Alert archive / Pennsylvania / Flash Flood Warnings in 1993

Flash Flood Warning 29, NWS State College, PA

April 16, 1993Franklin County, Huntingdon County, Pennsylvania

NWS State College, PA issued this flash flood warning at Apr 16, 1993, 4:14 PM EDT for Franklin County, Huntingdon County, Pennsylvania. It was in force for 5 hr.

The area

The counties it named.

The facts

Issued
Apr 16, 1993, 4:14 PM EDT (20:14 UTC)
Expired
Apr 16, 1993, 9:15 PM EDT
In force
5 hr
Issued by
NWS State College, PA
Area
Whole counties

Counties Franklin County, PA, Huntingdon County, PA

The nearest sounding before it

Washington/Dulle, VA (KIAD), launched 12:00Z, 8.2 hours before the alert went out and 141 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, Washington/Dulle, VA at 12:00Z on 1993-04-16Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 286 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, Washington/Dulle, VA at 12:00Z on 1993-04-16The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 253 square meters per square second.1939587897Sfc1 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
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

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

000 
TTAA00 KHAR 162011
FFWHAR
PAC055-061-170115-
 
IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
URBAN AND SMALL STREAM FLOOD WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE HARRISBURG PA
414 PM EDT FRI APR 16 1993
 
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN HARRISBURG HAS ISSUED AN
URBAN AND SMALL STREAM FLOOD WARNING EFFECTIVE UNTIL  915 PM EDT
FOR PEOPLE IN THE FOLLOWING LOCATION...S...
 
IN SOUTH CENTRAL PENNSYLVANIA
 
   ...FRANKLIN COUNTY...HUNTINGDON COUNTY
 
HUNTINGDON COUNTY EMERGENCY MANAGMENT OFFICIALS HAVE REPORTED THAT HOMES
HAVE BEEN EVACUATED IN THE PETERSBURG AREA DUE TO RISING WATER ALONG THE
SHAVER CREEK.
 
FRANKLIN COUNTY EMERGENCY MANAGMENT REPORTS THAT WATER FLOWING OVER THE
LETTERKENNY RESERVOIR SPILLWAY IN LURGAN TOWNSHIP HAS CLOSED A NUMBER
OF ROADS. TWO BRIDGES IN THIS AREA ARE 3 TO 4 FEET UNDER WATER.
 
WHILE NO PRECIPITATION IS PRESENT IN THESE COUNTIES AT MID AFTERNOON...
SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL DEVELOP AROUND 6PM.
 
DO NOT DRIVE YOUR VEHICLE INTO AREAS WHERE THE WATER COVERS THE
ROADWAY.  THE WATER DEPTH MAY BE TOO GREAT TO ALLOW YOUR CAR TO
CROSS SAFELY.  VEHICLES CAUGHT IN RISING WATER SHOULD BE
ABANDONED QUICKLY.  MOVE TO HIGHER GROUND.
 
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.
 
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, 4 hours 12 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, 4 hours 9 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 52 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, 3 hours 3 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 57 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 21 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.

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Apr 16, 6:33 AM EDTFlash Flood WarningCTPCentre3 hr
Apr 16, 6:54 AM EDTFlash Flood WarningCTPHuntingdon3 hr
Apr 16, 9:19 AM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningCTPCumberland56 min
Apr 16, 9:24 AM EDTFlash Flood WarningCTPFranklin7 hr
Apr 16, 9:30 AM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningCTPLycoming60 min
Apr 16, 9:45 AM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningCTPUnion60 min
Apr 16, 9:59 AM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningCTPBradford31 min
Apr 16, 10:15 AM EDTFlash Flood WarningCTPClinton4 hr
Apr 16, 10:15 AM EDTFlash Flood WarningCTPBradford4 hr
Apr 16, 11:25 AM EDTFlash Flood WarningCTPCumberland, Dauphin, York6 hr
Apr 16, 12:25 PM EDTFlash Flood WarningCTPTioga110 min
Apr 16, 1:56 PM EDTFlash Flood WarningCTPBradford, Clinton, Lycoming, Sullivan, Tioga4 hr
Apr 16, 3:55 PM EDTFlash Flood WarningCTPLancaster5 hr
Apr 16, 5:15 PM EDTFlash Flood WarningCTPBradford, Clinton, Lycoming5 hr
Apr 16, 7:48 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningCTPFulton57 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.