Alert archive / Pennsylvania / Flash Flood Warnings in 2020

Flash Flood Warning 15, NWS Philadelphia/Mount Holly

July 8, 2020Berks County, Pennsylvania

NWS Philadelphia/Mount Holly issued this flash flood warning at Jul 8, 2020, 3:57 PM EDT for Berks County, Pennsylvania. It was in force for 3 hr. 5 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
Jul 8, 2020, 3:57 PM EDT (19:57 UTC)
Expired
Jul 8, 2020, 7:00 PM EDT
In force
3 hr
Issued by
NWS Philadelphia/Mount Holly
Area
Storm-based polygon
Flood severity
None

County Berks County, PA

The radar

The Philadelphia radar (KDIX), 132 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 20:01 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
Jul 8, 4:55 PM EDTFLOOD1 S Muhlenberg Twp, PAFLOODING ON STATE HIGHWAY 12 NEAR POTTSVILLE PIKE. TRAFFIC CONTROL REQUIRED. TIME BASED ON DISPATCH REPORT.
Jul 8, 4:55 PM EDTFLASH FLOOD1 S Muhlenberg Twp, PAUPDATES PREVIOUS FLOOD REPORT FROM 1 S MUHLENBERG TWP. STATE HIGHWAY 12 CLOSED FROM FLASH FLOODING BETWEEN CENTRE AVENUE AND 5TH STREET. TIME BASED ON DISPATCH REPORT.
Jul 8, 4:55 PM EDTFLASH FLOOD1 Wnw Reading, PASEVERAL REPORTS OF FLOODING NEAR FIFTH STREET. TRAFFIC CONTROL REQUIRED. TIME BASED ON DISPATCH REPORTS.
Jul 8, 5:00 PM EDTHEAVY RAIN 2.292 Sw Muhlenberg Twp, PAASOS STATION KRDG READING 2-HOUR TOTAL ENDING AT 5 PM.
Jul 8, 5:02 PM EDTFLASH FLOOD1 Se Muhlenberg Twp, PASTATE HIGHWAY 12 CLOSED FROM FLASH FLOODING BETWEEN THE FIFTH STREET AND RIVER ROAD EXITS. TIME BASED ON DISPATCH REPORTS.

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, 8.0 hours before the alert went out and 208 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 2020-07-08Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 394 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 2020-07-08The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity -25 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
394 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-77 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
926 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
10 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
-25 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
-15 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
0.0

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

As transmitted.

170 
WGUS51 KPHI 081957
FFWPHI
PAC011-090000-
/O.NEW.KPHI.FF.W.0015.200708T1957Z-200709T0000Z/
/00000.0.ER.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.OO/

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
Flash Flood Warning
National Weather Service Mount Holly NJ
357 PM EDT Wed Jul 8 2020

The National Weather Service in Mount Holly NJ has issued a

* Flash Flood Warning for...
  Central Berks County in eastern Pennsylvania...

* Until 800 PM EDT.

* At 356 PM EDT, Doppler radar indicated thunderstorms producing 
  heavy rain across the warned area. 2-3 inches of rain have fallen. 
  Flash flooding is ongoing or expected to begin shortly.

  HAZARD...Flash flooding caused by thunderstorms.

  SOURCE...Radar indicated.

  IMPACT...Flooding of small creeks and streams, urban areas, 
           highways, streets and underpasses as well as other 
           drainage and low lying areas.

* Some locations that could experience flooding include...
  Reading, Wyomissing, Fleetwood, Laureldale, Leesport, Lyons,
  Fairview Hgts, Spring Ridge, West Reading, Mount Penn, St.
  Lawrence, Wyomissing Hills, Reiffton and Whitfield.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

Protecting yourself from immediate threats to life and safety shall
take priority.  Whenever possible, as long as it does not cause
greater harm, all COVID-19 protective action guidance should be
followed.

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

&&

LAT...LON 4048 7573 4038 7568 4028 7572 4031 7586
      4033 7591 4033 7598 4038 7608 4048 7595
      4049 7583

FLASH FLOOD...RADAR INDICATED

$$

NC
2 follow-up statements
355 
WGUS71 KPHI 082123
FFSPHI

Flash Flood Statement
National Weather Service Mount Holly NJ
523 PM EDT Wed Jul 8 2020

PAC011-090000-
/O.CON.KPHI.FF.W.0015.000000T0000Z-200709T0000Z/
/00000.0.ER.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.OO/
Berks PA-
523 PM EDT Wed Jul 8 2020

...THE FLASH FLOOD WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 800 PM EDT FOR
CENTRAL BERKS COUNTY...

Around 5 PM EDT, the department of highways reported several 
instances of roadway flooding in the Reading area. Up to three 
inches of rain have already fallen in portions of the warned area, 
and Flash flooding is already occurring.

HAZARD...Flash flooding caused by heavy rain.

SOURCE...Law enforcement.

IMPACT...Flooding of small creeks and streams, urban areas, 
         highways, streets and underpasses as well as other drainage 
         and low lying areas.

Some locations that could experience flooding include...
Reading, Wyomissing, Fleetwood, Laureldale, Leesport, Lyons, Fairview
Hgts, Spring Ridge, West Reading, Mount Penn, St. Lawrence,
Wyomissing Hills, Reiffton and Whitfield.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

Protecting yourself from immediate threats to life and safety shall
take priority.  Whenever possible, as long as it does not cause
greater harm, all COVID-19 protective action guidance should be
followed.

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

&&

LAT...LON 4048 7573 4038 7568 4028 7572 4031 7586
      4033 7591 4033 7598 4038 7608 4048 7595
      4049 7583

FLASH FLOOD...OBSERVED

$$

NC
391 
WGUS71 KPHI 082300
FFSPHI

Flash Flood Statement
National Weather Service Mount Holly NJ
700 PM EDT Wed Jul 8 2020

PAC011-082309-
/O.CAN.KPHI.FF.W.0015.000000T0000Z-200709T0000Z/
/00000.0.ER.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.OO/
Berks PA-
700 PM EDT Wed Jul 8 2020

...THE FLASH FLOOD WARNING FOR CENTRAL BERKS COUNTY IS CANCELLED...

The heavy rain has ended. Flooding is no longer expected to pose a
threat. Please continue to heed any remaining road closures.

LAT...LON 4048 7573 4038 7568 4028 7572 4031 7586
      4033 7591 4033 7598 4038 7608 4048 7595
      4049 7583

$$

NC

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Jul 8, 11:26 AM EDTSpecial Weather StatementPHICarbon, Monroe49 min
Jul 8, 12:13 PM EDTFlash Flood WatchPHIBerks, Bucks, Carbon, Lehigh, Monroe, Montgomery and 1 more6 hr
Jul 8, 12:29 PM EDTSpecial Weather StatementPHIBerks, Carbon, Lehigh, Monroe, Northampton61 min
Jul 8, 2:13 PM EDTAreal Flood AdvisoryPHIBerks4 hr
Jul 8, 2:54 PM EDTSpecial Weather StatementPHIBerks51 min
Jul 8, 3:25 PM EDTAreal Flood AdvisoryPHIBerks4 hr
Jul 8, 3:45 PM EDTSpecial Weather StatementPHIBerks45 min

Nearby

Flash Flood Warnings in Pennsylvania, 2020Every flash flood warning in 2020

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.