Alert archive / Pennsylvania / Flash Flood Warnings in 2011

Flash Flood Warning 40, NWS State College, PA

September 7, 20114 counties in Pennsylvania

NWS State College, PA issued this flash flood warning at Sep 7, 2011, 9:33 AM EDT for 4 counties in Pennsylvania. It was in force for 10 hr. 11 reports 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
Sep 7, 2011, 9:33 AM EDT (13:33 UTC)
Expired
Sep 7, 2011, 7:30 PM EDT
In force
10 hr
Issued by
NWS State College, PA
Area
Storm-based polygon
Emergency
Flash flood emergency
Flood severity
None

Counties Dauphin County, PA, Lancaster County, PA, Lebanon County, PA, York County, PA

The radar

The State College radar (KCCX), 132 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 13:37 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
Sep 7, 11:33 AM EDTFLOOD1 Se Highspire, PAROUTE 230 CLOSED BETWEEN HIGHSPIRE AND MIDDLETOWN DUE TO WATER ON ROADWAY.
Sep 7, 11:33 AM EDTFLASH FLOOD1 Se Highspire, PAROUTE 230 CLOSED BETWEEN HIGHSPIRE AND MIDDLETOWN DUE TO WATER ON ROADWAY.
Sep 7, 11:52 AM EDTFLASH FLOODMarietta, PAWATER-RELATED ROAD CLOSURES IN E-TOWN...MARIETTA AND COLUMBIA AREAS.
Sep 7, 1:13 PM EDTFLASH FLOODFelton, PAEVACUATIONS ONGOING IN FELTON DUE TO FLOODING.
Sep 7, 1:15 PM EDTFLASH FLOODCampbelltown, PAPONDING OF WATER ON ROADWAYS ACROSS LEBANON COUNTY.
Sep 7, 1:15 PM EDTFLASH FLOODDover, PAEVACUATIONS ONGOING IN DOVER DUE TO FLOODING.
Sep 7, 1:16 PM EDTFLASH FLOODYork, PANUMEROUS WATER RESCUES REPORTED ACROSS YORK COUNTY.
Sep 7, 1:36 PM EDTFLASH FLOODElizabethtown, PACONOY CREEK OUT OF ITS BANKS. NORTH MARKET STREET CLOSED.
Sep 7, 1:40 PM EDTFLASH FLOODWeigelstown, PAROUTE 74 CLOSED DUE TO FLOODING NEAR WEST MANCHESTER TWP AND DOVER TWP LINE.
Sep 7, 3:14 PM EDTFLOODLaurel, PAA BRIDGE OVER MUDDY CREEK AND NEARBY ROADS ARE FLOODED.
Sep 7, 5:00 PM EDTFLOODYork, PAI-83 FLOODED AND CLOSED AT YORK

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

The nearest sounding before it

Washington/Dulle, VA (KIAD), launched 12:00Z, 1.6 hours before the alert went out and 137 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 2011-09-07Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 1 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, Washington/Dulle, VA at 12:00Z on 2011-09-07The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 154 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
1 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-270 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
448 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
31 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
154 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
184 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.

286 
WGUS51 KCTP 071333
FFWCTP
PAC043-071-075-133-071730-
/O.NEW.KCTP.FF.W.0040.110907T1333Z-110907T1730Z/
/00000.0.ER.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.OO/

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
FLASH FLOOD WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE STATE COLLEGE PA
933 AM EDT WED SEP 7 2011

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN STATE COLLEGE PA HAS ISSUED A

* FLASH FLOOD WARNING FOR...
  DAUPHIN COUNTY...
  NORTHWESTERN LANCASTER COUNTY...
  WESTERN LEBANON COUNTY...
  YORK COUNTY...

* UNTIL 130 PM EDT...

* AT 924 AM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR ESTIMATES   
  AND RAIN GAGE REPORTS INDICATED VERY HEAVY RAIN FROM A LINE
  THUNDERSTORMS OVER DAUPHIN AND YORK COUNTIES. THE HEAVY RAIN IS
  EXPECTED TO SPREAD INTO THE ADJACENT AREAS OF LEBANON AND
  LANCASTER COUNTIES THROUGH THE MORNING. THESE THUNDERSTORMS ARE
  MOVING ALONG THE SAME PATH AS PREVIOUS STORMS THIS MORNING.
  ADDITIONAL STORMS WILL BE DEVELOPING AND MOVING IN FROM THE SOUTH
  AS WELL. 

* LOCATIONS IN THE WARNING INCLUDE BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO
  DALLASTOWN...HANOVER...PARKVILLE...RED LION...SPRY...WEIGELSTOWN...
  YORK...COLUMBIA...ELIZABETHTOWN...MOUNT JOY...ANNVILLE...LEBANON...
  PALMYRA...COLONIAL PARK...HARRISBURG...HERSHEY...HUMMELSTOWN...
  LINGLESTOWN...MIDDLETOWN...PROGRESS AND STEELTON.

