Alert archive / Pennsylvania / Flash Flood Warnings in 1993
Flash Flood Warning 28, NWS State College, PA
NWS State College, PA issued this flash flood warning at Apr 16, 1993, 3:55 PM EDT for Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. It was in force for 5 hr.
The area
The counties it named.
The facts
- Issued
- Apr 16, 1993, 3:55 PM EDT (19:55 UTC)
- Expired
- Apr 16, 1993, 8:45 PM EDT
- In force
- 5 hr
- Issued by
- NWS State College, PA
- Area
- Whole counties
County Lancaster County, PA
The nearest sounding before it
Washington/Dulle, VA (KIAD), launched 12:00Z, 7.9 hours before the alert went out and 157 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.
- Mixed-layer CAPE
- 286 J/kg
- Mixed-layer CIN
- -2 J/kg
- Mixed-layer LCL
- 643 m above ground
- 0-6 km bulk shear
- 56 kt
- 0-1 km storm-relative helicity
- 253 m²/s²
- 0-3 km storm-relative helicity
- 284 m²/s²
- Significant tornado parameter
- 0.5
- Supercell composite
- 2.4
The text
As transmitted, in the capitals the NWS used until 2016.
000 TTAA00 KHAR 161953 FFWHAR PAC071-170045- IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED URBAN AND SMALL STREAM FLOOD WARNING NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HARRISBURG PA 355 PM EDT FRI APR 16 1993 THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN HARRISBURG HAS ISSUED AN URBAN AND SMALL STREAM FLOOD WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL 845 PM EDT FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING LOCATION...... IN SOUTH CENTRAL PENNSYLVANIA ...LANCASTER COUNTY AT 350 PM LANCASTER COUNTY EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT OFFICIALS REPORT SIGNIFICANT URBAN FLOODING IN ELIZABETH TOWNSHIP AND SALISBURG TOWNSHIP. A ROAD IN ELIZABETH TOWNSHIP IS REPORTED TO HAVE 3 FEET OF WATER ON IT. A NUMBER OF AUTOMOBILES IN SALISBURY TOWNSHIP HAVE BECOME STRANDED IN HIGH WATER. WEAHTER SERVICE RADAR AT 350 INDICATED A LARGE AREA OF MODERATE RAIN OVER LANCASTER COUNTY. RADAR IS INDICATING AN AREA OF HEAVY RAIN OVER THE SOUTHERN AREA OF THE COUNTY. SIGNIFICANT RAIN WILL OCCUR IN LANCASTER COUNTY THRHOUGH 6 PM. 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 FLOWING STREAM...EVEN A SMALL ONE...ON FOOT. A CAR WILL FLOAT IN ONLY TWO FEET OF WATER. NEVER CROSS A WATER COVERED ROADWAY...YOUR CAR WILL LIKELY BECOME PARALYZED IN HIGH WATER. FENNER
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, Apr 16, 12:02 PM EDT, 3 hours 53 minutes before
PAZ006-008-009-013-161800- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HARRISBURG PA 1150 AM EDT FRI APR 16 1993 ...FLOOD WARNINGS FOR SMALL STREAMS IN EFFECT FOR ADAMS...CENTRE...FRANKLIN... AND HUNTINGDON COUNTIES UNTIL 430 PM... ...FLOOD WARNINGS FOR SMALL STREAMS IN EFFECT FOR CUMBERLAND...DAUPHIN...AND YORK COUNTIES UNTIL 515 PM... ...A FLOOD WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR THE SOUTH CENTRAL MOUNTAINS...AND THE LOWER AND MIDDLE SUSQUEHANNA VALLEY UNTIL 1000 PM... ...A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR ALL OF EASTERN PENNSYLVANIA UNTIL 200 PM... THE STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WHICH MOVED THROUGH CENTRAL PENNSYLVANIA THIS MORNING HAVE WEAKENED IN INTENSITY...BUT ARE CONTINUING TO PRODUCE MODERATE TO HEAVY RAIN OVER A WIDE AREA. THE AREAS OF MODERATE TO HEAVY RAIN EXTENDS FROM FRANKLIN...PERRY...JUNIATA...AND MIFFLIN COUNTIES EASTWARD ACROSS THE LOWER AND MIDDLE SUSQUEHANNA