Alert archive / Pennsylvania / Flash Flood Warnings in 2011

Flash Flood Warning 32, NWS State College, PA

July 8, 20114 counties in Pennsylvania

NWS State College, PA issued this flash flood warning at Jul 8, 2011, 2:00 PM EDT for 4 counties in Pennsylvania. It was in force for 3 hr. 1 report came from inside the area while it was in force.

The area

The outline as issued, with what was reported inside it.

The facts

Issued
Jul 8, 2011, 2:00 PM EDT (18:00 UTC)
Expired
Jul 8, 2011, 5:24 PM EDT
In force
3 hr
Issued by
NWS State College, PA
Area
Storm-based polygon
Flood severity
None

Counties Cumberland County, PA, Dauphin County, PA, Perry County, PA, York County, PA

The radar

The State College radar (KCCX), 118 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 18:04 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.

What was reported inside it

TimeReportWhereRemark
Jul 8, 2:30 PM EDTFLASH FLOODCarlisle, PANUMEROUS ROADS FLOODED IN DOWNTOWN CARLISLE

Local storm reports filed while the alert was in force, from inside its polygon or its counties.

The nearest sounding before it

Phillips Aaf/Abe, MD (KAPG), launched 12:00Z, 6.0 hours before the alert went out and 111 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, Phillips Aaf/Abe, MD at 12:00Z on 2011-07-08Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 1352 joules per kilogram.LCLLFCEL10008507005003002001001 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, Phillips Aaf/Abe, MD at 12:00Z on 2011-07-08The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 88 square meters per square second.193958Sfc1 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
1352 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-35 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
668 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
36 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
88 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
134 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.5
Supercell composite
2.9

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

923 
WGUS51 KCTP 081800
FFWCTP
PAC041-043-099-133-090000-
/O.NEW.KCTP.FF.W.0032.110708T1800Z-110709T0000Z/
/00000.0.ER.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.OO/

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
FLASH FLOOD WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE STATE COLLEGE PA
200 PM EDT FRI JUL 8 2011

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN STATE COLLEGE PA HAS ISSUED A

* FLASH FLOOD WARNING FOR...
  CUMBERLAND COUNTY...
  SOUTHWESTERN DAUPHIN COUNTY...
  SOUTHERN PERRY COUNTY...
  NORTHWESTERN YORK COUNTY...

* UNTIL 800 PM EDT...

* AT 155 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED   
  AN AREA OF VERY HEAVY RAIN FROM SLOW MOVING...TRAINING             
  THUNDERSTORMS OVER CUMBERLAND...NORTHWESTERN YORK...SOUTHERN PERRY
  AND SOUTHWESTERN DAUPHIN COUNTIES. DOPPLER RADAR ESTIMATED THAT 
  OVER 2 INCHES OF RAIN HAS FALLEN ACROSS PORTIONS OF THE AREA
  DURING THE PAST FEW HOURS...AND AN ADDITIONAL 1 TO 2 INCHES OF 
  RAIN IS EXPECTED LATE THIS AFTERNOON. 

* LOCATIONS IN THE WARNING INCLUDE BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO CAMP
  HILL...CARLISLE...ENOLA...LEMOYNE...LOWER ALLEN...MECHANICSBURG...
  NEW CUMBERLAND...COLONIAL PARK...HARRISBURG...HUMMELSTOWN...
  LINGLESTOWN...MIDDLETOWN...PROGRESS AND STEELTON.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

FLOODING IS OCCURRING OR IS IMMINENT. MOST FLOOD RELATED DEATHS OCCUR
IN AUTOMOBILES. DO NOT ATTEMPT TO CROSS WATER COVERED BRIDGES...
DIPS...OR LOW WATER CROSSINGS. TURN AROUND...DON'T DROWN! NEVER TRY
TO CROSS A FLOWING STREAM...EVEN A SMALL ONE...ON FOOT. TO ESCAPE
RISING WATER MOVE UP TO HIGHER GROUND.

&&

LAT...LON 3998 7700 4002 7703 4007 7714 4003 7719
      4000 7734 4001 7750 4016 7759 4041 7745
      4046 7719 4046 7690 4033 7673 4015 7668
      4012 7672 4008 7667 3997 7691

$$

FORECASTER: LAMBERT/JUNG/DEVOIR
2 follow-up statements
822 
WGUS71 KCTP 081957
FFSCTP

FLASH FLOOD STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE STATE COLLEGE PA
357 PM EDT FRI JUL 8 2011

PAC041-043-099-133-090000-
/O.CON.KCTP.FF.W.0032.000000T0000Z-110709T0000Z/
/00000.0.ER.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.OO/
CUMBERLAND PA-DAUPHIN PA-PERRY PA-YORK PA-
357 PM EDT FRI JUL 8 2011

...A FLASH FLOOD WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 800 PM EDT FOR
NORTHWESTERN YORK...SOUTHERN PERRY...SOUTHWESTERN DAUPHIN AND
CUMBERLAND COUNTIES...