ADDITIONAL RAINFALL AMOUNTS OF 1 TO 2 INCHES ARE POSSIBLE IN THE 
WARNED AREA THROUGH THE MORNING. ANY ADDITIONAL RAIN WILL ONLY 
WORSEN THE FLOODING.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

A FLASH FLOOD WARNING MEANS THAT FLOODING IS IMMINENT OR OCCURRING.
IF YOU ARE IN THE WARNING AREA MOVE TO HIGHER GROUND IMMEDIATELY.
RESIDENTS LIVING ALONG STREAMS AND CREEKS SHOULD TAKE IMMEDIATE
PRECAUTIONS TO PROTECT LIFE AND PROPERTY. NEVER ATTEMPT TO CROSS
SWIFTLY FLOWING WATERS OR WATERS OF UNKNOWN DEPTH BY FOOT OR IN AN
AUTOMOBILE. TURN AROUND DON'T DROWN!

MOST FLOOD RELATED DEATHS OCCUR IN AUTOMOBILES. DO NOT ATTEMPT TO 
CROSS WATER COVERED BRIDGES...DIPS...OR LOW WATER CROSSINGS. TO 
ESCAPE RISING WATER MOVE UP TO HIGHER GROUND.

&&

LAT...LON 3983 7700 3986 7695 3989 7699 3992 7697
      4016 7695 4016 7691 4020 7693 4022 7690
      4022 7686 4028 7692 4061 7688 4066 7670
      4049 7643 3971 7637 3972 7700

$$

FORECASTER: DANGELO
2 follow-up statements
532 
WGUS71 KCTP 071634
FFSCTP

FLASH FLOOD STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE STATE COLLEGE PA
1234 PM EDT WED SEP 7 2011

PAC043-071-075-133-071730-
/O.CON.KCTP.FF.W.0040.000000T0000Z-110907T1730Z/
/00000.0.ER.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.OO/
DAUPHIN PA-LANCASTER PA-LEBANON PA-YORK PA-
1234 PM EDT WED SEP 7 2011

...A FLASH FLOOD WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 130 PM EDT FOR
YORK...WESTERN LEBANON...NORTHWESTERN LANCASTER AND DAUPHIN
COUNTIES...

AT 1221 PM EDT...LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICIALS REPORTED FLOODING 
ALREADY OCCURRING OVER DAUPHIN...NORTHWESTERN LANCASTER...WESTERN 
LEBANON AND YORK COUNTIES. THUNDERSTORMS HAVE ALREADY PRODUCED 2 TO 
3 INCHES OF RAIN THIS MORNING...WITH PREVIOUS DAYS TOTALS ADDING UP 
TO ALMOST 6 INCHES IN MANY LOCATION IN AND NEAR HARRISBURG AND 
YORK. 

A LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS WITH TORRENTIAL DOWNPOURS OF A TROPICAL 
NATURE EXTENDS ALL THE WAY FROM SOUTHERN VIRGINIA INTO THE LOCAL 
AREA.  

THE THUNDERSTORMS IN THE LINE ARE MOVING TO THE NORTH...RIGHT ALONG 
THE SAME PATHWAY AS THE STORMS BEFORE. THIS WILL CREATE EXTREMELY 
HEAVY RAINFALL...AND CAUSE A POTENTIALLY DEADLY SITUATION. ACT NOW 
TO PROTECT PROPERTY IN LOW-LYING AREAS. NEAR RECORD FLOODING IS 
POSSIBLE ALONG MANY SMALL CREEKS...STREAMS AND IN URBAN AREAS.
FLOOD WATERS MAY RISE HIGHER THAN LOCAL RESIDENTS HAVE EVER SEEN 
BEFORE. 

ADDITIONAL RAINFALL AMOUNTS OF 2 TO 5 INCHES ARE POSSIBLE THIS 
AFTERNOON ARE POSSIBLE IN THE WARNED AREA. HEAVY RAINFALL MAY ALSO 
LAST INTO MUCH OF THE NIGHT AND DAYTIME ON THURSDAY.  THIS WARNING 
MAY BE EXTENDED FOR MUCH LONGER THAN ITS CURRENT EXPIRATION TIME. 

