Alert archive / Pennsylvania / Flash Flood Warnings in 2012

Flash Flood Warning 57, NWS Philadelphia/Mount Holly

September 18, 20124 counties in Pennsylvania

NWS Philadelphia/Mount Holly issued this flash flood warning at Sep 18, 2012, 2:25 PM EDT for 4 counties in Pennsylvania. It was in force for 4 hr. 3 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 18, 2012, 2:25 PM EDT (18:25 UTC)
Expired: Sep 18, 2012, 6:15 PM EDT
In force: 4 hr
Issued by: NWS Philadelphia/Mount Holly
Area: Storm-based polygon
Flood severity: None

Counties Carbon County, PA, Lehigh County, PA, Monroe County, PA, Northampton County, PA

The radar

The Binghamton radar (KBGM), 133 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 18:28 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

Time	Report	Where	Remark
Sep 18, 3:40 PM EDT	FLASH FLOOD	Lehighton, PA	EXIT RAMP TO 209 FROM PA TURNPIKE CLOSED... WATER RESCUES OCCURRED.
Sep 18, 6:15 PM EDT	FLOOD	Tobyhanna Twp, PA	ROAD CLOSURES.
Sep 18, 6:20 PM EDT	FLOOD	Pocono Twp, PA	ROAD CLOSURES.

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, 6.4 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-p

Temperature in red, dew point in green, the mixed-layer parcel dashed.

Hodograph

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: 330 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN: -6 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL: 519 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear: 40 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity: 265 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity: 275 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter: 0.4
Supercell composite: 2.3

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

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

555 
WGUS51 KPHI 181825
FFWPHI
PAC025-077-089-095-182215-
/O.NEW.KPHI.FF.W.0057.120918T1825Z-120918T2215Z/
/00000.0.ER.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.OO/

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
FLASH FLOOD WARNING
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MOUNT HOLLY NJ
225 PM EDT TUE SEP 18 2012

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN MOUNT HOLLY NJ HAS ISSUED A

* FLASH FLOOD WARNING FOR...
  NORTH CENTRAL LEHIGH COUNTY...
  MONROE COUNTY...
  CARBON COUNTY...
  NORTHWESTERN NORTHAMPTON COUNTY...

* UNTIL 615 PM EDT...

* AT 216 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED
  VERY HEAVY RAIN FROM BANDS OF SHOWERS AND POSSIBLE EMBEDDED
  THUNDERSTORMS OVER CARBON...MONROE...NORTH   CENTRAL LEHIGH AND
  NORTHWESTERN NORTHAMPTON COUNTIES.

* LOCATIONS INCLUDE BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO LEHIGHTON... 
ALBRIGHTSVILLE...AND SWIFTWATER. 

ADDITIONAL RAINFALL AMOUNTS OF 1 TO 3 INCHES WILL OCCUR IN PORTIONS 
OF THIS AREA BY 5 PM. THAT SHOULD RAISE TODAYS...ISOLATED...STORM 
TOTALS WITHIN THE WARNING AREA TO BETWEEN 4 AND 7 INCHES.  

215 PM DATA INDICATES AT LEAST ONE RAPIDLY RISING STREAM IN THE 
WARNING 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 4116 7515 4115 7508 4109 7503 4109 7497
      4085 7531 4069 7563 4086 7595 4091 7600
      4101 7575 4105 7578 4109 7577 4113 7570
      4113 7564 4121 7557 4124 7550 4126 7513

$$

FORECASTER:  DRAG

3 follow-up statements

746 
WGUS71 KPHI 181945
FFSPHI

FLASH FLOOD STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MOUNT HOLLY NJ
345 PM EDT TUE SEP 18 2012

PAC025-077-089-095-182215-
/O.CON.KPHI.FF.W.0057.000000T0000Z-120918T2215Z/
/00000.0.ER.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.OO/
LEHIGH PA-MONROE PA-CARBON PA-NORTHAMPTON PA-
345 PM EDT TUE SEP 18 2012

...A FLASH FLOOD WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 615 PM EDT FOR
NORTHWESTERN NORTHAMPTON...CARBON...MONROE AND NORTH CENTRAL LEHIGH
COUNTIES...