VALLEY. INDIVIDUAL CELLS WERE MOVING NORTHEAST AT 40 TO 50 MPH...WHILE THE AREA WAS SLIDING EAST AT ONLY 10 TO 20 MPH. AT 1145 AM REPORTS WERE RECEIVED OF STREET FLOODING IN HARRISBURG AND CARS STRANDED IN WATER ON HUMMEL AVENUE IN LEMOYNE...CUMBERLAND COUNTY. ADDITIONAL STRANDED VEHICLES WERE REPORTED IN MECHANICSBURG...CUMBERLAND COUNTY. DO NOT ATTEMPT TO DRIVE OVER A FLOODED ROAD...ONLY 2 FEET OF WATER CAN SWEEP YOU AND YOUR CAR DONWSTREAM. KEEP CHILDREN AWAY FROM STREAMS AND DRAINAGE DITCHES. THUNDERSTORMS ARE LIKELY THROUGHOUT THE REMAINDER OF THE DAY...AND THE POTENTIAL FOR SEVERE WEATHER AND FLOODING EXISTS. STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR YOUR LOCAL TV AND RADIO STATIONS FOR THE LATEST STATEMENTS AND POSSIBLE WARNINGS. AHNERT
Special weather statement, Apr 16, 12:05 PM EDT, 3 hours 50 minutes before
PAZ007-008-014-161800- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WILLIAMSPORT PA 1205 PM EDT FRI APR 16 1993 ...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 200 PM EDT FOR ALL OF NORTHCENTRAL PENNSYLVANIA... ...WATCH INFORMATION... A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 200 PM EDT THIS AFTERNOON. THIS INCLUDES TIOGA...BRADFORD...LYCOMING AND SULLIVAN COUNTIES. CLINTON COUNTY IS NOT INCLUDED IN THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH. THE WATCH AREA COVERS MOST OF EASTERN AND CENTRAL PENNSYLVANIA. A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH MEANS CONDITIONS ARE FAVORABLE FOR THE DEVELOPMENT OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS IN AND CLOSE TO THE WATCH AREA. SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS CAN CONTAIN STRONG DAMAGING WINDS IN EXCESS OF 55 MPH AND/OR LARGE HAIL THREE QUARTERS OF AN INCH OR LARGER IN DIAMETER. ...RADAR INFORMATION... AT 1200 NOON NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RADAR SHOWED A LARGE AREA OF SHOWERS AND A FEW THUNDERSTORMS...WITH HEAVY RAIN...ACROSS NORTHCENTRAL PENNSYLVANIA. THE THUNDERSTORMS WITH THE HEAVIEST RAIN WERE LOCATED OVER NORTHERN BRADFORD COUNTY NEAR SAYER AND WARREN CENTER. OTHER AREAS OF MODERATE TO HEAVY RAIN WERE INDICATED IN THE MIDDLE SUSQUEHANNA VALLEY AROUND SUNBURY AND DANVILLE. SINCE 1030 AM EDT...THERE HAVE BEEN NO FURTHER REPORTS OF LARGE HAIL OR DAMAGING WINDS ACROSS THE REGION. THE ENTIRE AREA OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WERE MOVING EAST AT ABOUT 25 MPH...ALTHOUGH INDIVIDUAL THUNDERSTORMS WERE MOVING NORTHEAST AT HIGHER SPEEDS. ...THROUGH THIS AFTERNOON... THE IMMEDIATE THREAT FROM THESE THUNDERSTORMS WILL CONTINUE TO BE HEAVY DOWNPOURS OF RAIN. HEAVY RAINS THIS MORNING HAVE ALREADY CAUSED FLOODING PROBLEMS ACROSS THE REGION. HOWEVER...THERE IS STILL THE THREAT THAT SOME OF THE THUNDERSTORMS COULD BECOME SEVERE. A STRONG COLD FRONT IS EXPECTED TO SWEEP ACROSS THE REGION LATE THIS AFTERNOON AND MAY TRIGGER ANOTHER ROUND OF THUNDERSTORMS. PERSONS IN AND CLOSE TO THE WATCH AREA SHOULD REMAIN ALERT AND BE READY TO SEEK SHELTER IF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS APPROACH. REMEMBER...ANY THUNDERSTORM CAN BE DANGEROUS...PRODUCING STRONG AND GUSTY WINDS...HEAVY RAIN...SMALL HAIL AND LIGHTNING. IF THUNDERSTORMS APPROACH...MOVE INDOORS AND STAY AWAY FROM WINDOWS. ALSO IF YOU LIVE NEAR CREEKS OR STREAMS IN THE AREA...BE PREPARED TO MOVE TO HIGHER GROUND IF WATERS START RISING. JSN/KJF/HM
Special weather statement, Apr 16, 12:22 PM EDT, 3 hours 33 minutes before
