Alert archive / Pennsylvania / Flash Flood Warnings in 2018

Flash Flood Warning 39, NWS Philadelphia/Mount Holly

July 22, 2018Lehigh County, Pennsylvania

NWS Philadelphia/Mount Holly issued this flash flood warning at Jul 22, 2018, 9:40 PM EDT for Lehigh County, Pennsylvania. It was in force for 3 hr. No storm report in the archive falls inside the area while it was in force.

The area

The outline as issued.

The facts

Issued
Jul 22, 2018, 9:40 PM EDT (01:40 UTC)
Expired
Jul 23, 2018, 1:09 AM EDT
In force
3 hr
Issued by
NWS Philadelphia/Mount Holly
Area
Storm-based polygon
Flood severity
None

County Lehigh County, PA

The radar

The Philadelphia radar (KDIX), 135 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 01:42 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.

The nearest sounding before it

Brookhaven, NY (KOKX), launched 00:00Z, 1.7 hours before the alert went out and 236 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, Brookhaven, NY at 00:00Z on 2018-07-23Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 237 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, Brookhaven, NY at 00:00Z on 2018-07-23The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 187 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
237 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-17 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
576 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
28 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
187 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
197 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
0.8

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

As transmitted.

036 
WGUS51 KPHI 230140
FFWPHI
PAC077-230545-
/O.NEW.KPHI.FF.W.0039.180723T0140Z-180723T0545Z/
/00000.0.ER.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.OO/

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
Flash Flood Warning
National Weather Service Mount Holly NJ
940 PM EDT SUN JUL 22 2018

The National Weather Service in Mount Holly NJ has issued a

* Flash Flood Warning for...
  Lehigh County in eastern Pennsylvania...

* Until 145 AM EDT.

* At 938 PM EDT, Doppler radar indicated showers and thunderstorms 
  producing very heavy rain across the warned area. A quick 1 to 2 
  inches of rain will result in flash flooding, and this rainfall is 
  on top of the heavy rain that occurred earlier over this same area.

* Some locations that could experience flooding include...
  Allentown, Slatington, Walnutport, Neffs, Wanamakers, Coffeetown,
  New Tripoli, Jordan Valley, Ancient Oaks, Emerald, Schnecksville,
  Claussville, Macungie and Alburtis.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

Turn around...don't drown when encountering flooded roads. Most flood
deaths occur in vehicles.

Be especially cautious at night when it is harder to recognize the
dangers of flooding.

A Flash Flood Warning means that flooding is imminent or occurring.
If you are in the warned area move to higher ground immediately.
Residents living along streams and creeks should take immediate
precautions to protect life and property.

&&

LAT...LON 4070 7583 4077 7570 4079 7561 4076 7561
      4074 7559 4072 7556 4074 7553 4072 7552
      4046 7555 4068 7589

$$

Gorse
2 follow-up statements
397 
WGUS71 KPHI 230215
FFSPHI

Flash Flood Statement
National Weather Service Mount Holly NJ
1015 PM EDT SUN JUL 22 2018

PAC077-230545-
/O.CON.KPHI.FF.W.0039.000000T0000Z-180723T0545Z/
/00000.0.ER.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.OO/
Lehigh PA-
1015 PM EDT SUN JUL 22 2018

...THE FLASH FLOOD WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 145 AM EDT FOR
LEHIGH COUNTY...

At 1013 PM EDT, Doppler radar indicated showers and thunderstorms 
producing heavy rain continue to move across the warned area, 
however the more intense rainfall rates are now shifting north of 
the area. A quick 1 to 2 inches of rain will lead to flash flooding 
in some areas.

Some locations that could experience flooding include...
Allentown, Slatington, Walnutport, Neffs, Wanamakers, Coffeetown, New
Tripoli, Jordan Valley, Ancient Oaks, Emerald, Schnecksville,
Claussville, Macungie and Alburtis.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

Turn around...don't drown when encountering flooded roads. Most flood
deaths occur in vehicles.

Be especially cautious at night when it is harder to recognize the
dangers of flooding.

&&

LAT...LON 4070 7583 4077 7570 4079 7561 4076 7561
      4074 7559 4072 7556 4074 7553 4072 7552
      4046 7555 4068 7589

$$

Gorse
977 
WGUS71 KPHI 230509
FFSPHI

Flash Flood Statement
National Weather Service Mount Holly NJ
109 AM EDT MON JUL 23 2018

PAC077-230519-
/O.CAN.KPHI.FF.W.0039.000000T0000Z-180723T0545Z/
/00000.0.ER.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.OO/
Lehigh PA-
109 AM EDT MON JUL 23 2018

...THE FLASH FLOOD WARNING FOR LEHIGH COUNTY IS CANCELLED...

The heavy rain has ended. Only scattered showers are expected the 
next few hours. Flooding is no longer expected to pose a threat. 
Please continue to heed any remaining road closures.

LAT...LON 4070 7583 4077 7570 4079 7561 4076 7561
      4074 7559 4072 7556 4074 7553 4072 7552
      4046 7555 4068 7589

$$

PO

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Jul 22, 8:18 PM EDTAreal Flood WarningPHIChester117 min
Jul 22, 8:43 PM EDTFlash Flood WarningPHIChester4 hr
Jul 22, 8:54 PM EDTFlash Flood WarningPHIBerks, Chester4 hr
Jul 22, 10:21 PM EDTSpecial Weather StatementPHIMonroe54 min
Jul 22, 11:18 PM EDTAreal Flood AdvisoryPHICarbon, Monroe, Northampton3 hr
Jul 23, 12:19 AM EDTRiver Flood WarningPHIChester5 hr
Jul 23, 3:45 AM EDTFlash Flood WatchPHIBerks, Bucks, Carbon, Chester, Delaware, Lehigh and 4 more68 hr
Jul 23, 7:00 AM EDTRiver Flood WarningPHIChester, Delaware9 hr
Jul 23, 12:58 PM EDTSpecial Weather StatementPHIChester32 min
Jul 23, 1:01 PM EDTAreal Flood AdvisoryPHIChester34 min

Nearby

Flash Flood Warnings in Pennsylvania, 2018Every flash flood warning in 2018

Sources

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