AT 333 PM EDT...RADAR CONTINUES TO SHOW BANDS OF MODERATE TO VERY 
HEAVY SHOWERS MOVING NORTHEASTWARD THROUGH THE WARNING AREA. THIS 
WILL CONTINUE THROUGH AT LEAST 6 PM. SMALL STREAMS WERE RISING 
RAPIDLY.

THE POHOPOCO CREEK AT PARRYVILLE IN CARBON COUNTY WAS NEARING FLOOD 
STAGE AND SHOULD SOON EXCEED FLOOD STAGE. IT HAS RISEN NEARLY A FOOT 
IN 30 MINUTES ENDING AT 331 PM AND AT THAT TIME WAS LESS THAN HALF A 
FOOT BELOW FLOOD STAGE.     

LOCATIONS IN THE WARNING INCLUDE BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO
BRODHEADSVILLE...EAST STROUDSBURG...JIM THORPE...LEHIGHTON...MOUNT
POCONO...MOUNTAINHOME...NESQUEHONING...PALMERTON...POCONO PINES...
SLATINGTON...WALNUTPORT...WEATHERLY...ALBRIGHTSVILLE...ALPINE
MOUNTAIN...ANALOMINK...ARROWHEAD LAKE...BELTZVILLE STATE PARK...
BLAKESLEE...CANADENSIS...CHRISTMANS...EMERALD...GILBERT...
KRESGEVILLE...KUNKLETOWN...LAKE HARMONY...LONG POND...MCMICHAEL...
MECKESVILLE...NEW MAHONING...PARADISE VALLEY...PENN FOREST
RESERVOIR...POCONO RACEWAY...REEDERS...ROSSLAND...SAYLORSBURG...
SCOTRUN...SKYTOP...STORMVILLE...SUN VALLEY...TANNERSVILLE...TOBYHANNA
AND WERRY LAKE.

RAIN GAGE REPORTS IN THE AREA INDICATE THAT UP TO ABOUT 5 INCHES HAS 
OCCURRED IN LEHIGHTON WITH MANY REPORTS OF 3 TO 4 INCHES IN CARBON 
AND MONROE COUNTIES TODAY. ANOTHER ONE HALF TO 2 INCHES IS EXPECTED 
BEFORE THE RAINS TAPER OFF THIS EVENING.  THAT WOULD FORCE ISOLATED 
STORM TOTALS TO BE NEAR 6 OR 7 INCHES IN THIS WARNING AREA AND CAUSE 
POCKETS OF CONSIDERABLE FLOODING. 

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

EXCESSIVE RUNOFF FROM HEAVY RAINFALL WILL CAUSE FLOODING OF SMALL
CREEKS AND STREAMS...COUNTRY ROADS...AS WELL AS FARMLAND ALONG THE
BANKS OF CREEKS AND STREAMS.

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.

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. DO NOT ATTEMPT TO CROSS
SWIFTLY FLOWING WATERS OR WATERS OF UNKNOWN DEPTH BY FOOT OR BY
AUTOMOBILE.

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 4116 7515 4115 7508 4109 7503 4109 7497
      4085 7531 4069 7563 4086 7595 4091 7600
      4101 7575 4105 7578 4109 7577 4113 7570
      4113 7564 4121 7557 4124 7550 4126 7513

$$

FORECASTER:DRAG

639 
WGUS71 KPHI 181957
FFSPHI

FLASH FLOOD STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MOUNT HOLLY NJ
357 PM EDT TUE SEP 18 2012

PAC025-077-089-095-182215-
/O.CON.KPHI.FF.W.0057.000000T0000Z-120918T2215Z/
/00000.0.ER.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.OO/
LEHIGH PA-MONROE PA-CARBON PA-NORTHAMPTON PA-
357 PM EDT TUE SEP 18 2012

...A FLASH FLOOD WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 615 PM EDT FOR
NORTHWESTERN NORTHAMPTON...CARBON...MONROE AND NORTH CENTRAL LEHIGH
COUNTIES...

AT 350 PM EDT...RADAR CONTINUES TO SHOW BANDS OF MODERATE TO VERY 
HEAVY SHOWERS MOVING NORTHEASTWARD THROUGH THE WARNING AREA. THIS 
WILL CONTINUE THROUGH AT LEAST 6 PM. SMALL STREAMS WERE RISING 
RAPIDLY.

