Alert archive / Pennsylvania / Flash Flood Warnings in 1989

Flash Flood Warning 34, NWS Cleveland, OH

June 22, 1989Crawford County, Pennsylvania

NWS Cleveland, OH issued this flash flood warning at Jun 22, 1989, 5:20 PM EDT for Crawford County, Pennsylvania. It was in force for 115 min.

The area

The counties it named.

The facts

Issued
Jun 22, 1989, 5:20 PM EDT (21:20 UTC)
Expired
Jun 22, 1989, 7:15 PM EDT
In force
115 min
Issued by
NWS Cleveland, OH
Area
Whole counties

County Crawford County, PA

The radar

The WSR-88D network and its archive begin in 1991, so there is no radar volume for this alert.

The nearest sounding before it

Pittsburgh, PA (KPIT), launched 12:00Z, 9.3 hours before the alert went out and 142 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, Pittsburgh, PA at 12:00Z on 1989-06-22Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 655 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, Pittsburgh, PA at 12:00Z on 1989-06-22The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 66 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
655 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-27 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
800 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
29 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
66 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
96 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.2
Supercell composite
0.7

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

As transmitted, in the capitals the NWS used until 2016.

000 
TTAA00 KERI 222120
FFWERI
PAC039-222315-

BULLETIN - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED/EBS ACTIVATION REQUESTED 
URBAN AND SMALL STREAM FLOOD WARNING 
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ERIE PA
520 PM EDT THU JUN 22 1989

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HAS ISSUED A URBAN AND SMALL 
STREAM FLOOD WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL 715 PM EDT FOR PEOPLE IN 
THE FOLLOWING COUNTY

   IN THE NORTHWEST PART OF PENNSYLVANIA
      CRAWFORD

AT 510 PM EDT RADAR SHOWED VERY HEAVY RAIN PRODUCING THUNDERSTORMS
JUST EAST OF MEADVILLE. OTHER THUNDERSTORMS ARE OCCURRING OVER
THE CAMBRIDGE SPRINGS AREA AND OVER SOUTHEAST CRAWFORD COUNTY.
THESE STORMS ARE MOVING VERY SLOWLY TO THE EAST AND WILL BRING
VERY HEAVY RAIN TO THE SAME AREA OVER A PERIOD OF A FEW HOURS.

A FLASH FLOOD WARNING MEANS FLOODING IS OCCURRING OR IS IMMINENT.
MOST FLASH FLOOD DEATHS OCCUR IN AUTOMOBILES.  DO NOT ATTEMPT TO
CROSS BRIDGES...DIPS...OR LOW SPOTS IF WATER COVERS THE ROADWAY.
NEVER TRY TO CROSS A FLOWING STRE2AM...EVEN A SMALL ONE...ON FOOT.
TO ESCAPE RISING WATER MOVE TO HIGHER GROUND.

 TJP

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.

In the hours before

Special weather statement, Jun 22, 1:24 PM EDT, 3 hours 56 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TOLEDO OH
124 PM EDT THU JUN 22 1989

AN ISOLATED THUNDERSTORM HAD DEVELOPED RAPIDLY OVER FULTON COUNTY
BETWEEN WAUSEON AND DELTA THIS AFTERNOON.

AT 120 PM EDT... WEATHER SERVICE RADAR INDICATED A VERY HEAVY
THUNDERSTORM JUST SOUTH OF DELTA. THE STORM DEVELOPED QUITE RAPIDLY
AND IS CAPABLE OF PRODUCING TORRENTIAL RAINS.. SMALL HAIL AND GUSTY
WINDS. THE STORM APPEARED TO BE MOVING VERY SLOWLY EAST SOUTHEAST.

RESIDENTS IN SOUTHEAST FULTON COUNTY SHOULD REMAIN ALERT FOR RAPIDLY
CHANGING WEATHER CONDITIONS AND SEEK SHELTER IF THREATENING WEATHER
APPROACHES.

COVERT
Special weather statement, Jun 22, 2:47 PM EDT, 2 hours 33 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ERIE, PA
237 PM EDT THU JUN 22 1989

...THUNDERSTORMS WILL BRING HEAVY RAIN TO PARTS OF ERIE AND CRAWFORD COUNTY
THIS AFTERNOON...

