North Carolina, 2012Flash Flood in North Carolina, July 21, 2012
July 21, 2012 · NWS GSP · 1 event in 1 county or zone
Slow moving thunderstorms produced very heavy rain over parts of western North Carolina which caused a small area of flash flooding near Hickory.
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
- Deaths
- 0
- Injuries
- 0
- Property damage
- $1,000
- 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.
Slow moving thunderstorms produced very heavy rain over parts of western North Carolina which caused a small area of flash flooding near Hickory.
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 Jul 21, 3:53 PM EST, 2 hours 22 minutes earlier.
Area forecast discussion, Jul 21, 3:53 PM EST, 2 hours 22 minutes before
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
453 PM EDT SAT JUL 21 2012
.SYNOPSIS...
A STATIONARY FRONT WILL REMAIN WEST TO EAST OVER THE REGION BEFORE
DISSIPATING EARLY IN THE WEEK. AS A WEAK RIDGE TRIES TO BUILD INTO
THE REGION FROM THE SOUTHEAST...A LEE TROF WILL DEVELOP AND REMAIN
ACROSS THE PIEDMONT THROUGH MUCH OF THE UPCOMING WEEK.
&&
.NEAR TERM /THROUGH SUNDAY/...
SO FAR THIS AFTERNOON...COVERAGE OF CONVECTION HAS BEEN LIMITED TO
WIDELY SCATTERED...EXCEPT FOR A SMALL AREA ACROSS THE SMOKIES AND
THE BALSAMS. WATER VAPOR SUGGESTS...AND THE LATEST SHORT RANGE MODEL
GUIDANCE CONFIRMS THAT A MID-LEVEL VORT MAX IS PUSHING INTO THE
CENTRAL CAROLINAS ATTM. THIS WOULD CERTAINLY EXPLAIN THE PALTRY
COVERAGE IN OUR AREA...AND THE NUMEROUS-WIDESPREAD COVERAGE TO OUR
EAST. NEVERTHELESS...COVERAGE IN OUR CWA IS GRADUALLY INCREASING.
WITH CAPE VALUES OF 2000-3000+ OVER THE AREA...I AM VERY HESITANT TO
BACK OFF POPS TOO MUCH FROM THE CURRENT 50-60 PERCENT FORECAST...
ESPECIALLY SINCE THERE MAY BE JUST ENOUGH LOW LEVEL SHEAR (AROUND 15
KT IN THE 0-3 KM LAYER) TO ALLOW FOR SOME CLUSTERING OF CELLS ALONG
OUTFLOW BOUNDARIES. THE BEST CHANCE FOR SEVERE WEATHER MAY BE ACROSS
OUR WESTERN ZONES...WHERE DRIER MID/UPPER LEVEL AIR IS BEGINNING TO
MAKE A PUSH. HOWEVER...AN ISOLATED SEVERE WEATHER EVENT WILL BE
POSSIBLE ANYWHERE...ESPECIALLY IF CELLS ARE ABLE TO ORGANIZE.
THE CONVECTION SHUD DIMINISH THRU THE EVENING AND END OVERNIGHT.
HOWEVER...A LINGERING SHOWER IS POSSIBLE AT ALMOST ANY TIME. SHUD BE
ANOTHER NIGHT OF DEVELOPING LOW CLOUDS AND PATCHY DENSE FOG. LOWS
SHUD BE NEAR TO SLIGHTLY ABOVE NORMAL.
RIDGE AXIS BUILDS OVER THE AREA SUNDAY DIMINISHING THE EFFECT OF THE
LINGERING SHORT WAVE ENERGY. UPPER JET WILL MOVE EAST OF THE AREA AS
WELL ENDING SIGNIFICANT DIVERGENCE. THE WEAK LOW LEVEL BOUNDARY WILL
CONTINUE TO WASH OUT...BUT THE REMNANTS OF THE BOUNDARY OR A
DEVELOPING LEE TROF WILL REMAIN IN PLACE. LOW LEVEL MOISTURE WILL
REMAIN QUITE HIGH...BUT DEEP MOISTURE WILL DIMINISH. THE ATMOS WILL
REMAIN UNSTABLE...SO CONVECTION SHUD REDEVELOP. HOWEVER...COVERAGE
SHUD BE LESS THAN PREVIOUS DAYS. HAVE SCT CONVECTION GENERALLY ALONG
AND NORTH OF I-85 AND ISOLATED TO THE SOUTH. HIGHS WILL REBOUND BACK
TO NEAR TO SLIGHTLY ABOVE NORMAL.