THE POHOPOCO CREEK AT PARRYVILLE IN CARBON COUNTY WAS NEARING FLOOD 
STAGE AND SHOULD SOON EXCEED FLOOD STAGE. IT HAS RISEN NEARLY A FOOT 
IN 30 MINUTES ENDING AT 331 PM AND AT THAT TIME WAS LESS THAN HALF A 
FOOT BELOW FLOOD STAGE.     

THERE WERE REPORTS OF BASEMENT FLOODING NEAR MOUNT POCONO AND AN 
UNCONFIRMED REPORT THAT THE TURNPIKE WAS CLOSED AT THE ROUTE 209 
EXIT WHERE 2 FEET OF WATER REPORTEDLY COVERING THE ROAD.

THIS IS A RAPIDLY CHANGING SITUATION.     

LOCATIONS IN THE WARNING INCLUDE BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO
BRODHEADSVILLE...EAST STROUDSBURG...JIM THORPE...LEHIGHTON...MOUNT
POCONO...MOUNTAINHOME...NESQUEHONING...PALMERTON...POCONO PINES...
SLATINGTON...WALNUTPORT...WEATHERLY...ALBRIGHTSVILLE...ALPINE
MOUNTAIN...ANALOMINK...ARROWHEAD LAKE...BELTZVILLE STATE PARK...
BLAKESLEE...CANADENSIS...CHRISTMANS...EMERALD...GILBERT...
KRESGEVILLE...KUNKLETOWN...LAKE HARMONY...LONG POND...MCMICHAEL...
MECKESVILLE...NEW MAHONING...PARADISE VALLEY...PENN FOREST
RESERVOIR...POCONO RACEWAY...REEDERS...ROSSLAND...SAYLORSBURG...
SCOTRUN...SKYTOP...STORMVILLE...SUN VALLEY...TANNERSVILLE...TOBYHANNA
AND WERRY LAKE.

RAIN GAGE REPORTS IN THE AREA INDICATE THAT GENERALLY BETWEEN 2 TO 4 
INCHES OF RAN HAS FALLEN IN THE WARNING AREA WITH ISOLATED TOTALS OF 
5 TO 8 INCHES. ALBRIGHTSVILLE HAS REPORTED 8 INCHES SO FAR TODAY. 
LEHIGHTON IS NOW JUST OVER 5 INCHES. 

ANOTHER ONE HALF TO 2 INCHES IS EXPECTED BY 6 PM. THERE WILL BE 
POCKETS OF CONSIDERABLE FLOODING THROUGH THE AFTERNOON IN THIS 
WARNING AREA. 

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

EXCESSIVE RUNOFF FROM HEAVY RAINFALL WILL CAUSE FLOODING OF SMALL
CREEKS AND STREAMS...COUNTRY ROADS...AS WELL AS FARMLAND ALONG THE
BANKS OF CREEKS AND STREAMS.

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.

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. DO NOT ATTEMPT TO CROSS
SWIFTLY FLOWING WATERS OR WATERS OF UNKNOWN DEPTH BY FOOT OR BY
AUTOMOBILE.

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 4116 7515 4115 7508 4109 7503 4109 7497
      4085 7531 4069 7563 4086 7595 4091 7600
      4101 7575 4105 7578 4109 7577 4113 7570
      4113 7564 4121 7557 4124 7550 4126 7513

$$


DRAG

373 
WGUS71 KPHI 182138
FFSPHI

FLASH FLOOD STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MOUNT HOLLY NJ
538 PM EDT TUE SEP 18 2012

PAC025-077-089-095-182215-
/O.CON.KPHI.FF.W.0057.000000T0000Z-120918T2215Z/
/00000.0.ER.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.OO/
LEHIGH PA-MONROE PA-CARBON PA-NORTHAMPTON PA-
538 PM EDT TUE SEP 18 2012

...A FLASH FLOOD WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 615 PM EDT FOR
NORTHWESTERN NORTHAMPTON...CARBON...MONROE AND NORTH CENTRAL LEHIGH
COUNTIES...

AT 529 PM EDT...DOPPLER RADAR INDICATES THE HEAVIEST RAINS HAVE 
OCCURRED IN THE WARNING AREA. THERE WERE REPORTS OF SIGNIFICANT 
FLOODING EARLIER THIS AFTERNOON. THE POHOPOCO CREEK WHILE HAVING 
RECEDED WITHIN ITS BANKS AT PARRYVILLE IN CARBON COUNTY IS RISING 
STEADILY TOWARD FLOOD STAGE AT KRESGEVILLE IN MONROE COUNTY. 

