Flash Flooding and Flooding in North Carolina, October 3 to 4, 2015

Name: Flash Flooding and Flooding in North Carolina, October 3 to 4, 2015
Start: 2015-10-03T03:30
End: 2015-10-04T04:30
Location: North Carolina

October 3 to 4, 2015 · NWS GSP · 9 events in 6 counties and zones

A slow-moving area of upper level low pressure tapped into a tropical moisture feed associated with Hurricane Joaquin to produce a band of moderate to heavy rainfall across the western Carolinas during the morning hours. The rain band produced widespread rainfall amounts of 2 to 3 inches across southern portions of North Carolina, with locally higher amounts.

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: $15,000
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 9

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 Oct 3, 2:56 AM EST, 34 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Oct 3, 2:56 AM EST, 34 minutes before

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Hazardous weather outlook, Oct 2, 2:29 PM EST, 13 hours 1 minute before

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
329 PM EDT FRI OCT 2 2015

GAZ010-017-018-026-028-029-NCZ033-035>037-048>053-056>059-062>065-
068>072-082-501>510-SCZ001>014-019-031930-
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-
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-CHESTER-GREENWOOD-
329 PM EDT FRI OCT 2 2015

...FLASH FLOOD WATCH IN EFFECT THROUGH MONDAY MORNING...
...WIND ADVISORY IN EFFECT FROM 8 PM THIS EVENING TO 8 AM EDT
SUNDAY...

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

.DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT.

PLEASE LISTEN TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR GO TO WEATHER.GOV ON THE
INTERNET FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE FOLLOWING HAZARDS.

   FLASH FLOOD WATCH.
   WIND ADVISORY.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SATURDAY THROUGH THURSDAY.

..SATURDAY...HEAVY RAIN WITH FLASH FLOODING AND HIGH WINDS LIKELY.
SEE THE LATEST FLASH FLOOD WATCH AND WIND ADVISORY FOR DETAILS.
..SUNDAY...HEAVY RAIN WITH FLASH FLOODING AND HIGH WINDS LIKELY.
SEE THE LATEST FLASH FLOOD WATCH AND WIND ADVISORY FOR DETAILS.
..MONDAY...NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME.
..TUESDAY...NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME.
..WEDNESDAY...NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME.
..THURSDAY...NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME.

.SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT...

SKYWARN SPOTTERS ARE REQUESTED TO FORWARD ANY REPORTS OF DAMAGING
WINDS OR FLASH FLOODING TO OUR OFFICE.

PM

In the hours before

Local storm report, Oct 2, 11:58 PM EST, 3 hours 32 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE GREENVILLE-SPARTANBURG SC
1258 AM EDT SAT OCT 03 2015

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

1035 PM     NON-TSTM WND DMG SW PIEDMONT             34.71N 82.47W
10/02/2015                   ANDERSON           SC   LAW ENFORCEMENT

            SCHP REPORTED A TREE DOWN AT RIVER RD AND ROSS ST.

1100 PM     NON-TSTM WND DMG 1 WNW LAKE WYLIE        35.12N 81.08W
10/02/2015                   YORK               SC   LAW ENFORCEMENT

            SCHP REPORTED A TREE DOWN AT NAUTICAL DR AND CHANNEL RD.

&&

BAH

Local storm report, Oct 3, 12:29 AM EST, 3 hours 1 minute before

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Local storm report, Oct 3, 12:57 AM EST, 2 hours 33 minutes before

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Local storm report, Oct 3, 1:52 AM EST, 1 hour 38 minutes before

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Local storm report, Oct 3, 2:24 AM EST, 1 hour 6 minutes before

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Local storm report, Oct 3, 3:11 AM EST, 19 minutes before

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The radar

The Greer radar (KGSP), 152 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 08:31 UTC.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

5 flash flood, 4 flood. Local standard time, as filed.

Flash Flood, Cabarrus

When: October 3, 3:30 AM EST to 6:00 AM EST
Where: Cabarrus County, 1.8 mi WSW of Rocky River to 1.53 mi ESE of Roberta Mills
Cause: Heavy Rain
Property damage: $1,000
Reported by: 911 Call Center
Coordinates: 35.306, -80.627

County comms reported localized flash flooding developed over portions of central Cabarrus County after as much as 3.5 inches of rain fell in just a few hours. Stallings Rd was closed at the bridge over Back Creek. EM reported Stough Rd was closed between Highway 49 and Roberta Rd due to flooding along Wolf Meadow Branch.