PAZ007-162300- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WILLIAMSPORT PA 1222 PM EDT FRI APR 16 1993 NOAA WEATHER RADIO STATION WXM-95 TOWANDA PENNSYLVANIA IS OFF THE AIR. PERSONNEL ARE WORKING ON THE PROBLEM AND WILL RESTORE SERVICE AS SOON AS POSSIBLE. NO ESTIMATE OF WHEN WE WILL RETURN TO NORMAL OPERATION IS AVAILABLE. HM
Special weather statement, Apr 16, 1:11 PM EDT, 2 hours 44 minutes before
PAZ006-008-009-013-162000- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HARRISBURG PA 110 PM EDT FRI APR 16 1993 ...FLOOD WARNINGS FOR SMALL STREAMS IN EFFECT FOR ADAMS...CENTRE...FRANKLIN... AND HUNTINGDON COUNTIES UNTIL 430 PM... ...FLOOD WARNINGS FOR SMALL STREAMS IN EFFECT FOR CUMBERLAND...DAUPHIN...AND YORK COUNTIES UNTIL 515 PM... ...A FLOOD WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR THE SOUTH CENTRAL MOUNTAINS...AND THE LOWER AND MIDDLE SUSQUEHANNA VALLEY UNTIL 1000 PM... ...A SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR ALL OF EASTERN PENNSYLVANIA UNTIL 200 PM... AT 100 PM HARRISBURG RADAR SHOWED THUNDERSTORMS WITH VERY HEAVY RAIN OVER YORK AND DAUPHIN COUNTIES. THESE STORMS WERE PART OF A LARGE AREA OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS EXTENDING FROM NORTHEAST PENNSYLVANIA SOUTHEASTWARD TO NORTHEAST VIRGINIA. THE INDIVIDUAL STORMS WERE MOVING TOWARD THE NORTHEAST AROUND 45 MILES AN HOUR WHILE THE ENTIRE AREA WAS MOVING TOWARD THE EAST AROUND 20 MPH. AT 1215 REPORTS WERE RECEIVED OF MINOR STREET FLOODING IN DAUPHIN...CENTRE... AND CUMBERLAND COUNTIES. ONE INCIDENT OF BASEMENT FLOODING WAS REPORTED IN CUMBERLAND COUNTY. IN HUNTINGDON COUNTY A FLOOD EMERGENCY WAS DECLARED FOR HUNTINGDON BOROUGH AND THE MUDDY RUN WAS REPORTED TO BE OUT OF ITS BANKS. IN FRANKLIN COUNTY ONE ROAD IN GREENE TOWNSHIP WAS CLOSED DUE TO FLOODING. DO NOT ATTEMPT TO DRIVE OVER A FLOODED ROAD...ONLY 2 FEET OF WATER CAN SWEEP YOU AND YOUR ChAR DOWNSTREAM. DO NOT DRIVE AROUND POLICE BARRICADES. STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR YOUR LOCAL TV AND RADIO STATIONS FOR THE LATEST STATEMENTS AND POSSIBLE WARNINGS. MATUSIEWICZ
Special weather statement, Apr 16, 2:17 PM EDT, 1 hour 38 minutes before
PAZ007-008-014-162200- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE WILLIAMSPORT PA 220 PM EDT FRI APR 16 1993 ...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH HAS EXPIRED... AT 200 PM EDT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RADAR SHOWED SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS COVERING MUCH OF EASTERN AND SECTIONS OF CENTRAL PENNSYLVANIA. THE IMMEDIATE THREAT FOR SEVERE WEATHER HAS ENDED ACROSS NORTHCENTRAL PENNSYLVANIA AND THEREFORE THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH HAS EXPIRED. HOWEVER...A COLD FRONT MOVING THROUGH WESTERN PENNSYLVANIA AT THIS TIME IS EXPECTED TO CROSS THROUGH NORTHCENTRAL PENNSYLVANIA THIS EVENING. THIS COULD CAUSE SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS TO REDEVELOP WITH THE THREAT OF SEVERE WEATHER ONCE AGAIN. STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO THROUGH THE AFTERNOON FOR FURTHER INFORMATION ON THIS SITUATION. ANY ADDITIONAL RAINFALL WILL ADD TO THE ALREADY FULL CREEKS AND STREAMS ACROSS THE REGION. KJF/HM
Special weather statement, Apr 16, 2:53 PM EDT, 1 hour 2 minutes before