OVER 5 INCHES OF RAIN OCCURRED IN PARTS OF THE WARNING AREA TODAY 
WITH A DAILY RECORD 5.1 INCHES AT MOUNT POCONO. FIVE AND ONE HALF  
INCHES FELL TODAY IN LEHIGHTON AND REPORTEDLY 8 INCHES IN 
ALBRIGHTSVILLE.    

LOCATIONS IN THE WARNING INCLUDE BUT ARE NOT LIMITED TO LEHIGHTON.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

EXCESSIVE RUNOFF FROM HEAVY RAINFALL WILL CAUSE FLOODING OF SMALL
CREEKS AND STREAMS...COUNTRY ROADS...AS WELL AS FARMLAND ALONG THE
BANKS OF CREEKS AND STREAMS.

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 4116 7515 4115 7508 4109 7503 4109 7497
      4085 7531 4069 7563 4086 7595 4091 7600
      4101 7575 4105 7578 4109 7577 4113 7570
      4113 7564 4121 7557 4124 7550 4126 7513

$$

DRAG

The office that day

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

Issued	Product	Office	Counties	Lasted
Sep 18, 4:13 AM EDT	Coastal Flood Advisory	PHI	Delaware, Philadelphia	21 hr
Sep 18, 12:58 PM EDT	Areal Flood Advisory	PHI	Carbon, Monroe	93 min
Sep 18, 12:59 PM EDT	Special Weather Statement	PHI	Berks, Lehigh	46 min
Sep 18, 1:05 PM EDT	Areal Flood Advisory	PHI	Berks, Lehigh	115 min
Sep 18, 1:32 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	PHI	Berks, Lehigh	43 min
Sep 18, 2:00 PM EDT	Special Weather Statement	PHI	Chester, Montgomery	60 min
Sep 18, 2:18 PM EDT	Special Weather Statement	PHI	Carbon, Monroe	57 min
Sep 18, 2:23 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	PHI	Chester, Montgomery	30 min
Sep 18, 2:52 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	PHI	Bucks, Lehigh, Northampton	17 min
Sep 18, 3:07 PM EDT	Areal Flood Warning	PHI	Berks, Lehigh	8 hr
Sep 18, 3:16 PM EDT	Special Weather Statement	PHI	Monroe	59 min
Sep 18, 3:24 PM EDT	Special Weather Statement	PHI	Berks, Carbon	51 min
Sep 18, 3:52 PM EDT	Special Weather Statement	PHI	Chester	53 min
Sep 18, 4:05 PM EDT	Areal Flood Advisory	PHI	Berks, Lehigh	55 min
Sep 18, 4:19 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	PHI	Berks, Chester, Delaware, Montgomery	56 min
Sep 18, 4:23 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	PHI	Berks, Lehigh, Monroe, Northampton	52 min
Sep 18, 4:26 PM EDT	Areal Flood Advisory	PHI	Bucks, Lehigh, Northampton	3 hr
Sep 18, 4:35 PM EDT	Areal Flood Advisory	PHI	Bucks, Chester, Lehigh, Montgomery	55 min
Sep 18, 5:01 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	PHI	Bucks, Chester, Delaware, Lehigh, Montgomery, Northampton and 1 more	59 min
Sep 18, 5:12 PM EDT	Areal Flood Advisory	PHI	Bucks, Chester, Delaware, Montgomery	63 min
Sep 18, 5:12 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	PHI	Delaware, Philadelphia	78 min
Sep 18, 5:13 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	PHI	Monroe, Northampton	62 min
Sep 18, 6:00 PM EDT	Severe Thunderstorm Warning	PHI	Bucks, Montgomery, Philadelphia	60 min
Sep 18, 6:06 PM EDT	Areal Flood Advisory	PHI	Bucks, Montgomery, Philadelphia	54 min
Sep 18, 6:19 PM EDT	Areal Flood Warning	PHI	Carbon, Lehigh, Monroe, Northampton	16 hr
Sep 18, 6:54 PM EDT	Areal Flood Advisory	PHI	Bucks	111 min

Nearby

Flash Flood Warnings in Pennsylvania, 2012 Every 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.