Alert archive / Pennsylvania / Flood Watches in 2008

Flood Watch 8, NWS Philadelphia/Mount Holly

May 11, 2008Cecil County, Maryland; New Castle County, Delaware; Delaware County, Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania

NWS Philadelphia/Mount Holly issued this flood watch at May 11, 2008, 3:37 AM EDT for Cecil County, Maryland; New Castle County, Delaware; Delaware County, Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania. It took effect at May 12, 2008, 12:00 AM EDT. It was in force for 10 hr.

The area

The counties it named.

The facts

Issued
May 11, 2008, 3:37 AM EDT (07:37 UTC)
In effect from
May 12, 2008, 12:00 AM EDT
Expired
May 12, 2008, 9:31 AM EDT
In force
10 hr
Issued by
NWS Philadelphia/Mount Holly
Flood severity
None

Counties New Castle County, DE, Cecil County, MD, Delaware County, PA, Philadelphia County, PA

The radar

The Philadelphia radar (KDIX), 98 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 07:36 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

Washington/Dulle, VA (KIAD), launched 00:00Z, 7.6 hours before the alert went out and 185 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 00:00Z on 2008-05-11Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 0 joules per kilogram.LCL10008507005003002001001 km2 km3 km6 km9 km12 km15 km-30°-20°-10°10°20°30°40°
Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed.
HodographHodograph, Washington/Dulle, VA at 00:00Z on 2008-05-11The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 30 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
0 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
No buoyant parcel
Mixed-layer LCL
1556 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
47 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
30 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
18 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
0.0

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

000 
WGUS61 KPHI 110737
FFAPHI

URGENT - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
FLOOD WATCH
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MOUNT HOLLY NJ
337 AM EDT SUN MAY 11 2008

DEZ001-MDZ008-PAZ067-070-071-112100-
/O.NEW.KPHI.FA.A.0008.080512T0600Z-080512T2200Z/
/00000.0.ER.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.OO/
NEW CASTLE-CECIL-CHESTER-DELAWARE-PHILADELPHIA-
INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...WILMINGTON...ELKTON...WEST CHESTER...
MEDIA
337 AM EDT SUN MAY 11 2008

...FLOOD WATCH IN EFFECT FROM LATE TONIGHT THROUGH MONDAY
AFTERNOON...

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN MOUNT HOLLY HAS ISSUED A

* FLOOD WATCH FOR PORTIONS OF NORTHERN DELAWARE...NORTHEAST 
  MARYLAND AND SOUTHEAST PENNSYLVANIA...INCLUDING THE FOLLOWING 
  AREAS...IN NORTHERN DELAWARE...NEW CASTLE. IN NORTHEAST 
  MARYLAND...CECIL. IN SOUTHEAST PENNSYLVANIA...CHESTER...
  DELAWARE AND PHILADELPHIA.

* FROM LATE TONIGHT THROUGH MONDAY AFTERNOON

COMPLEX LOW PRESSURE WILL MOVE TOWARD THE AREA TODAY...ACROSS THE
AREA TONIGHT AND OUT TO SEA SLOWLY ON MONDAY. THE SYSTEM WILL
PULL A GOOD DEAL OF MOISTURE OFF THE ATLANTIC...AND CARRY WITH IT
SOME INSTABILITY ABOVE THE SURFACE THAT COULD RESULT IN SOME
THUNDERSTORMS.

RAIN WILL BEGIN IN THE WATCH AREA LATE THIS AFTERNOON OR THIS
EVENING. BEFORE THE BULK OF THE RAIN ENDS LATE MONDAY...ONE TO TWO
INCHES OF RAIN IS FORECAST. IF ANY THUNDERSTORMS DO DEVELOP...MAINLY
OVERNIGHT TONIGHT...THEN LOCALLY HIGHER RAINFALL AMOUNTS ARE
POSSIBLE.

BECAUSE OF THE RECENT RAINFALL OVER THE AREA...SOME OF THE MORE
VULNERABLE STREAMS IN THE WATCH AREA WOULD BEGIN TO FLOOD IF IN
EXCESS OF ONE AND ONE-HALF INCHES OF RAIN FELL. POOR DRAINAGE
FLOODING ALSO IS POSSIBLE IF THUNDERSTORMS DEVELOP. 

A FLOOD WATCH MEANS THAT CONDITIONS ARE FAVORABLE FOR HEAVY RAIN
ACROSS THE WATCH AREA...WHICH MAY LEAD TO FLOODING ALONG STREAMS
AND CREEKS. IF YOU ARE IN THE WATCH AREA...CHECK YOUR
PREPAREDNESS REQUIREMENTS. KEEP INFORMED...AND BE READY FOR
ACTION IF FLOODING IS OBSERVED OR IF A FLOOD WARNING IS ISSUED.
 