&&
.SHORT TERM /SUNDAY NIGHT THROUGH TUESDAY/...
AS OF 230 PM SATURDAY...THE FRONTAL BOUNDARY IS EXPECTED TO REMAIN
NORTH OF THE APPALACHIANS AS UPPER RIDGE OF HIGH STRAIGHTENS OVER
THE REGION MON/TUE. THE COMBINATION OF MODERATE DIURNAL
INSTABILITY...WITH CAPE VALUES IN THE 1500 TO 2000 J/KG
RANGE...LITTLE CAPPING INVERSION AND RELATIVELY HIGH PW VALUES WILL
SUPPORT AFTERNOON SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS EACH DAY. WITH WEAK MEAN
FLOW ALOFT IN A MOIST ENVIRONMENT....STORMS WILL MOVE SLOWLY AND
PRODUCE HEAVY RAINFALL WHICH COULD RESULT IN LOCALIZED FLOODING.
HENCE...WILL FORECAST DIURNAL POPS IN THE 30S ACROSS MUCH OF OUR CWA
EACH DAY. TEMPERATURES WILL REMAIN A COUPLE DEGREES ABOVE SEASONAL
AVERAGES WITH HIGHS IN THE LOW TO MID 90S ACROSS THE PIEDMONT.
&&
.LONG TERM /TUESDAY NIGHT THROUGH SATURDAY/...
AS OF 200 PM SATURDAY...THE LATEST MEDIUM RANGE MODELS CONTINUE TO
INDICATE THAT A FRONTAL BOUNDARY OVER THE OHIO VALLEY DROPS SOUTH
ACROSS THE REGION AS AN UPPER TROUGH DEEPENS ACROSS THE MID ATLANTIC
REGION WEDNESDAY. THEN THE LATEST GFS KEEPS THE FRONT STALLED OUT
OVER THE REGION THROUGH MUCH OF THE EXTENDED FORECAST PERIOD WHILE
THE ECMWF PUSHES THE FRONT BACK TO THE NORTH ON THURSDAY AS A WEAK
UPPER RIDGE BUILDS ACROSS THE SOUTHEAST. BY NEXT WEEKEND...BOTH GFS
AND ECMWF SUGGEST THAT ANOTHER UPPER TROUGH DEVELOPS ACROSS THE
GREAT LAKES INTO THE MID ATLANTIC REGION...RESULTING IN SECONDARY
FRONT SLIDING SOUTH INTO THE REGION. WITH HIGH PW VALUES AND GOOD
DIURNAL INSTABILITY...WILL SEE SCATTERED AFTERNOON CONVECTION EACH
DAY. TEMPERATURES WILL REMAIN NEAR SEASONAL AVERAGES WITH HIGHS IN
THE LOW 90S ACROSS THE PIEDMONT THROUGH THE PERIOD.
&&
.AVIATION /21Z SATURDAY THROUGH THURSDAY/...
AT KCLT...MVFR SHUD BE LOW VFR BY 19Z. TSRA SHUD HOLD OFF UNTIL THEN
AS WELL. THAT SAID...ANOTHER AFTERNOON/EARLY EVENING OF NUMEROUS
TSRA EXPECTED. HAVE GONE PREVAILING VFR TSRA UNTIL 01Z THEN TEMPS
MVFR TSRA UNTIL 04Z. WILL AMD AS CELLS APPROACH THE AIRFIELD. IFR
CIGS AND MVFR VSBY EXPECTED AGAIN BY DAYBREAK. SHUD BE QUICKER TO
LIFT TO VFR SUN MORN AS FLOW WILL HAVE LESS OF AN UPSLOPE COMPONENT
WITH ONLY A MINOR LOW LEVEL INVERSION. WINDS WILL GENERALLY BE SW
THRU THE PERIOD WITH A NORMAL DIURNAL SPEED TREND.
