Alert archive / Pennsylvania / Flash Flood Warnings in 2012

Flash Flood Warning 9, NWS State College, PA

June 22, 2012Dauphin County, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania

NWS State College, PA issued this flash flood warning at Jun 22, 2012, 9:14 PM EDT for Dauphin County, Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. It was in force for 2 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
Jun 22, 2012, 9:14 PM EDT (01:14 UTC)
Expired
Jun 22, 2012, 11:25 PM EDT
In force
2 hr
Issued by
NWS State College, PA
Area
Storm-based polygon
Flood severity
None

Counties Dauphin County, PA, Lancaster County, PA

The radar

The State College radar (KCCX), 141 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 01:16 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
Jun 22, 9:16 PM EDTFLASH FLOODMiddletown, PAPOLICE CRUISER STUCK IN A FLOODED UNDERPASS.

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 00:00Z, 1.2 hours before the alert went out and 145 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 2012-06-23Temperature 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 2012-06-23The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity -83 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
0 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
No buoyant parcel
Mixed-layer LCL
0 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
30 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
-83 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
-23 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
-1.4

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

907 
WGUS51 KCTP 230114
FFWCTP
PAC043-071-230415-
/O.NEW.KCTP.FF.W.0009.120623T0114Z-120623T0415Z/
/00000.0.ER.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.OO/

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
FLASH FLOOD WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE STATE COLLEGE PA
914 PM EDT FRI JUN 22 2012

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN STATE COLLEGE PA HAS ISSUED A

* FLASH FLOOD WARNING FOR...
  SOUTHEASTERN DAUPHIN COUNTY...
  WEST CENTRAL LANCASTER COUNTY...

* UNTIL 1215 AM EDT...

* AT 910 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED   
VERY HEAVY RAIN WAS FALLING FROM A CLUSTER OF THUNDERSTORMS OVER   
SOUTHEASTERN DAUPHIN COUNTY AND FAR NORTHWESTERN LANCASTER COUNTY.   
LOCATIONS NEAR ELIZABETHTOWN AND MIDDLETOWN HAVE RECEIVED 3 TO 4   
INCHES OF RAIN TODAY...WITH MOST OF IT FALLING SINCE 730 PM. 

* LOCATIONS IN THE WARNING INCLUDE BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO 
  ELIZABETHTOWN...MIDDLETOWN AND BAINBRIDGE. AREAS ALONG AND CLOSE
  TO THE CONEWAGO CREEK TO THE WEST OF ROUTE 283 WILL BE MOST
  LIKELY TO SEE FLASH FLOODING.

ADDITIONAL RAINFALL AMOUNTS OF UP TO AN INCH ARE POSSIBLE IN THE 
WARNED AREA. THIS WILL PROLONG 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!

&&

LAT...LON 4006 7667 4010 7669 4013 7674 4017 7675
      4021 7681 4025 7668 4014 7656

$$

FORECASTER: DANGELO
2 follow-up statements
815 
WGUS71 KCTP 230209
FFSCTP

FLASH FLOOD STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE STATE COLLEGE PA
1009 PM EDT FRI JUN 22 2012

PAC043-071-230415-
/O.CON.KCTP.FF.W.0009.000000T0000Z-120623T0415Z/
/00000.0.ER.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.OO/
DAUPHIN PA-LANCASTER PA-
1009 PM EDT FRI JUN 22 2012

...A FLASH FLOOD WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 1215 AM EDT FOR WEST
CENTRAL LANCASTER AND SOUTHEASTERN DAUPHIN COUNTIES...

LOCAL LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICIALS REPORTED FLOODING IN MIDDLETOWN. 
ADDITIONAL FLASH FLOODING IS EXPECTED OVER SOUTHEASTERN DAUPHIN AND 
WEST CENTRAL LANCASTER COUNTIES.

THE RAIN IS TAPERING OFF AS IT ALSO MOVES SLOWLY TO THE SOUTH. 
ADDITIONAL RAINFALL AMOUNTS OF LESS THAN A TENTH OF AN INCH ARE 
POSSIBLE IN THE WARNED AREA. 

THE LOCATIONS MOST LIKELY TO EXPERIENCE FLOODING ARE 
BAINBRIDGE...ELIZABETHTOWN...HIGHSPIRE AND MIDDLETOWN. THE AREA IN 
BETWEEN ALL THOSE TOWNS IS WHERE THE HEAVIEST OF THE RAIN FELL. THE 
CONEWAGO CREEK AND THE SMALL STREAMS LEADING INTO THE CREEK ABOVE 
FALMOUTH WILL BE MOST AT RISK TO FLOOD. 

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

BE ESPECIALLY CAUTIOUS AT NIGHT WHEN IT IS HARDER TO RECOGNIZE THE
DANGERS OF FLOODING. IF FLASH FLOODING IS OBSERVED ACT QUICKLY. MOVE
UP TO HIGHER GROUND TO ESCAPE FLOOD WATERS. DO NOT STAY IN AREAS
SUBJECT TO FLOODING WHEN WATER BEGINS RISING.

MOST FLOOD DEATHS OCCUR IN AUTOMOBILES. NEVER DRIVE YOUR VEHICLE INTO
AREAS WHERE THE WATER COVERS THE ROADWAY. FLOOD WATERS ARE USUALLY
DEEPER THAN THEY APPEAR. JUST ONE FOOT OF FLOWING WATER IS POWERFUL
ENOUGH TO SWEEP VEHICLES OFF THE ROAD. WHEN ENCOUNTERING FLOODED
ROADS MAKE THE SMART CHOICE...TURN AROUND...DONT DROWN.

&&

LAT...LON 4006 7667 4010 7669 4013 7674 4017 7675
      4021 7681 4025 7668 4014 7656

$$

FORECASTER: DANGELO
009 
WGUS71 KCTP 230325
FFSCTP

FLASH FLOOD STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE STATE COLLEGE PA
1125 PM EDT FRI JUN 22 2012

PAC043-071-230331-
/O.CAN.KCTP.FF.W.0009.000000T0000Z-120623T0415Z/
/00000.0.ER.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.OO/
DAUPHIN PA-LANCASTER PA-
1125 PM EDT FRI JUN 22 2012

...THE FLASH FLOOD WARNING HAS BEEN CANCELLED FOR WEST CENTRAL
LANCASTER AND SOUTHEASTERN DAUPHIN COUNTIES...

THE THREAT OF FLOODING HAS ENDED...AS HEAVY SHOWERS AND 
THUNDERSTORMS HAVE EXITED THE AREA. MINOR FLOODING MAY PERSIST ALONG 
THE BORDER BETWEEN DAUPHIN AND LANCASTER COUNTIES SOUTH OF 
MIDDLETOWN...WHERE RADAR ESTIMATES CLOSE TO 4 INCHES FELL EARLIER 
THIS EVENING. HOWEVER...FLOOD WATERS NO LONGER POSE A THREAT TO LIFE 
OR PROPERTY. THEREFORE...THE FLASH FLOOD WARNING HAS BEEN CANCELLED.

LAT...LON 4006 7667 4010 7669 4013 7674 4017 7675
      4021 7681 4025 7668 4014 7656

$$

FORECASTER: KF

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Jun 22, 8:19 PM EDTAreal Flood AdvisoryCTPDauphin, Lancaster3 hr

Nearby

Flash Flood Warnings in Pennsylvania, 2012Every flash flood warning in 2012

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.