ONE WAY TO KEEP ABREAST OF EXISTING AND FORECASTED WATER
CONDITIONS ON WATERWAYS THROUGHOUT THE REGION IS TO MONITOR THE
ADVANCED HYDROLOGIC PREDICTION SERVICE /AHPS/ AVAILABLE ON OUR
HOMEPAGE AT WWW.WEATHER.GOV/PHI. JUST CLICK THE AHPS ICON ON THE
LEFT HAND MENU.

$$

MPD
4 follow-up statements
000 
WGUS61 KPHI 111918
FFAPHI

URGENT - IMMEDIATE BROADCAST REQUESTED
FLOOD WATCH
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MOUNT HOLLY NJ
318 PM EDT SUN MAY 11 2008

...HEAVY RAIN OVERNIGHT AND MONDAY COULD PRODUCE SOME AREAS OF
FLOODING...

.AN INTENSE LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM IN THE NORTHERN OHIO VALLEY WILL
MOVE EASTWARD TONIGHT AND WEAKEN. MEANWHILE, ANOTHER LOW PRESSURE
SYSTEM WILL DEVELOP TONIGHT IN THE VICINITY OF SOUTHEASTERN
VIRGINA. THIS SECOND STORM WILL BECOME THE MAIN ONE OVERNIGHT AND
MONDAY AS IT MOVES NORTHEASTWARD. THIS WILL BRING RAIN TO THE
REGION, WHICH WILL BECOME HEAVY AT TIMES LATER TONIGHT AND MONDAY.

DEZ001-MDZ008-PAZ067-070-071-120400-
/O.EXT.KPHI.FA.A.0008.080512T0400Z-080512T2200Z/
/00000.0.ER.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.OO/
NEW CASTLE-CECIL-CHESTER-DELAWARE-PHILADELPHIA-
INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...WILMINGTON...ELKTON...WEST CHESTER...
MEDIA
318 PM EDT SUN MAY 11 2008

...FLOOD WATCH NOW IN EFFECT FROM MIDNIGHT EDT TONIGHT THROUGH
MONDAY AFTERNOON...

THE FLOOD WATCH IS NOW IN EFFECT FOR

* PORTIONS OF NORTHERN DELAWARE, NORTHEAST MARYLAND AND SOUTHEAST
  PENNSYLVANIA, INCLUDING THE FOLLOWING AREAS, IN NORTHERN
  DELAWARE, NEW CASTLE. IN NORTHEAST MARYLAND, CECIL. IN SOUTHEAST
  PENNSYLVANIA, CHESTER, DELAWARE AND PHILADELPHIA.

* FROM MIDNIGHT EDT TONIGHT THROUGH MONDAY AFTERNOON.

* RAIN BECOMING HEAVY AT TIMES TONIGHT WILL CONTINUE THROUGH ABOUT
  MIDDAY MONDAY, THEN BEGIN TO TAPER OFF LATE IN THE AFTERNOON. A
  TOTAL OF 1.0 TO 2.0 INCHES OF RAIN IS EXPECTED WITH THE
  POTENTIAL FOR LOCALLY HIGHER AMOUNTS. AN FEW ISOLATED
  THUNDERSTORMS CANNOT BE RULED OUT TONIGHT, WHICH COULD LOCALLY
  ENHANCE THE RAINFALL. DUE TO THE RECENT RAINFALL OVER THE AREA
  LATE LAST WEEK, SOME OF THE MORE VULNERABLE STREAMS AND CREEKS
  IN THE WATCH AREA WOULD BEGIN TO FLOOD IF AN EXCESS OF 1.5
  INCHES OF RAIN FALLS. IN ADDITION, FLOODING OF POOR DRAINAGE
  AREAS AND SOME ROADWAYS IS POSSIBLE.

A FLOOD WATCH MEANS THAT CONDITIONS ARE FAVORABLE FOR HEAVY RAIN
ACROSS THE WATCH AREA, WHICH MAY LEAD TO FLOODING ALONG STREAMS
AND CREEKS. THOSE LIVING IN AREAS PRONE TO FLOODING SHOULD BE
PREPARED TO TAKE ACTION SHOULD FLOODING DEVELOP OR IF A FLOOD
WARNING IS ISSUED.

ONE WAY TO KEEP ABREAST OF EXISTING AND FORECASTED WATER
CONDITIONS ON WATERWAYS THROUGHOUT THE REGION IS TO MONITOR THE
ADVANCED HYDROLOGIC PREDICTION SERVICE /AHPS/ AVAILABLE ON OUR
HOMEPAGE AT WWW.WEATHER.GOV/PHI. JUST CLICK THE AHPS ICON ON THE
LEFT HAND MENU.

$$

GORSE
000 
WGUS61 KPHI 120138
FFAPHI

FLOOD WATCH
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MOUNT HOLLY NJ
938 PM EDT SUN MAY 11 2008

...HEAVY RAIN OVERNIGHT AND MONDAY COULD PRODUCE SOME AREAS OF
FLOODING...