ELSEWHERE...VFR EXPECTED THRU THE EVENING XCPT WHEN ONE OF THE
NUMEROUS TSRA MOVE ACROSS AN AIRFIELD. WILL AMD AS NEEDED FOR
CONVECTION. SWLY WIND WITH SOME LOW END GUSTS THRU THE AFTERNOON
BECOMING LIGHT SW FOR THE EVENING. CONVECTION WILL LINGER BUT
DIMINISH THRU THE EVENING AND END AROUND MIDNIGHT. IFR TO MVFR CIGS
AND VSBY EXPECTED BY DAYBREAK. SHUD BE QUICKER TO LIFT SUN MORNING
AS FLOW WILL HAVE LESS OF AN UPSLOPE COMPONENT WITH ONLY A MINOR LOW
LEVEL INVERSION. LIGHT WINDS OVERNIGHT BECOME WSW DURING THE MORNING.
OUTLOOK...AS A COLD FRONT STALLS OVER THE AREA...SCATTERED
CONVECTION EXPECTED SUNDAY AFTERNOON. LATE NIGHT/MORNING FOG AND LOW
STRATUS PROBABILITIES WILL ALSO REMAIN FAIRLY HIGH...ESPECIALLY IN
THE MTN VALLEYS. THUNDERSTORMS WILL BECOME LESS NUMEROUS AS THE
BERMUDA HIGH BUILDS INTO THE REGION DURING THE FIRST PART OF THE
WEEK.
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...PAT
NEAR TERM...JDL/RWH
SHORT TERM...JOH
LONG TERM...JOH
AVIATION...RWH
Hazardous weather outlook, Jul 21, 11:38 AM EST, 6 hours 37 minutes before
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
1238 PM EDT SAT JUL 21 2012
GAZ010-017-018-026-028-029-NCZ033-035>037-048>053-056>059-062>065-
068>072-082-501>510-SCZ001>014-019-221645-
RABUN-HABERSHAM-STEPHENS-FRANKLIN-HART-ELBERT-AVERY-ALEXANDER-
IREDELL-DAVIE-MADISON-YANCEY-MITCHELL-SWAIN-HAYWOOD-BUNCOMBE-CATAWBA-
ROWAN-GRAHAM-NORTHERN JACKSON-MACON-SOUTHERN JACKSON-TRANSYLVANIA-
HENDERSON-CLEVELAND-LINCOLN-GASTON-MECKLENBURG-CABARRUS-UNION NC-
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-CHEROKEE-YORK-
ANDERSON-ABBEVILLE-LAURENS-UNION SC-CHESTER-GREENWOOD-
1238 PM EDT SAT JUL 21 2012
THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR NORTHEAST GEORGIA...PIEDMONT
NORTH CAROLINA...WESTERN NORTH CAROLINA AND UPSTATE SOUTH CAROLINA.
.DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT.
NUMEROUS THUNDERSTORMS WILL CONTINUE TO DEVELOP AND MOVE SLOWLY
ACROSS THE AREA THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING. THE STRONGEST STORMS
HAVE THE POTENTIAL TO PRODUCE SMALL AREAS OF DAMAGING DOWNBURST
WINDS. LARGE HAIL IS POSSIBLE BUT LESS LIKELY. STRONG GUSTY WINDS
AND CLOUD TO GROUND LIGHTNING ARE POSSIBLE WITH ANY STORM. LOCALLY
HEAVY RAINFALL IS LIKELY...AND COULD LEAD TO FLOODING...ESPECIALLY
LOCATIONS WHERE STORMS REPEATEDLY MOVE OVER.
.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY.
NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME.
.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...
SKYWARN SPOTTERS ARE REQUESTED TO FORWARD ANY REPORTS OF LARGE
HAIL...DAMAGING WINDS...TORNADOES OR FLASH FLOODING TO OUR OFFICE.
