Alert archive / Pennsylvania / Flash Flood Warnings in 1991

Flash Flood Warning 6, NWS Cleveland, OH

May 13, 1991Lawrence County, Pennsylvania

NWS Cleveland, OH issued this flash flood warning at May 13, 1991, 4:24 PM EDT for Lawrence County, Pennsylvania. It was in force for 2 hr.

The area

The counties it named.

The facts

Issued
May 13, 1991, 4:24 PM EDT (20:24 UTC)
Expired
May 13, 1991, 6:30 PM EDT
In force
2 hr
Issued by
NWS Cleveland, OH
Area
Whole counties

County Lawrence County, PA

The nearest sounding before it

Pittsburgh, PA (KPIT), launched 12:00Z, 8.4 hours before the alert went out and 68 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 1991-05-13Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 944 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 1991-05-13The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 45 square meters per square second.1939Sfc1 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
944 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-40 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
1106 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
22 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
45 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
44 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
0.3

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

000 
TTAA00 KYNG 132026
FFWYNG
PAC073-132230-
 
BULLETIN - EBS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
FLASH FLOOD WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE YOUNGSTOWN OH
424 PM EDT MON MAY 13 1991
 
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN YOUNGSTOWN HAS ISSUED A
FLASH FLOOD WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL  630 PM EDT
FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING LOCATION...
 
IN NORTHWEST PENNSYLVANIA
 
   ...NORTHWESTERN LAWRENCE COUNTY
 
AT 420 PM WEATHER RADAR SHOWED A THUNDERSTORM WITH VERY HEAVY RAIN
OVER EXTREME NORTHWESTEN LAWRENCE COUNTY. THE STORM WAS MOVING VERY
SLOWLY TO THE SOUTHEAST AT AROUND 8 MPH.
 
MOST DEATHS IN FLASH FLOODING OCCUR IN AUTOMOBILES.  DO NOT
ATTEMPT TO CROSS BRIDGES...DIPS...OR LOW SPOTS IF WATER COVERS
THE ROADWAY.  NEVER TRY TO CROSS A FLOWIN,G STREAM...EVEN A
SMALL ONE...ON FOOT.

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, May 13, 1:11 PM EDT, 3 hours 13 minutes before
PAZ001-002-003-131900
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ERIE, PA
103 PM EDT MON MAY 13 1991

...THUNDERSTORMS ARE DEVELOPING RAPIDLY ACROSS PORTIONS OF NORTHERN
PENNSYLVANIA...

DURING THE PAST HOUR ERIE WEATHER RADAR SHOWED RAPID DEVELOPMENT OF
THUNDERSTORMS IN PARTS OF WARREN...MCKEAN...POTTER AND ELK COUNTIES IN
NORTHERN PENNSYLVANIA.

THESE STORMS ARE LIKELY TO PRODUCE VERY HEAVY DOWNPOURS AND EXCESSIVE
LIGHTNING...AND POSSIBLY SOME HAIL AND STRONG WINDS.

DUE TO AN UNSTABLE AIRMASS ACROSS THE DISTRICT...THUNDERSTORMS ARE LIKELY
TO CONTINUE ACROSS NORTHWEST PENNSYLVANIA AND THE NORTHERN MOUNTAINS...
THROUGHOUT THE AFTERNOON HOURS.

SANDSTROM/WELLS
Special weather statement, May 13, 2:14 PM EDT, 2 hours 10 minutes before
PAZ002-003-004-132000-
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE ERIE, PA
204 PM EDT MON MAY 13 1991

...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS ARE CONTINUING ACROSS PARTS OF NORTHWEST PENNSYLVANIA
AND THE NORTHERN MOUNTAINS...

AT 2 PM ERIE WEATHER RADAR INDICATED STRONG THUNDERSTORMS IN PARTS OF WARREN...
MCKEAN...POTTER...ELK AND CAMERON COUNTIES IN PENNSYLVANIA.  THE STORMS WERE
MOVING TO THE EAST SOUTHEAST AT AROUND 20 MILES AN HOUR.

SOME OF THESE STORMS ARE PRODUCING VERY HEAVY RAIN THAT MAY CAUSE SOME FLOODING
OF LOWLANDS AND POOR DRAINAGE AREAS...EXCESSIVE LIGHTNING...AND POSSIBLY SOME
HAIL AND STRONG WINDS.

PERSONS SHOULD KEEP A LOOKOUT FOR THREATENING WEATHER...AS THESE STORMS
SHOULD CONTINUE THROUGHOUT THE AFTERNOON HOURS.