.A LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM IN OHIO WILL MOVE EASTWARD OVERNIGHT AND
WEAKEN. MEANWHILE, ANOTHER LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM CONTINUES TO
ORGANIZE IN THE VICINITY OF SOUTHEASTERN VIRGINA. THIS SECOND
STORM WILL BECOME THE MAIN ONE OVERNIGHT AND MONDAY AS IT MOVES
NORTHEASTWARD. THIS WILL BRING RAIN TO THE REGION OVERNIGHT AND
MONDAY, WHICH WILL BE HEAVY AT TIMES.

DEZ001-MDZ008-PAZ067-070-071-121000-
/O.CON.KPHI.FA.A.0008.080512T0400Z-080512T2200Z/
/00000.0.ER.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.OO/
NEW CASTLE-CECIL-CHESTER-DELAWARE-PHILADELPHIA-
INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...WILMINGTON...ELKTON...WEST CHESTER...
MEDIA
938 PM EDT SUN MAY 11 2008

...FLOOD WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT THROUGH MONDAY AFTERNOON...

THE FLOOD WATCH CONTINUES FOR

* PORTIONS OF NORTHERN DELAWARE, NORTHEAST MARYLAND AND SOUTHEAST
  PENNSYLVANIA, INCLUDING THE FOLLOWING AREAS, IN NORTHERN
  DELAWARE, NEW CASTLE. IN NORTHEAST MARYLAND, CECIL. IN SOUTHEAST
  PENNSYLVANIA, CHESTER, DELAWARE AND PHILADELPHIA.

* THROUGH MONDAY AFTERNOON.

* RAIN OVERNIGHT WILL BE HEAVY AT TIMES AND CONTINUE THROUGH ABOUT
  MIDDAY MONDAY, THEN BEGIN TO TAPER OFF LATE IN THE AFTERNOON. A
  TOTAL OF 1.0 TO 2.0 INCHES OF RAIN IS EXPECTED WITH THE
  POTENTIAL FOR LOCALLY HIGHER AMOUNTS. AN ISOLATED THUNDERSTORM
  OR TWO CANNOT BE RULED OUT OVERNIGHT, WHICH COULD LOCALLY
  ENHANCE THE RAINFALL. DUE TO THE RAINFALL OVER THE AREA LATE
  LAST WEEK, SOME OF THE MORE VULNERABLE STREAMS AND CREEKS IN THE
  WATCH AREA WOULD BEGIN TO FLOOD IF AN EXCESS OF 1.5 INCHES OF
  RAIN FALLS. IN ADDITION, FLOODING OF POOR DRAINAGE AREAS AND
  SOME ROADWAYS IS POSSIBLE.

A FLOOD WATCH MEANS THAT CONDITIONS ARE FAVORABLE FOR HEAVY RAIN
ACROSS THE WATCH AREA, WHICH MAY LEAD TO FLOODING ALONG STREAMS
AND CREEKS. THOSE LIVING IN AREAS PRONE TO FLOODING SHOULD BE
PREPARED TO TAKE ACTION SHOULD FLOODING DEVELOP OR IF A FLOOD
WARNING IS ISSUED.

ONE WAY TO KEEP ABREAST OF EXISTING AND FORECASTED WATER
CONDITIONS ON WATERWAYS THROUGHOUT THE REGION IS TO MONITOR THE
ADVANCED HYDROLOGIC PREDICTION SERVICE /AHPS/ AVAILABLE ON OUR
HOMEPAGE AT WWW.WEATHER.GOV/PHI. JUST CLICK THE AHPS ICON ON THE
LEFT HAND MENU.

$$

GORSE
000 
WGUS61 KPHI 120740
FFAPHI

FLOOD WATCH
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MOUNT HOLLY NJ
340 AM EDT MON MAY 12 2008

...POSSIBLE HEAVY RAIN THROUGH THE MORNING COULD PRODUCE SOME
AREAS OF FLOODING...

.A DEEP LOW PRESSURE SYSTEM WAS REORGANIZING OVER THE CENTRAL
CHESAPEAKE BAY EARLY THIS MORNING. THAT LOW WILL STRENGTHEN A BIT
MORE AND THEN LIFT NORTHEAST. HEAVY RAINS HAD FALLEN OVER THE
MARYLAND WESTERN SHORE DURING THE OVERNIGHT HOURS...SO HEAVY RAIN
IN THE WATCH AREA REMAINS POSSIBLE.