Flash Flood, Rowan

When: October 3, 3:30 AM EST to 5:30 AM EST
Where: Rowan County, 1.9 mi WNW of Cleveland to 1.75 mi WNW of Cleveland
Cause: Heavy Rain
Property damage: $1,000
Reported by: 911 Call Center
Coordinates: 35.736, -80.713

County comms reported very localized flash flooding developed in the Cleveland area after after up to 3 inches of rain fell in just a few hours. Highway 70 was closed at Third Creek.

Flash Flood, Mecklenburg

When: October 3, 8:36 AM EST to 10:00 AM EST
Where: Mecklenburg County, 0.99 mi NNE of Hahn to 0.66 mi NNE of Hahn
Cause: Heavy Rain
Property damage: $1,000
Reported by: Official NWS Observations
Coordinates: 35.334, -80.716

After more than three inches of rain fell over just a few hours, a stream gauge on Mallard Creek briefly exceeded flood stage, indicating flooding of portions of Pavillion Blvd.

Flood, Cabarrus

When: October 3, 10:10 AM EST to 1:45 PM EST
Where: Cabarrus County, 0.06 mi E of Rocky River to 1.54 mi SSE of Rocky River
Cause: Heavy Rain
Property damage: $1,000
Reported by: Official NWS Observations
Coordinates: 35.320, -80.599

Although rain began to taper off by late-morning, runoff from earlier rainfall resulted in a stream gauge on the Rocky River exceeding flood stage during late morning, indicating that Back Creek was likely flooding Pharr Mill Rd and Stallings Rd.

Flash Flood, McDowell

When: October 3, 10:45 AM EST to 12:30 PM EST
Where: McDowell County, 3.02 mi WSW of Old Ft to 3.05 mi SW of Old Ft
Cause: Heavy Rain
Property damage: $1,000
Reported by: Emergency Manager
Coordinates: 35.616, -82.231

EM reported flash flooding developed in the Old Fort area after more than four inches of rain fell in just a few hours. The main stream affected was the Catawba River, with a portion of Catawba River Campground flooded.

Flash Flood, Henderson

When: October 3, 11:00 AM EST to 1:00 PM EST
Where: Henderson County, 1.66 mi SE of Smyth to 1.16 mi NW of Barker Hgts
Cause: Heavy Rain
Property damage: $5,000
Reported by: Official NWS Observations
Coordinates: 35.356, -82.456

Flash flooding developed along small streams in the Hedersonville area after more than 4 inches of rain fell in a just a few hours. A stream gauge on Mud Creek exceeded flood stage, indicating portions of Sotuh King St, South Grove St, and the intersection of Highways 176 and 25 were flooded.

Flood, McDowell

When: October 3, 12:30 PM EST to 4:00 PM EST
Where: McDowell County, 3.18 mi WSW of Old Ft to 3.12 mi ENE of Old Ft
Cause: Heavy Rain
Property damage: $1,000
Reported by: Emergency Manager
Coordinates: 35.614, -82.233

As heavy rain began to taper off across the foothills during the afternoon, flooding continued along portions of the Catawba River.

Flood, Henderson

When: October 3, 1:00 PM EST to 6:00 PM EST
Where: Henderson County, 0.4 mi E of Valley Hill to 0.7 mi SSE of Smyth
Cause: Heavy Rain
Property damage: $3,000
Reported by: Official NWS Observations
Coordinates: 35.299, -82.473

Heavy rain ended, but flooding continued in the Mud Creek basin, with water moving downstream and flooding Balfour Rd through the afternoon and early evening. Some flooding also developed along Bat Fork at Airport Rd.

Flood, Transylvania

When: October 3, 2:30 PM EST to October 4, 4:30 AM EST
Where: Transylvania County, 0.86 mi NW of Grange to 0.5 mi NE of Calhoun
Cause: Heavy Rain
Property damage: $1,000
Reported by: Official NWS Observations
Coordinates: 35.240, -82.639

After as much as 5 inches of rain fell over several hours, a stream gauge on the Little River exceeded flood stage early afternoon on the 3rd and remained in flood through much of the overnight. A portion of Cascade Lake Rd was flooded in the Dupont Forest area.

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.
Flood: Flooding that develops more slowly than a flash flood: rivers leaving their banks, or water standing over land for an extended time.

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

The same day elsewhere

Every storm in North Carolina in 2015 Every state in 2015 This day in weather history Warnings in North Carolina, October 2015

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: 604881, 604895, 604896, 604897, 604898, 604899, 604900, 604901, 604902.