In the hours before
Special weather statement, Jul 21, 4:58 PM EST, 1 hour 17 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
558 PM EDT SAT JUL 21 2012
NCZ504-506-212230-
EASTERN MCDOWELL-GREATER BURKE-
558 PM EDT SAT JUL 21 2012
...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WILL AFFECT EASTERN MCDOWELL AND SOUTHERN
BURKE COUNTIES THROUGH 630 PM EDT...
AT 558 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
STRONG THUNDERSTORM 5 MILES EAST OF NEBO...OR 9 MILES EAST OF
MARION...MOVING EAST AT 15 MPH.
THIS STORM WILL IMPACT LOCATIONS NEAR...
MORGANTON...
PEA SIZE HAIL...FREQUENT LIGHTNING...WIND GUSTS UP TO 40 MPH...AND
TORRENTIAL RAIN ARE EXPECTED WITH THIS STORM.
LAT...LON 3582 8162 3583 8160 3578 8156 3562 8152
3559 8193 3576 8196 3577 8193 3583 8163
HGSpecial weather statement, Jul 21, 5:08 PM EST, 1 hour 7 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
608 PM EDT SAT JUL 21 2012
NCZ035-036-056-212245-
ALEXANDER-CATAWBA-IREDELL-
608 PM EDT SAT JUL 21 2012
...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WILL AFFECT NORTHERN CATAWBA...SOUTHEASTERN
ALEXANDER AND WESTERN IREDELL COUNTIES THROUGH 645 PM EDT...
AT 608 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
STRONG THUNDERSTORM 3 MILES WEST OF LOOKOUT SHOALS LAKE...OR 9 MILES
NORTH OF NEWTON...MOVING EAST AT 20 MPH.
THIS STORM WILL IMPACT LOCATIONS NEAR...
LOOKOUT SHOALS LAKE...
STONY POINT...
STATESVILLE...
PEA SIZE HAIL...FREQUENT LIGHTNING...WIND GUSTS UP TO 40 MPH...AND
TORRENTIAL RAIN ARE EXPECTED WITH THIS STORM.
LAT...LON 3598 8091 3577 8081 3567 8120 3584 8128
HG
Special weather statement, Jul 21, 5:19 PM EST, 56 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
619 PM EDT SAT JUL 21 2012
NCZ056-502-504-212245-
CATAWBA-GREATER BURKE-GREATER CALDWELL-
619 PM EDT SAT JUL 21 2012
...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WILL AFFECT EASTERN BURKE...NORTHWESTERN
CATAWBA AND SOUTHEASTERN CALDWELL COUNTIES THROUGH 645 PM EDT...
AT 618 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
STRONG THUNDERSTORM NEAR LONGVIEW...OR 4 MILES WEST OF HICKORY...
MOVING EAST AT 15 MPH.
THIS STORM WILL IMPACT LOCATIONS NEAR...
HICKORY...
ST. STEPHENS...
DIME SIZE HAIL...FREQUENT LIGHTNING...WIND GUSTS OF 40 TO 50
MPH...AND TORRENTIAL RAIN ARE EXPECTED WITH THIS STORM. HEAVY RAINS
MAY FLOOD AREAS WITH POOR DRAINAGE...SUCH AS DITCHES AND
UNDERPASSES. AVOID THESE AREAS AND DO NOT CROSS FLOODED ROADS. WATER
LEVELS OF SMALL STREAMS AND RIVERS MAY ALSO RISE RAPIDLY.
LAT...LON 3582 8134 3580 8133 3581 8127 3564 8123
3562 8144 3579 8152 3585 8134
HGSpecial weather statement, Jul 21, 5:29 PM EST, 46 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
629 PM EDT SAT JUL 21 2012
NCZ036-037-057-212300-
DAVIE-IREDELL-ROWAN-
629 PM EDT SAT JUL 21 2012
...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WILL AFFECT EASTERN IREDELL...NORTHWESTERN
ROWAN AND SOUTHWESTERN DAVIE COUNTIES THROUGH 700 PM EDT...