DEZ001-MDZ008-PAZ067-070-071-122200-
/O.CON.KPHI.FA.A.0008.000000T0000Z-080512T2200Z/
/00000.0.ER.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.OO/
NEW CASTLE-CECIL-CHESTER-DELAWARE-PHILADELPHIA-
INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...WILMINGTON...ELKTON...WEST CHESTER...
MEDIA
340 AM EDT MON MAY 12 2008

...FLOOD WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT THROUGH THIS AFTERNOON...

THE FLOOD WATCH CONTINUES FOR

* PORTIONS OF NORTHERN DELAWARE...NORTHEAST MARYLAND AND 
  SOUTHEAST PENNSYLVANIA...INCLUDING THE FOLLOWING AREAS...IN 
  NORTHERN DELAWARE...NEW CASTLE. IN NORTHEAST MARYLAND...CECIL. 
  IN SOUTHEAST PENNSYLVANIA...CHESTER...DELAWARE AND 
  PHILADELPHIA.

* THROUGH THIS AFTERNOON

* RAINFALL AMOUNTS THROUGH 200 AM EDT RANGED FROM ONLY AROUND A
  TENTH OF AN INCH OVER PORTIONS OF PHILADELPHIA...DELAWARE AND
  CHESTER COUNTIES IN SOUTHEASTERN PENNSYLVANIA TO AROUND AN INCH
  OVER PORTIONS OF CECIL COUNTY IN NORTHEAST MARYLAND AND NEW
  CASTLE COUNTY IN NORTHERN DELAWARE. HOWEVER...THERE WERE REPORTS
  OF RAINFALL AMOUNTS IN EXCESS OF TWO INCHES ON THE WESTERN SIDE
  OF THE CHESAPEAKE BAY. RADAR EARLY THIS MORNING INDICATED THAT
  SOME WEAK CONVECTIVE CELLS WERE DEVELOPING UPSTREAM OF THE WATCH
  AREA...AND SURFACE ANALYSIS SHOWED DEEP LOW PRESSURE WAS
  ORGANIZING OVER THE CENTRAL CHESAPEAKE BAY. THE POTENTIAL STILL
  EXISTS FOR SUFFICIENT RAINFALL TO TRIGGER FLOODING OF THE
  FLASHIER CREEKS AND STREAMS IN OUR AREA. THEREFORE...THE WATCH
  IS MAINTAINED.

A FLOOD WATCH MEANS THAT FLOODING ALONG STREAMS AND CREEKS IS
POSSIBLE...BUT NOT IMMINENT. THOSE LIVING IN AREAS PRONE TO FLOODING
SHOULD BE PREPARED TO TAKE ACTION SHOULD FLOODING DEVELOP OR IF A
FLOOD WARNING IS ISSUED.

ONE WAY TO KEEP ABREAST OF EXISTING AND FORECASTED WATER
CONDITIONS ON WATERWAYS THROUGHOUT THE REGION IS TO MONITOR THE
ADVANCED HYDROLOGIC PREDICTION SERVICE /AHPS/ AVAILABLE ON OUR
HOMEPAGE AT WWW.WEATHER.GOV/PHI. JUST CLICK THE AHPS ICON ON THE
LEFT HAND MENU.

$$

MPD
000 
WGUS61 KPHI 121331
FFAPHI

FLOOD WATCH
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MOUNT HOLLY NJ
931 AM EDT MON MAY 12 2008


DEZ001-MDZ008-PAZ067-070-071-121430-
/O.CAN.KPHI.FA.A.0008.000000T0000Z-080512T2200Z/
/00000.0.ER.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.OO/
NEW CASTLE-CECIL-CHESTER-DELAWARE-PHILADELPHIA-
INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...WILMINGTON...ELKTON...WEST CHESTER...
MEDIA
930 AM EDT MON MAY 12 2008

...FLOOD WATCH IS CANCELLED...

THE FLOOD WATCH FOR PORTIONS OF NORTHERN DELAWARE...NORTHEAST
MARYLAND AND SOUTHEAST PENNSYLVANIA HAS BEEN CANCELLED. HEAVY
FLOODING RAINS ARE NO LONGER EXPECTED IN THE WATCH AREA.
$$

TFG

The office that day

Everything else NWS Philadelphia/Mount Holly issued on the same UTC day.

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
May 11, 3:34 PM EDTCoastal Flood AdvisoryPHICaroline, Cecil, Kent, Queen Anne's, Talbot25 hr
May 10, 9:05 PM EDTCoastal Flood StatementPHISussex6 hr
May 11, 5:15 AM EDTCoastal Flood WatchPHISussex10 hr
May 11, 5:15 AM EDTCoastal Flood AdvisoryPHISussex10 hr
May 11, 3:34 PM EDTCoastal Flood WarningPHIKent, New Castle, Sussex40 hr

Nearby

Flood Watches in Pennsylvania, 2008Flood Watches in Maryland, 2008Flood Watches in Delaware, 2008Every flood watch in 2008

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.