THUNDERSTORMS HAVE TAPERED OFF TO A STEADY LIGHT RAINFALL OVER THE 
AREA. UP TO AN INCH OF RAIN FELL IN JUST A HALF OF AN HOUR ACCORDING 
TO WEATHER SPOTTERS. HOWEVER...THE EARLIER HEAVY RAINFALL IS STILL 
SWELLING THE CREEKS AND STREAMS IN THE AREA. THE WATERWAYS WILL TAKE 
TIME TO RECEDE.

LOCATIONS IN THE WARNING INCLUDE BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO CAMP HILL...
CARLISLE...ENOLA...LEMOYNE...LOWER ALLEN...MECHANICSBURG...NEW
CUMBERLAND...COLONIAL PARK...HARRISBURG...HUMMELSTOWN...
LINGLESTOWN...MIDDLETOWN...PROGRESS AND STEELTON.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

EXCESSIVE RUNOFF FROM HEAVY RAINFALL WILL CAUSE FLOODING OF SMALL
CREEKS AND STREAMS...HIGHWAYS AND UNDERPASSES. ADDITIONALLY...COUNTRY
ROADS AND FARMLANDS ALONG THE BANKS OF CREEKS...STREAMS AND OTHER LOW
LYING AREAS ARE SUBJECT TO FLOODING.

&&

LAT...LON 3998 7700 4002 7703 4007 7714 4003 7719
      4000 7734 4001 7750 4016 7759 4041 7745
      4046 7719 4046 7690 4033 7673 4015 7668
      4012 7672 4008 7667 3997 7691

$$

FORECASTER: DANGELO
216 
WGUS71 KCTP 082124
FFSCTP

FLASH FLOOD STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE STATE COLLEGE PA
524 PM EDT FRI JUL 8 2011

PAC041-043-099-133-082132-
/O.CAN.KCTP.FF.W.0032.000000T0000Z-110709T0000Z/
/00000.0.ER.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.OO/
CUMBERLAND PA-DAUPHIN PA-PERRY PA-YORK PA-
524 PM EDT FRI JUL 8 2011

...THE FLASH FLOOD WARNING HAS BEEN CANCELLED FOR NORTHWESTERN
YORK...SOUTHERN PERRY...SOUTHWESTERN DAUPHIN AND CUMBERLAND
COUNTIES...

NO FURTHER HEAVY RAIN IS EXPECTED FOR THE AREA THIS EVENING. THE 
WATERS FROM THE EARLIER HEAVY RAINS ARE RECEDING AND FLOOD WATERS NO 
LONGER POSE A THREAT TO LIFE OR PROPERTY. THEREFORE...THE FLASH 
FLOOD WARNING HAS BEEN CANCELLED. 

LAT...LON 3998 7700 4002 7703 4007 7714 4003 7719
      4000 7734 4001 7750 4016 7759 4041 7745
      4046 7719 4046 7690 4033 7673 4015 7668
      4012 7672 4008 7667 3997 7691

$$

FORECASTER: DANGELO

The office that day

Everything else NWS State College, PA issued on the same UTC day.

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Jul 7, 9:23 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningCTPSchuylkill56 min
Jul 8, 7:14 AM EDTSpecial Weather StatementCTPMcKean61 min
Jul 8, 7:52 AM EDTSpecial Weather StatementCTPMcKean53 min
Jul 8, 8:38 AM EDTSpecial Weather StatementCTPPotter52 min
Jul 8, 11:31 AM EDTAreal Flood AdvisoryCTPCumberland, Dauphin, York3 hr
Jul 8, 11:40 AM EDTFlash Flood WatchCTPAdams, Cumberland, Dauphin, Lancaster, Lebanon, York7 hr
Jul 8, 12:56 PM EDTSpecial Weather StatementCTPSnyder64 min
Jul 8, 1:13 PM EDTAreal Flood AdvisoryCTPCumberland, Dauphin, Franklin, Juniata, Perry3 hr
Jul 8, 2:26 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningCTPLycoming, Union64 min
Jul 8, 3:23 PM EDTSpecial Weather StatementCTPLancaster52 min
Jul 8, 4:08 PM EDTAreal Flood AdvisoryCTPTioga3 hr

Nearby

Flash Flood Warnings in Pennsylvania, 2011Every flash flood warning in 2011

Sources

The product and its follow-ups from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service and Storm Prediction Center text; local storm reports from the same archive; the sounding from the Mesonet's radiosonde archive; radar from the NEXRAD Level II archive.