LOCATIONS IN THE WARNING INCLUDE BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO DALLASTOWN...
HANOVER...PARKVILLE...RED LION...SPRY...WEIGELSTOWN...YORK...
COLUMBIA...ELIZABETHTOWN...MOUNT JOY...ANNVILLE...LEBANON...
PALMYRA...COLONIAL PARK...HARRISBURG...HERSHEY...HUMMELSTOWN...
LINGLESTOWN...MIDDLETOWN...PROGRESS AND STEELTON.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

A FLASH FLOOD WARNING MEANS THAT FLOODING IS IMMINENT OR OCCURRING. 
IF YOU ARE IN THE WARNING AREA MOVE TO HIGHER GROUND IMMEDIATELY. 
RESIDENTS LIVING ALONG STREAMS AND CREEKS SHOULD TAKE IMMEDIATE 
PRECAUTIONS TO PROTECT LIFE AND PROPERTY. 

NEVER ATTEMPT TO CROSS SWIFTLY FLOWING WATERS OR WATERS OF UNKNOWN 
DEPTH BY FOOT OR IN AN AUTOMOBILE. MOST FLOOD DEATHS OCCUR IN 
AUTOMOBILES. TURN AROUND DON'T DROWN!

TO ESCAPE RISING WATER MOVE UP TO HIGHER GROUND.

&&

LAT...LON 3983 7700 3986 7695 3989 7699 3992 7697
      4016 7695 4016 7691 4020 7693 4022 7690
      4022 7686 4028 7692 4061 7688 4066 7670
      4049 7643 3971 7637 3972 7700

$$

FORECASTER: DANGELO
742 
WGUS51 KCTP 071711
FFWCTP
PAC043-071-075-133-072330-
/O.EXT.KCTP.FF.W.0040.000000T0000Z-110907T2330Z/
/00000.0.ER.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.OO/

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
FLASH FLOOD WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE STATE COLLEGE PA
111 PM EDT WED SEP 7 2011

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN STATE COLLEGE PA HAS EXTENDED THE

* FLASH FLOOD WARNING FOR...
  DAUPHIN COUNTY...
  NORTHWESTERN LANCASTER COUNTY...
  WESTERN LEBANON COUNTY...
  YORK COUNTY...

* UNTIL 730 PM EDT...

* AT 1259 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR 
  ESTIMATES AND RAIN GAGE REPORTS INDICATE TORRENTIAL HEAVY RAIN.
  LAW ENFORCEMENT AND PUBLIC REPORTS INDICATE FLASH FLOODING FROM 
  A STATIONARY LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS. THUNDERSTORMS HAVE ALREADY
  PRODUCED 2 TO 3 INCHES OF RAIN THIS MORNING...WITH PREVIOUS DAYS
  TOTALS ADDING UP TO ALMOST 6 INCHES IN MANY LOCATION IN AND NEAR
  HARRISBURG AND YORK. 

  THIS IS A FLASH FLOOD EMERGENCY FOR DAUPHIN...YORK...LEBANON AND
  LANCASTER COUNTIES. NUMEROUS WATER RESCUES AND EVACUATIONS ARE
  TAKING PLACE. 

* LOCATIONS IN THE WARNING INCLUDE BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO
  DALLASTOWN...HANOVER...PARKVILLE...RED LION...SPRY...WEIGELSTOWN...
  YORK...COLUMBIA...ELIZABETHTOWN...MOUNT JOY...ANNVILLE...LEBANON...
  PALMYRA...COLONIAL PARK...HARRISBURG...HERSHEY...HUMMELSTOWN...
  LINGLESTOWN...MIDDLETOWN...PROGRESS AND STEELTON.

A LINE OF THUNDERSTORMS WITH TORRENTIAL DOWNPOURS OF A TROPICAL 
NATURE EXTENDS ALL THE WAY FROM SOUTHERN VIRGINIA INTO THE LOCAL 
AREA.  

THE THUNDERSTORMS IN THE LINE ARE MOVING TO THE NORTH...RIGHT ALONG 
THE SAME PATHWAY AS THE STORMS BEFORE. THIS WILL CREATE EXTREMELY 
HEAVY RAINFALL...AND CAUSE A POTENTIALLY DEADLY SITUATION. ACT NOW 
TO PROTECT PROPERTY IN LOW-LYING AREAS. NEAR RECORD FLOODING IS 
POSSIBLE ALONG MANY SMALL CREEKS...STREAMS AND IN URBAN AREAS.
FLOOD WATERS MAY RISE HIGHER THAN LOCAL RESIDENTS HAVE EVER SEEN 
BEFORE. 

ADDITIONAL RAINFALL AMOUNTS OF 4 TO 6 INCHES ARE POSSIBLE THIS 
AFTERNOON ARE POSSIBLE IN THE WARNED AREA. HEAVY RAINFALL MAY ALSO 
LAST INTO MUCH OF THE NIGHT AND DAYTIME ON THURSDAY. 