DURING THE PAST FEW HOURS THUNDERSTORMS HAVE BEEN FORMING ALONG THE
PENNSYLVANIA LAKESHORE...EXTENDING SOUTH THROUGH WESTERN CRAWFORD COUNTY
TO ASHTABULA COUNTY IN NORTHEAST OHIO.

THESE STORMS HAVE BEEN PRODUCING HEAVY DOWNPOURS AND FREQUENT LIGHTNING
STRIKES TO THE GROUND AS THEY MOVE SLOWLY TO THE NORTHEAST.

AS THESE STORMS CONTINUE TO MOVE THROUGH ERIE AND CRAWFORD COUNTY...SOME
FLOODING IS LIKELY TO OCCUR OVER ROADS...UNDERPASSES AND POOR DRAINAGE AREAS.

DO NOT ATTEMPT TO DRIVE THROUGH ANY ROADS THAT ARE FLOODED AND REMAIN INDOORS
WHILE THUNDERSTORMS ARE MOVING THROUGH YOUR AREA.

TJP/ERIE
Special weather statement, Jun 22, 3:07 PM EDT, 2 hours 13 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CLEVELAND OH
308 PM EDT THU JUN 22 1989

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HAS ISSUED A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH FOR
NORTHWEST THROUGH SOUTHEAST OHIO UNTIL 900 PM EDT.

SOME CITIES IN THE WATCH ARE TOLEDO... FINDLAY... COLUMBUS... AKRON...
CLEVELAND... AND ZANESVILLE.

ALSO... SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WARNINGS ARE IN EFFECT FOR HENRY AND
FAIRFIELD COUNTIES UNTIL 315 PM EDT. A URBAN AND SMALL STREAM FLOOD
WARNING IS ALSO IN EFFECT FOR HENRY COUNTY UNTIL 445 PM EDT.

AT 300 THIS AFTERNOON RADAR SHOWED THUNDERSTORMS BETWEEN TOLEDO AND
FINDLAY. OTHER THUNDERSTORMS WERE SOUTH OF COLUMBUS. MOVEMENT OF THE
STORMS WAS EAST-SOUTHEAST AT 5 TO 10 MPH.

THESE THUNDERSTORMS ARE CAPABLE OF PRODUCING LARGE HAIL... STRONG WINDS
AND TORRENTIAL RAIN. SINCE THE MOVEMENT IS SO SLOW... RAINFALL OF OVER
TWO INCHES IS POSSIBLE WITH SOME OF THE STORMS.

FLOODING OF URBAN AREAS AND QUICK RISES IN SMALL STREAMS AND CREEKS ARE
POSSIBLE THROUGH TONIGHT WITH THESE THUNDERSTORMS.

PEOPLE IN THE WATCH AREA SHOULD CONTINUE TO MONITOR THE WEATHER AND BE
PREPARED TO MOVE TO SAFETY IF SEVERE WEATHER OR FLOODING THREATENS.

ECKERT
Special weather statement, Jun 22, 3:40 PM EDT, 1 hour 40 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CLEVELAND OH
340 PM EDT THU JUN 22 1989

A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR NORTHWEST THROUGH
SOUTHEAST OHIO UNTIL 900 PM EDT.

SOME CITIES IN THE WATCH ARE TOLEDO... FINDLAY... COLUMBUS... AKRON...
CLEVELAND... AND ZANESVILLE.

ALSO... URBAN AND SMALL STREAM FLOOD WARNINGS ARE IN EFFECT FOR HENRY
COUNTY UNTIL 445 PM AND FAIRFIELD COUNTY UNTIL 515 PM. A SPECIAL MARINE
WARNING IS IN EFFECT FOR LAKE ERIE FROM CONNEAUT TO RIPLEY UNTIL 530 PM
EDT.

AT 335 THIS AFTERNOON RADAR SHOWED THUNDERSTORMS FROM FINDLAY TO NEAR
FORT WAYNE... INDIANA. ANOTHER BATCH WERE FROM CONNEAUT TO
YOUNGSTOWN... THEN ANOTHER AREA WAS FROM COLUMBUS TO PORTSMOUTH.

