods
Wind
Hail
Winter weather
Heat and drought
Cold
Fire, smoke and dust
Marine and coastal
Other

Open the live radar over this ground

The toll

Deaths: 0
Injuries: 0
Property damage: None recorded
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 1

Deaths and injuries are direct and indirect together, as the offices filed them. Damage is property and crops in the dollars of the year, not adjusted for inflation, and only where an office estimated it.

What happened

The episode as NWS GSP wrote it up.

What forecasters said that day

The local office's own words before the first event, 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 the first event at Dec 25, 12:07 PM EST, 23 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Dec 25, 12:07 PM EST, 23 minutes before

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Hazardous weather outlook, Dec 25, 12:25 PM EST, 5 minutes before

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In the hours before

Special weather statement, Dec 25, 8:18 AM EST, 4 hours 12 minutes before

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
818 AM EST FRI DEC 25 2009

SCZ008-009-013-014-251400-
CHEROKEE-CHESTER-UNION-YORK-
818 AM EST FRI DEC 25 2009

...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WILL AFFECT CENTRAL CHEROKEE...EASTERN
UNION...NORTHWESTERN CHESTER AND SOUTHWESTERN YORK COUNTIES THROUGH
900 AM EST...

AT 818 AM EST...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
STRONG THUNDERSTORM 4 MILES SOUTHWEST OF WHITMIRE...OR 13 MILES NORTH
OF NEWBERRY...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 60 MPH.

* OTHER LOCATIONS AFFECTED INCLUDE BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO UNION...
  SHARON...SARATT...MONARCH MILLS...LOCKHART...HICKORY GROVE...
  BULLOCK CREEK AND ADAMSBURG.

WIND GUSTS OF 30 TO 40 MPH ARE EXPECTED WITH THIS STORM.

INTENSE LIGHTNING IS OCCURRING WITH THIS STORM. 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.

MCAVOY

Local storm report, Dec 25, 9:00 AM EST, 3 hours 30 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
900 AM EST FRI DEC 25 2009

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

0730 AM     FLASH FLOOD      HENDERSONVILLE          35.32N 82.46W
12/25/2009                   HENDERSON          NC   COUNTY OFFICIAL

            MUD CREEK OUT OF IT/S BANKS. KING AND GROVE STREETS AND 5
            POINTS FLOODED.

0805 AM     FLASH FLOOD      5 NE HENDERSONVILLE     35.37N 82.40W
12/25/2009                   HENDERSON          NC   COUNTY OFFICIAL

            CLEAR CREEK OUT OF IT/S BANKS...FRUITLAND ROAD FLOODED.

0820 AM     FLASH FLOOD      HENDERSONVILLE          35.32N 82.46W
12/25/2009                   HENDERSON          NC   COUNTY OFFICIAL

            BAT FORK CREEK OUT OF IT/S BANKS...JACKSON PARK AND
            AIRPORT ROAD FLOODED.

&&

CSH

Local storm report, Dec 25, 12:20 PM EST, 10 minutes before

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The radar

The Greer radar (KGSP), 104 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 17:29 UTC.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

1 flash flood. Local standard time, as filed.

Flash Flood, York

When: December 25, 12:30 PM EST to 4:00 PM EST
Where: York County, 1.47 mi SSE of Newport to 0.58 mi SW of Mc Connells
Cause: Heavy Rain
Reported by: County Official
Coordinates: 34.962, -81.086

Flooding developed at several locations in the southeast part of the county after heavy rain fell throughout the morning. The main problem area was along Wildcat Creek, where a stream gauge exceeded the established flood stage by 2 feet, forcing the closure of McConnells Highway. Gunsmoke Rd was also closed at Hawley Rd, about 12 miles west southwest of Rock Hill. This was due to flooding along Conrad Creek. Saluda Rd was also closed at highway 324, likely due to flooding along Stony Fork.

What these are

Flash Flood: Flooding that begins within six hours of the rain that causes it, or of a dam or levee failure or ice jam release, often with deadly speed.

After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.

The same day elsewhere

Every storm in South Carolina in 2009 Every state in 2009 This day in weather history Warnings in South Carolina, December 2009

Sources

NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database, compiled from the National Weather Service’s monthly Storm Data. Complete through 2026-06; NCEI adds each month about 75 days after it ends and revises past years a few times a year. Rebuilt 2026-10-01. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 207436.