Alert archive / Pennsylvania / Flash Flood Warnings in 2003
Flash Flood Warning 201, NWS Pittsburgh, PA
NWS Pittsburgh, PA issued this flash flood warning at Aug 9, 2003, 5:38 PM EDT for Allegheny County, Pennsylvania. It was in force for 3 hr. No storm report in the archive falls inside the area while it was in force.
The area
The counties it named.
The facts
- Issued
- Aug 9, 2003, 5:38 PM EDT (21:38 UTC)
- Expired
- Aug 9, 2003, 8:45 PM EDT
- In force
- 3 hr
- Issued by
- NWS Pittsburgh, PA
- Area
- Whole counties
County Allegheny County, PA
The radar
The Pittsburgh radar (KPBZ), 21 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 21:39 UTC, the scan nearest the moment this went out.
Open the radar archive at this moment
The archived warnings, watches and discussions in force at that minute are drawn over the scan, this one among them.
The nearest sounding before it
Pittsburgh, PA (KPIT), launched 12:00Z, 9.6 hours before the alert went out and 12 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
- 366 J/kg
- Mixed-layer CIN
- -29 J/kg
- Mixed-layer LCL
- 671 m above ground
- 0-6 km bulk shear
- 12 kt
- 0-1 km storm-relative helicity
- -3 m²/s²
- 0-3 km storm-relative helicity
- 34 m²/s²
- Significant tornado parameter
- 0.0
- Supercell composite
- 0.0
The text
As transmitted, in the capitals the NWS used until 2016.
000 WGUS51 KPBZ 092141 FFWPBZ PAC003-100045- BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED FLASH FLOOD WARNING NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PITTSBURGH PA 538 PM EDT SAT AUG 9 2003 THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN PITTSBURGH HAS ISSUED A * FLASH FLOOD WARNING FOR... ALLEGHENY COUNTY IN PENNSYLVANIA * UNTIL 845 PM EDT * AT 538 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE RADAR INDICATED SUSTAINED VERY HEAVY RAINFALL...ESPECIALLY IN HAMPTON TWP ALONG GOURDHEAD RUN. THE HEAVY RAIN IS EXPECTED TO CONTINUE THROUGH AT LEAST 6:15 PM POOR DRAINAGE AND STREET FLOODING IS LIKELY <<CALL TO ACTION>>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. PLEASE REPORT HIGH WATER TO THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE BY CALLING TOLL FREE...1-877-633-6772.
1 follow-up statement
000 WGUS71 KPBZ 092320 FFSPBZ PAC003-100015- FLASH FLOOD STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PITTSBURGH PA 719 PM EDT SAT AUG 9 2003 ...THE FLASH FLOOD WARNING HAS BEEN CANCELLED FOR ALLEGHENY COUNTY... THE THUNDERSTORMS MOVED OUT OF THE COUNTY AND THE THREAT HAS ENDED. $$
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.
NWS Pittsburgh, PA wrote its last area forecast discussion before this flash flood warning went out at Aug 9, 4:26 PM EDT, 1 hour 12 minutes earlier.
Area forecast discussion, Aug 9, 4:26 PM EDT, 1 hour 12 minutes before
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PITTSBURGH PA 426 PM EDT SAT AUG 9 2003 UPDATED TO EXPAND FLOOD WATCH TO FURTHER NORTH. ACTIVITY IS FIRING UP TO THE NORTH OF KPIT AND THAT AREA RECEIVED HEAVY RAIN AND FLOODING YESTERDAY. PIT 66 78 66 79 / 50 40 30 40 HLG 64 78 62 79 / 50 40 30 40 MGW 65 80 64 80 / 50 40 30 40 ZZV 66 79 65 78 / 30 30 30 40 PHD 66 79 66 78 / 30 30 30 40 FKL 63 76 61 78 / 50 40 30 40 DUJ 62 76 63 78 / 50 40 30 40 LBE 64 78 64 79 / 50 40 30 40 BTP 64 76 64 78 / 50 40 30 40 IDI 62 76 63 78 / 50 40 30 40 ODM 61 75 61 77 / 60 40 30 30 .PBZ... MD...FLOOD WATCH FOR THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING FOR ZONE MDZ001. OH...NONE. PA...FLOOD WATCH FOR THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING FOR ZONES PAZ007>009...PAZ013>016...PAZ020>023...PAZ029>032. WV...FLOOD WATCH FOR THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING FOR ZONES WVZ001>004...WVZ012...WVZ021>023...WVZ041. TYBURSKI
Hazardous weather outlook, Aug 9, 4:52 AM EDT, 12 hours 46 minutes before
MDZ001-OHZ039>041-048>050-057>059-068-069-PAZ007>009-013>016-020>023- 029>032-WVZ001>004-012-021>023-041-090900- HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PITTSBURGH PA 452 AM EDT SAT AUG 9 2003 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR WESTERN PENNSYLVANIA EAST CENTRAL OHIO...NORTHERN WEST VIRGINIA AND GARRETT COUNTY MARYLAND. .DAY ONE...TODAY SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL ONCE AGAIN DEVELOP ACROSS THE AREA TODAY. THESE STORMS COULD PRODUCE VERY HEAVY RAIN AND WILL BE SLOW MOVING. THIS WILL CONTINUE TO PROVIDE THE THREAT FOR FLASH FLOODING ON AREA STREAMS. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN... MORE SHOWER AND THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY IS EXPECTED INTO THE BEGINNING OF NEXT WEEK. .SPOTTER CALL TO ACTION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT ANTICIPATED.