ALL OF THE THUNDERSTORMS ARE CAPABLE OF PRODUCING LARGE HAIL... STRONG
WINDS AND TORRENTIAL RAIN. MOVEMENT WAS EAST-SOUTHEAST AT LESS THAN 10
MPH AND THIS WILL CONTRIBUTE TO RAINFALL OF OVER 2 INCHES IN SOME
AREAS.

FLOODING OF URBAN AREAS AND QUICK RISES IN SMALL STREAMS AND CREEKS ARE
POSSIBLE THROUGH TONIGHT WITH THESE THUNDERSTORMS.

OHIOANS SHOULD CONTINUE TO MONITOR THE WEATHER AND BE PREPARED TO MOVE
TO SAFETY IF SEVERE WEATHER OR FLOODING OCCURS.

ECKERT
Special weather statement, Jun 22, 4:07 PM EDT, 1 hour 13 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE YOUNGSTOWN OH
408 PM EDT THU JUN 22 1989

SCATTERED HEAVY THUNDERSTORMS WILL POUND THE MAHONING AND SHENANGO
VALLEYS LATE THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING.

THUNDERSTORMS WILL POP UP QUICKLY AND PRODUCE VERY HEAVY RAIN...
DANGEROUS LIGHTNING AND POSSIBLE GUSTY WINDS AND HAIL.  THE STORMS
ARE DRIFTING VERY SLOWLY TO THE NORTHEAST.  SINCE THE STORMS ARE
MOVING SO SLOW... THE HEAVY RAIN MAY LAST LONG ENOUGH TO PRODUCE
LOCALIZED STREET FLOODING.

IF YOU ENCOUNTER FLOODED STREETS... DRIVE VERY SLOWLY TO MAINTAIN
CONTROL OF YOUR VEHICLE.  NEVER DRIVE OR WALK THROUGH DEEP WATER.
TWO FEET OF WATER IS ENOUGH TO MAKE YOUR CAR FLOAT OR SWEEP YOU OFF
YOUR 1FEET.

KOSARIK
Special weather statement, Jun 22, 4:48 PM EDT, 32 minutes before
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CLEVELAND OH
448 PM EDT THU JUN 22 1989

A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR NORTHWEST THROUGH
SOUTHEAST OHIO UNTIL 900 PM EDT.

URBAN AND SMALL STREAM FLOOD WARNINGS ARE IN EFFECT FOR ASHTABULA
COUNTY UNTIL 830 THIS EVENING. THUNDERSTORMS OVER THAT COUNTY DROPPED
TWO AND A QUARTER INCHES OF RAIN ON CONNEAUT BETWEEN 3 AND 4 THIS
AFTERNOON.

AT 440 THIS AFTERNOON WEATHER RADAR SHOWED THUNDERSTORMS FROM CONNEAUT
TO YOUNGSTOWN TO AKRON. ANOTHER AREA WAS FROM NEAR FINDLAY TO CELINA...
THEN ANOTHER AREA WAS ALONG THE OHIO RIVER FROM EAST OF CINCINNATI TO
HUNTINGTON... WEST VIRGINIA.

ALL OF THE THUNDERSTORMS ARE CAPABLE OF PRODUCING LARGE HAIL... STRONG
WINDS AND TORRENTIAL RAIN. MOVEMENT OF THESE THUNDERSTORMS WAS UNDER
10 MPH AND DIRECTION WAS UNDETERMINABLE.

RAINFALL NEARING 3 INCHES IS POSSIBLE WITH SOME OF THESE THUNDERSTORMS
DUE TO THEIR SLOW SPEED. FLOODIXNG OF URBAN AREAS... ALONG WITH SMALL
STREAMS AND CREEKS.

OHIOANS SHOULD CONTINUE TO MONITOR THE WEATHER AND BE PREPARED TO MOVE
TO SAFETY IF SEVERE WEATHER OR FLOODING OCCURS.

ECKERT

The office that day

Everything else NWS Cleveland, OH issued on the same UTC day.

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Jun 22, 4:29 PM EDTFlash Flood WarningCLEMercer61 min
Jun 22, 7:07 PM EDTFlash Flood WarningCLECrawford, Erie2 hr

Nearby

Flash Flood Warnings in Pennsylvania, 1989Every flash flood warning in 1989

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.