SANDSTROM/WELLS/REEDY
Special weather statement, May 13, 2:26 PM EDT, 1 hour 58 minutes before
OHZALL-DDHHMM-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE CLEVELAND OH
225 PM EDT MON MAY 13 1991

THUNDERSTORMS WITH VERY HEAVY RAIN AND POSSIBLE HAIL WAS DEVELOPING
OVER NORTHEAST OHIO THIS AFTERNOON. AT 210 THIS AFTERNOON CLEVELAND
WEATHER RADAR INDICATED THE THUNDERSTORMS WITH VERY HEAVY RAINS
DEVELOPING ALONG A LAKE BREEZE FRONT THAT WAS FROM NORWALK TO
AKRON TO NEW CASTLE PENNSYLVANIA.

THE OHIO LAKESHORE COUNTIES SOUTHWEST AND SOUTH OF CLEVELAND
SHOULD BE ON THE LOOK OUT FOR LOCALLY HEAVY RAINS AS THE THUNDERSTORMS
DEVELOP AND MOVE SOUTHEAST AT 10 TO 15 MILES AN HOUR.

THOMPSON
Special weather statement, May 13, 2:41 PM EDT, 1 hour 43 minutes before
OHZ004-PAZ003-132000-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE YOUNGSTOWN OH
240 PM EDT MON MAY 13 1991

SCATTERED THUNDERSTORMS WERE DEVELOPING OVER NORTHEASTERN OHIO AND
WESTERN PENNSYLVANIA THIS AFTERNOON.

AT 230 PM WEATHER RADAR SHOWED THUNDERSTORMS SCATTERED ALONG A LINE
BETWEEN CANTON-AKRON AND YOUNGSTOWN. THUNDERSTORMS WERE ALSO SCATTERED
IN MERCER AND LAWRENCE COUNTIES IN PENNSYLVANIA.

SOME OF THESE THUNDERSTORMS WERE PRODUCING HEAVY DOWNPOURS. HAIL IS
ALSO POSSIBLE WITH THESE STORMS.

PEOPLE IN THE IN THE PATH OF THESE STORMS CAN EXPECT BRIEF PERIODS
OF VERY HEAVY RAIN... STRONG GUSTY WINDS AND LIGHTNING.

NICK
Special weather statement, May 13, 3:37 PM EDT, 47 minutes before
OHZ001-002-132100-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TOLEDO OH
335 PM EDT MON MAY 13 1991

THUNDERSTORMS WITH VERY HEAVY RAIN AND POSSIBLY SMALL HAIL WERE
DEVELOPING OVER EXTREME NORTHWEST OHIO THIS AFTERNOON. AT 330 PM
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RADAR INDICATED THE STRONGEST THUNDERSTORMS
FROM 7 MILES NORTH OF SWANTON OHIO INTO NORTHWEST TOLEDO.

THESE THUNDERSTORMS WERE MOVING EAST AT 15 MILES AN HOUR.

BY 430 PM THESE STORMS WIKLL EXTEND FROM NORTHEAST LUCAS COUNTY INTO
MAUMEE BAY.

RAR
Special weather statement, May 13, 4:00 PM EDT, 24 minutes before
OHZ004-007-DDHHHH-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE AKRON CANTON OH
130 PM EDT MON MAY 13 1991

THUNDERSTORMS WERE DEVELOPING OVER PART OF NORTHEAST OHIO EARLY THIS
AFTERNOON.

AT 220 PM EDT...WEATHER RADAR SHOWED SEVERAL THUNDERSTORMS ON AN
EAST-WEST LINE FROM MEDINA THROUGH AKRON PASSING SOUTH OF YOUNGSTOWN
TO NEW CASTLE PENNSYLVANIA.

A FEW OF THE THUNDERSTORMS HAD TORRENTIAL DOWNPOURS AND MAY PRODUCE
HAIL THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING. THE THUNDERSTORMS WERE MOVING EAST
ALONG THE LINE AT ONLY 10 TO 15 MPH...SO MAY CAUSE SOME LOCAL PONDING
OF WATER IN LOW PLACES. THE DOWNPOURS MAY ALSO CAUSE SOME PROBLEMS
FOR MOTORISTS.

NIBERT {

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
May 13, 2:51 PM EDTFlash Flood WarningCLECameron, Elk3 hr

Nearby

Flash Flood Warnings in Pennsylvania, 1991Every flash flood warning in 1991

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.