In the hours before
Special weather statement, Aug 9, 3:20 PM EDT, 2 hours 18 minutes before
PAZ022-092015- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PITTSBURGH PA 320 PM EDT SAT AUG 9 2003 ...THUNDERSTORMS WITH HEAVY RAINFALL DEVELOPING OVER THE AREA... AT 3:15 PM...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED THUNDERSTORMS WITH HEAVY RAINFALL DEVELOPING OVER EASTERN ARMSTRONG COUNTY. THESE STORMS ARE MOVING SLOWLY TO THE WEST AND MAY DUMP UP TO AN INCH OF RAIN BY 4:20 PM. LOCATIONS THAT WILL BE AFFECTED BY THESE STORMS INCLUDE NEW BETHLEHEM...RURAL VALLEY...ATWOOD AND KEYSTONE LAKE. BE ALERT IF YOU ARE DRIVING AS HEAVY RAIN MAY CAUSE PONDING OF WATER ON ROADWAYS AND REDUCED VISIBILITY. IF YOU EXPERIENCE HIGH WATER...PLEASE CALL THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TOLL-FREE AT 1-877-633-6772. TYBURSKI
Special weather statement, Aug 9, 3:41 PM EDT, 1 hour 57 minutes before
PAZ021-092030- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PITTSBURGH PA 341 PM EDT SAT AUG 9 2003 ...THUNDERSTORMS DEVELOPING OVER THE AREA... AT 3:40 PM...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED THUNDERSTORMS DEVELOPING OVER SOUTHWESTERN ALLEGHENY COUNTY. THESE STORMS ARE MOVING NORTH AT 15 MPH AND WILL AFFECT THE AREA BETWEEN 3:45 PM AND 4:30 PM. ADDITIONAL STORMS ARE DEVELOPING OVER THE ENTIRE AREA. LOCATIONS THAT WILL BE AFFECTED BY THESE STORMS INCLUDE IMPERIAL...CORAOPOLIS...ROBINSON TOWNSHIP...CRESCENT...SEWICKLEY AND THE PITTSBURGH INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT. BE ALERT IF YOU ARE DRIVING AS HEAVY RAIN MAY CAUSE PONDING OF WATER ON ROADWAYS AND REDUCED VISIBILITY. IF YOU EXPERIENCE HIGH WATER...PLEASE CALL THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TOLL-FREE AT 1-877-633-6772. TYBURSKI
Special weather statement, Aug 9, 4:01 PM EDT, 1 hour 37 minutes before
PAZ008-009-015-092100- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PITTSBURGH PA 401 PM EDT SAT AUG 9 2003 ...THUNDERSTORMS WITH HEAVY RAIN CONTINUING OVER THE AREA... AT 4:00 PM...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED THUNDERSTORMS CONTINUING TO DEVELOP OVER FOREST...CLARION...AND VENANGO COUNTIES IN PENNSYLVANIA. THESE STORMS ARE SHOWING LITTLE MOVEMENT AND MAY DUMP UP TO AN INCH OF RAIN BETWEEN 4:05 PM AND 5:00 PM. CURRENTLY NO FLOODING HAS BEEN REPORTED BUT THE AREA IS SATURATED FROM RECENT RAINFALL AND ADDITIONAL HEAVY RAINFALL MAY CAUSE STREAMS AND CREEKS TO RISE ALONG WITH POOR DRAINAGE FLOODING. LOCATIONS THAT WILL BE AFFECTED BY THESE STORMS INCLUDE SUGAR CREEK...RIMERSBURG...AND LYNCH. BE ALERT IF YOU ARE DRIVING AS HEAVY RAIN MAY CAUSE PONDING OF WATER ON ROADWAYS AND REDUCED VISIBILITY. IF YOU EXPERIENCE HIGH WATER...PLEASE CALL THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TOLL-FREE AT 1-877-633-6772. TYBURSKI
Special weather statement, Aug 9, 4:36 PM EDT, 1 hour 2 minutes before