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

A FLASH FLOOD WARNING MEANS THAT FLOODING IS IMMINENT OR OCCURRING.
IF YOU ARE IN THE WARNING AREA MOVE TO HIGHER GROUND IMMEDIATELY.
RESIDENTS LIVING ALONG STREAMS AND CREEKS SHOULD TAKE IMMEDIATE
PRECAUTIONS TO PROTECT LIFE AND PROPERTY. NEVER ATTEMPT TO CROSS
SWIFTLY FLOWING WATERS OR WATERS OF UNKNOWN DEPTH BY FOOT OR IN AN
AUTOMOBILE. TURN AROUND DON'T DROWN!

&&

LAT...LON 3983 7700 3986 7695 3989 7699 3992 7697
      4016 7695 4016 7691 4020 7693 4022 7690
      4022 7686 4028 7692 4061 7688 4066 7670
      4049 7643 3971 7637 3972 7700

$$

FORECASTER: DANGELO

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Sep 6, 8:32 PM EDTAreal Flood WarningCTPFranklin, Fulton, Huntingdon, Juniata, Mifflin, Perry16 hr
Sep 6, 10:20 PM EDTAreal Flood WarningCTPColumbia, Cumberland, Dauphin, Lycoming, Montour, Northumberland and 3 more14 hr
Sep 6, 11:24 PM EDTRiver Flood WarningCTPHuntingdon22 hr
Sep 6, 11:24 PM EDTRiver Flood WarningCTPClinton31 hr
Sep 6, 11:24 PM EDTRiver Flood WarningCTPBedford18 hr
Sep 7, 2:53 AM EDTAreal Flood AdvisoryCTPBlair, Cambria, Cameron, Centre, Clearfield, Clinton and 8 more6 hr
Sep 7, 4:49 AM EDTRiver Flood WarningCTPLycoming, Sullivan41 hr
Sep 7, 6:15 AM EDTAreal Flood WarningCTPCentre, Clinton, Lycoming6 hr
Sep 7, 6:40 AM EDTSpecial Weather StatementCTPMifflin35 min
Sep 7, 8:32 AM EDTAreal Flood AdvisoryCTPAdams, York3 hr
Sep 7, 10:23 AM EDTFlash Flood Warning EmergencyCTPColumbia, Dauphin, Lycoming, Montour, Northumberland, Schuylkill and 4 more12 hr
Sep 7, 11:22 AM EDTRiver Flood WarningCTPHuntingdon, Mifflin6 hr
Sep 7, 11:22 AM EDTRiver Flood WarningCTPHuntingdon, Juniata, Mifflin10 hr
Sep 7, 11:22 AM EDTRiver Flood WarningCTPJuniata, Perry10 hr
Sep 7, 11:22 AM EDTRiver Flood WarningCTPColumbia4 days
Sep 7, 11:22 AM EDTRiver Flood WarningCTPColumbia, Montour, Northumberland4 days
Sep 7, 11:22 AM EDTRiver Flood WarningCTPDauphin, Juniata, Northumberland, Perry, Union4 days
Sep 7, 11:22 AM EDTRiver Flood WarningCTPCumberland, Dauphin, Juniata, Lancaster, Northumberland, Perry and 2 more4 days
Sep 7, 11:22 AM EDTRiver Flood WarningCTPLancaster, York4 days
Sep 7, 11:22 AM EDTRiver Flood WarningCTPLycoming49 hr
Sep 7, 11:22 AM EDTRiver Flood WarningCTPLycoming, Northumberland, Union49 hr
Sep 7, 11:22 AM EDTRiver Flood WarningCTPNorthumberland, Union44 hr
Sep 7, 11:22 AM EDTRiver Flood WarningCTPNorthumberland, Union44 hr
Sep 7, 11:22 AM EDTRiver Flood WarningCTPNorthumberland, Union53 hr
Sep 7, 12:09 PM EDTAreal Flood WarningCTPAdams, Centre, Clinton, Columbia, Cumberland, Dauphin and 17 more12 hr
Sep 7, 1:22 PM EDTSpecial Weather StatementCTPLebanon23 min
Sep 7, 2:17 PM EDTSpecial Weather StatementCTPLancaster13 min
Sep 7, 2:56 PM EDTSpecial Weather StatementCTPLancaster34 min
Sep 7, 3:28 PM EDTRiver Flood WarningCTPLancaster, York44 hr
Sep 7, 4:14 PM EDTFlash Flood Warning EmergencyCTPSchuylkill6 hr
Sep 7, 7:00 PM EDTFlash Flood Warning EmergencyCTPDauphin, Lancaster, Lebanon, York6 hr
Sep 7, 7:46 PM EDTSpecial Weather StatementCTPSchuylkill29 min

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.