AT 629 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
STRONG THUNDERSTORM 7 MILES NORTHWEST OF CLEVELAND...OR 7 MILES EAST
OF STATESVILLE...MOVING NORTHEAST AT 10 MPH.
THIS STORM WILL IMPACT LOCATIONS NEAR...
CLEVELAND...
PEA SIZE HAIL...WIND GUSTS UP TO 40 MPH AND TORRENTIAL RAIN ARE
EXPECTED WITH THIS STORM.
LAT...LON 3598 8060 3577 8049 3569 8081 3585 8090
HG
Special weather statement, Jul 21, 5:50 PM EST, 25 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
650 PM EDT SAT JUL 21 2012
NCZ035-056-502-504-212315-
ALEXANDER-CATAWBA-GREATER BURKE-GREATER CALDWELL-
650 PM EDT SAT JUL 21 2012
...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WILL AFFECT EASTERN BURKE...NORTHERN
CATAWBA...SOUTHEASTERN CALDWELL AND WESTERN ALEXANDER COUNTIES
THROUGH 715 PM EDT...
AT 650 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A
STRONG THUNDERSTORM NEAR SAWMILLS...OR 8 MILES SOUTH OF LENOIR...
MOVING NORTHEAST AT 15 MPH.
THIS STORM WILL IMPACT LOCATIONS NEAR...
GRANITE FALLS...
LAKE HICKORY...
PEA SIZE HAIL...TORRENTIAL RAINFALL...WIND GUSTS UP TO 40 MPH AND
FREQUENT LIGHTNIG ARE EXPECTED WITH THIS STORM.
LAT...LON 3600 8127 3579 8116 3568 8153 3585 8162
HG
Local storm report, Jul 21, 6:10 PM EST, 5 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
710 PM EDT SAT JUL 21 2012
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0700 PM FLASH FLOOD LONGVIEW 35.73N 81.38W
07/21/2012 CATAWBA NC COUNTY OFFICIAL
FIRE DEPT REPORTS FLOODING OF AN APARTMENT COMPLEX ON
18TH ST IN LONGVIEW.
&&
LANEFlash Flood, Catawba
- When
- July 21, 6:15 PM EST to 7:30 PM EST
- Where
- Catawba County, 0.65 mi NW of Longview to 0.35 mi W of Longview
- Cause
- Heavy Rain
- Property damage
- $1,000
- Reported by
- Emergency Manager
- Coordinates
- 35.736, -81.379
Automated rain gauges and spotters reported that around 4 inches of rain fell in a period of two hours near Hickory. The heavy rain caused Frye Creek to leave it's banks and flood roads in an area from 19th NW to 23rd Street NW in the Longview community. This was just east of the Burke County line.
- 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.
- Rip Current in Florida, July 21, 20122 deaths · 1 event
- Flash Flooding and Damaging Wind in Utah, July 21 to 24, 20121 death · 54 kt wind · 4 events
- Rip Current in Michigan, July 21, 20121 death · 1 event
- Damaging Winds in South Dakota, July 21, 20123 injured · $150,000 · 61 kt wind · 3 events
- Hail and Damaging Wind in Michigan, July 21, 2012$105,000 · 2.75 in hail · 2 events
- Flash Flooding and Hail in North Carolina, July 21, 2012$51,000 · 1 in hail · 8 events
- Damaging Winds in Florida, July 21, 2012$56,000 · 52 kt wind · 3 events
- Hail and Damaging Winds in Texas, July 21, 2012$20,000 · 1 in hail · 18 events
- Damaging Winds in Texas, July 21, 20121 injured · 52 kt wind · 16 events
- Damaging Winds and Heavy Rain in Arizona, July 21, 2012$19,000 · 60 kt wind · 7 events
- Flooding and Damaging Winds in North Carolina, July 21 to 22, 2012$10,000 · 54 kt wind · 14 events
- Marine Thunderstorm Winds in Gulf of Mexico, July 21, 20128 events
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 2026-09-24. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 400410.