PAZ014-021-092130- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PITTSBURGH PA 436 PM EDT SAT AUG 9 2003 ...THUNDERSTORMS DEVELOPING RAPIDLY OVER THE AREA... AT 4:35 PM...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED THUNDERSTORMS DEVELOPING OVER NORTH CENTRAL ALLEGHENY COUNTY. THESE STORMS ARE MOVING NORTH AT 15 MPH AND WILL MOVE INTO BUTLER COUNTY BETWEEN 4:40 PM AND 5: 40 PM. ADDITIONAL STORMS HAVE DEVELOPED NEAR OAKDALE IN SOUTHWESTERN ALLEGHENY COUNTY. OTHER LOCATIONS THAT WILL BE AFFECTED BY THESE STORMS INCLUDE GIBSONIA...VALENCIA...SAXONBURG...AND SARVER. DRIVING MAY BE DIFFICULT ALONG ROUTE 8 NORTH OF THE TURNPIKE DUE TO PONDING OF WATER AND REDUCED VISIBILITY. IF YOU EXPERIENCE HIGH WATER...PLEASE CALL THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TOLL-FREE AT 1-877-633-6772. TYBURSKI
Special weather statement, Aug 9, 4:52 PM EDT, 46 minutes before
PAZ023-092200- SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PITTSBURGH PA 452 PM EDT SAT AUG 9 2003 ...STATIONARY THUNDERSTORM DUMPING HEAVY RAINFALL... AT 4:50 PM...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A NEARLY STATIONARY THUNDERSTORM DUMPING HEAVY RAINFALL OVER EASTERN INDIANA COUNTY. THIS STORM HAS THE POTENTIAL TO PRODUCE UP TO AN INCH OF RAIN BETWEEN 4:55 PM AND 6:00 PM. POOR DRAINAGE FLOODING IS POSSIBLE WHERE THE RAIN PERSISTS. LOCATIONS THAT WILL BE AFFECTED BY THESE STORMS INCLUDE CLYMER...HEILWOOD AND YELLOW CREEK STATE PARK. DRIVING MAY BE DIFFICULT ALONG ROUTE 422 NEAR PENN RUN DUE TO PONDING OF WATER AND REDUCED VISIBILITY. IF YOU EXPERIENCE HIGH WATER...PLEASE CALL THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TOLL-FREE AT 1-877-633-6772. TYBURSKI
Local storm report, Aug 9, 4:55 PM EDT, 43 minutes before
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PITTSBURGH, PA
455 PM EDT SAT AUG 9 2003
TIME(EDT) .....CITY LOCATION.....STATE ...EVENT/REMARKS...
....COUNTY LOCATION....
0450 PM 5 N PARSONS WV FLASH FLOODS
08/09/03 TUCKER 1.5 FOOT OF WATER RUNNING
ACROSS RT 219
NORTH.REPORTED BY LAW
ENFORCEMENTThe office that day
Everything else NWS Pittsburgh, PA issued on the same UTC day.
| Issued | Product | Office | Counties | Lasted |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aug 8, 9:18 PM EDT | Flash Flood Warning | PBZ | Butler | 3 hr |
| Aug 8, 10:54 PM EDT | Flash Flood Warning | PBZ | Mercer | 3 hr |
| Aug 9, 2:58 PM EDT | Flash Flood Warning | PBZ | Fayette | 3 hr |
| Aug 9, 3:31 PM EDT | Flash Flood Warning | PBZ | Westmoreland | 3 hr |
| Aug 9, 5:53 PM EDT | Flash Flood Warning | PBZ | Venango | 3 hr |
| Aug 9, 6:14 PM EDT | Flash Flood Warning | PBZ | Lawrence | 3 hr |
| Aug 9, 6:26 PM EDT | Flash Flood Warning | PBZ | Indiana | 3 hr |
| Aug 9, 6:32 PM EDT | Flash Flood Warning | PBZ | Mercer | 3 hr |
Nearby
Flash Flood Warnings in Pennsylvania, 2003Every flash flood warning in 2003
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; radar from the NEXRAD Level II archive.