PAZ006-008-009-013-162200- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HARRISBURG PA 250 PM EDT FRI APR 16 1993 ...SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH EXPIRED AT 2 PM... ...FLOOD WARNINGS FOR SMALL STREAMS IN EFFECT FOR ADAMS...CENTRE...FRANKLIN... AND HUNTINGDON COUNTIES UNTIL 430 PM... ...FLOOD WARNINGS FOR SMALL STREAMS IN EFFECT FOR CUMBERLAND...DAUPHIN...AND YORK COUNTIES UNTIL 515 PM... ...A FLOOD WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR THE SOUTH CENTRAL MOUNTAINS...AND THE LOWER AND MIDDLE SUSQUEHANNA VALLEY UNTIL 1000 PM... AT 230 PM HARRISBURG RADAR SHOWED THUNDERSTORMS WITH VERY HEAVY RAIN OVER SCHUYLKILL...BERKS...AND YORK COUNTIES. THESE STORMS WERE PART OF A LARGE AREA OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS EXTENDING FROM NORTH CENTRAL AND NORTHEAST PENNSYLVANIA SOUTHWARD TO NORTHEAST VIRGINIA AND SOUTHERN MARYLAND. THE INDIVIDUAL STORMS WERE MOVING TOWARD THE NORTHEAST AROUND 35 MILES AN HOUR WHILETHE ENTIRE AREA WAS MOVING TOWARD THE EAST AT 10 TO 20 MILES AN HOUR. THE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH HAS EXPIRED FOR THE LOWER AND MIDDLE SUSQUEHANN VALLEYS...HOWEVER...ATMOSPHERIC CONDITIONS ARE FAVORABLE FOR THE POSSIBILITY OF MORE SEVERE THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY LATER THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING. AS SEVERE STORMS MOVED THROUGH THE REGION THIS MORNING AND EARLY AFTERNOON A ROOF WAS BLOWN OFF A MOBILE HOME IN CUMBERLAND COUNTY AND TREES AND WIRES WERE DOWNED IN UNION COUNTY. NUMEROUS FLOOD WARNINGS WERE ISSUED AND REMAIN IN EFFECT FOR URBAN AND SMALL STREAM FLOODING CAUSED BY HEAVY RAINS ACROSS THE REGION. DO NOT ATTEMPT TO DRIVE OVER A FLOODED ROAD...ONLY 2 FEET OF WATER CAN SWEEP YOU AND YOUR CAR DOWNSTREAM. DO NOT DRIVE AROUND POLICE BARRICADES. STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEAVTHER RADIO OR YOUR LOCAL TV AND RADIO STATIONS FOR THE LATEST STATEMENTS AND POSSIBLE WARNINGS. MATUSIEWICZ
The office that day
Everything else NWS State College, PA issued on the same UTC day.
| Issued | Product | Office | Counties | Lasted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Apr 16, 6:33 AM EDT | Flash Flood Warning | CTP | Centre | 3 hr |
| Apr 16, 6:54 AM EDT | Flash Flood Warning | CTP | Huntingdon | 3 hr |
| Apr 16, 9:19 AM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | CTP | Cumberland | 56 min |
| Apr 16, 9:24 AM EDT | Flash Flood Warning | CTP | Franklin | 7 hr |
| Apr 16, 9:30 AM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | CTP | Lycoming | 60 min |
| Apr 16, 9:45 AM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | CTP | Union | 60 min |
| Apr 16, 9:59 AM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | CTP | Bradford | 31 min |
| Apr 16, 10:15 AM EDT | Flash Flood Warning | CTP | Clinton | 4 hr |
| Apr 16, 10:15 AM EDT | Flash Flood Warning | CTP | Bradford | 4 hr |
| Apr 16, 11:25 AM EDT | Flash Flood Warning | CTP | Cumberland, Dauphin, York | 6 hr |
| Apr 16, 12:25 PM EDT | Flash Flood Warning | CTP | Tioga | 110 min |
| Apr 16, 1:56 PM EDT | Flash Flood Warning | CTP | Bradford, Clinton, Lycoming, Sullivan, Tioga | 4 hr |
| Apr 16, 4:14 PM EDT | Flash Flood Warning | CTP | Franklin, Huntingdon | 5 hr |
| Apr 16, 5:15 PM EDT | Flash Flood Warning | CTP | Bradford, Clinton, Lycoming | 5 hr |
| Apr 16, 7:48 PM EDT | Severe Thunderstorm Warning | CTP | Fulton | 57 min |
Nearby
Flash Flood Warnings in Pennsylvania, 1993Every flash flood warning in 1993
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.