Alert archive / Pennsylvania / Flash Flood Warnings in 2012

Flash Flood Warning 48, NWS Philadelphia/Mount Holly

September 3, 2012Chester County, Delaware County, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania

NWS Philadelphia/Mount Holly issued this flash flood warning at Sep 3, 2012, 9:15 AM EDT for Chester County, Delaware County, Montgomery County, 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
Sep 3, 2012, 9:15 AM EDT (13:15 UTC)
Expired
Sep 3, 2012, 12:15 PM EDT
In force
3 hr
Issued by
NWS Philadelphia/Mount Holly
Area
Storm-based polygon
Flood severity
None

Counties Chester County, PA, Delaware County, PA, Montgomery County, PA

The radar

The Philadelphia radar (KDIX), 97 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 13:14 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 3, 11:59 AM EDTFLOODBirmingham Twp, PAROUTE 926 AND CREEK ROAD CLOSED DUE TO FLOODING.

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, 1.3 hours before the alert went out and 204 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 2012-09-03Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 383 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 2012-09-03The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 77 square meters per square second.1939Sfc1 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
383 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-34 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
718 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
12 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
77 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
86 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.

714 
WGUS51 KPHI 031315
FFWPHI
PAC029-045-091-031615-
/O.NEW.KPHI.FF.W.0048.120903T1315Z-120903T1615Z/
/00000.0.ER.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.OO/

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
FLASH FLOOD WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MOUNT HOLLY NJ
915 AM EDT MON SEP 3 2012

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN MOUNT HOLLY NJ HAS ISSUED A

* FLASH FLOOD WARNING FOR...
  CENTRAL MONTGOMERY COUNTY...
  NORTHERN DELAWARE COUNTY...
  NORTHEASTERN CHESTER COUNTY...

* UNTIL 1215 PM EDT...

* AT 908 AM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED   
  VERY HEAVY RAIN OVER NORTHEASTERN CHESTER...NORTHWESTERN DELAWARE  
  COUNTIES...AND MOVING INTO CENTRAL MONTGOMERY. RAINFALL ESTIMATES  
  OF AROUND 2 INCHES ARE OCCURING WITH THESE SHOWERS AND ARE MOVING  
  OVER AREAS THAT RECIEVED FLOODING OVERNIGHT.

* LOCATIONS IN THE WARNING INCLUDE BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO
  COLLEGEVILLE...CONSHOHOCKEN...DOWNINGTOWN...KING OF PRUSSIA...
  LIONVILLE...MARSHALLTON...NORRISTOWN...PAOLI...PHOENIXVILLE...
  RADNOR TOWNSHIP...ROYERSFORD...TRAPPE...WEST CHESTER...CHESTER
  SPRINGS...CHEYNEY...GRADYVILLE...NEWTOWN SQUARE...VALLEY FORGE AND
  WESTTOWN.

ADDITIONAL RAINFALL AMOUNTS OF ONE TO TWO INCHES ARE POSSIBLE IN THE 
WARNED AREA.

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!

PLEASE REPORT FLOODING...HAIL OR WIND DAMAGE TO THE NATIONAL WEATHER
SERVICE BY CALLING TOLL FREE...1-877-633-6772.

&&

LAT...LON 4028 7552 4002 7523 3984 7561 4001 7581

$$

ROBERTSON
1 follow-up statement
036 
WGUS71 KPHI 031440
FFSPHI

FLASH FLOOD STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MOUNT HOLLY NJ
1040 AM EDT MON SEP 3 2012

PAC029-045-091-031615-
/O.CON.KPHI.FF.W.0048.000000T0000Z-120903T1615Z/
/00000.0.ER.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.OO/
MONTGOMERY PA-DELAWARE PA-CHESTER PA-
1040 AM EDT MON SEP 3 2012

...A FLASH FLOOD WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 1215 PM EDT FOR
EASTERN CHESTER...NORTHERN DELAWARE AND CENTRAL MONTGOMERY
COUNTIES...

AT 1029 AM EDT...DOPPLER RADAR CONTINUES TO INDICATE HEAVY RAIN 
MOVING INTO EASTERN CHESTER...NORTHERN DELAWARE...AND CENTRAL 
MONTGOMERY COUNTIES. THESE AREAS HAVE ALREADY RECEIVED AN ESTIMATED 
THREE TO FOUR INCHES THIS MORNING AND HAD FLOODING OVERNIGHT.

RAINFALL RATES WERE ON THE DECREASE AROUND 1030 AM. HOWEVER, THE 
THREAT OF FLASH FLOODING CONTINUES. SOME LOCATIONS MAY PICK UP 
ANOTHER INCH OR MORE OF RAIN. 

THE VALLEY CREEK AT VALLEY FORGE CONTINUES TO RISE AND MAY RISE 
ABOVE FLOOD STAGE.

LOCATIONS IN THE WARNING INCLUDE BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO BROOMALL...
BRYN MAWR...COLLEGEVILLE...CONSHOHOCKEN...DOWNINGTOWN...KING OF
PRUSSIA...LIONVILLE...MARSHALLTON...NORRISTOWN...PAOLI...
PHOENIXVILLE...RADNOR TOWNSHIP...ROYERSFORD...TRAPPE...WEST
CHESTER...CHESTER SPRINGS...CHEYNEY...CONCORDVILLE...GRADYVILLE...
NEWTOWN SQUARE...TROUT LAKE...VALLEY FORGE AND WESTTOWN.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

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. MOVE TO HIGHER GROUND.

PLEASE REPORT FLOODING...HAIL OR WIND DAMAGE BY CALLING YOUR LOCAL 
LAW ENFORCEMENT OFFICIALS OR BY CALLING THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE 
TOLL FREE AT...1-877-633-6772.

&&

LAT...LON 4028 7552 4002 7523 3984 7561 4001 7581

$$

ROBERTSON

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Sep 3, 12:24 AM EDTAreal Flood AdvisoryPHIChester, Delaware3 hr
Sep 3, 12:58 AM EDTFlash Flood WarningPHIChester, Delaware5 hr
Sep 3, 4:19 AM EDTRiver Flood WarningPHIDelaware91 min
Sep 3, 4:44 AM EDTAreal Flood AdvisoryPHIChester, Montgomery3 hr
Sep 3, 6:24 AM EDTAreal Flood WarningPHIChester4 hr
Sep 3, 8:05 AM EDTAreal Flood AdvisoryPHIChester, Delaware, Montgomery, Philadelphia3 hr
Sep 3, 8:23 AM EDTFlash Flood WarningPHIDelaware82 min
Sep 3, 10:28 AM EDTSpecial Weather StatementPHIPhiladelphia62 min
Sep 3, 11:14 AM EDTAreal Flood AdvisoryPHIBucks, Montgomery, Philadelphia2 hr
Sep 3, 12:04 PM EDTAreal Flood WarningPHIChester4 hr
Sep 3, 2:44 PM EDTAreal Flood AdvisoryPHIChester119 min
Sep 3, 3:00 PM EDTFlash Flood WatchPHIDelaware, Philadelphia49 hr
Sep 3, 5:27 PM EDTAreal Flood WarningPHIDelaware3 hr
Sep 3, 6:41 PM EDTRiver Flood WarningPHIDelaware2 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.