Alert archive / Pennsylvania / Flash Flood Warnings in 2021

Flash Flood Warning 20, NWS State College, PA

August 22, 2021Lancaster County, Pennsylvania

NWS State College, PA issued this flash flood warning at Aug 22, 2021, 2:35 PM EDT for Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. It was in force for 2 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
Aug 22, 2021, 2:35 PM EDT (18:35 UTC)
Expired
Aug 22, 2021, 4:45 PM EDT
In force
2 hr
Issued by
NWS State College, PA
Area
Storm-based polygon
Damage threat
Considerable
Flood severity
None

County Lancaster County, PA

The radar

The Philadelphia radar (KDIX), 146 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 18:38 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
Aug 22, 3:13 PM EDTFLASH FLOOD1 Ene New Holland, PASTREET/ROAD FLOODING; STREET/ROAD CLOSED; VEHICLES STRANDED; ROADWAY IMPASSABLE.
Aug 22, 4:00 PM EDTFLASH FLOOD2 Wsw Terre Hill, PAFLASH FLOODING ON GRISTMILL RD. ROADWAY IMPASSABLE.
Aug 22, 4:00 PM EDTFLASH FLOOD3 Nnw New Holland, PAFLASH FLOODING ON GRISTMILL RD. ROADWAY IMPASSABLE.
Aug 22, 4:04 PM EDTFLASH FLOOD2 Nnw New Holland, PASTREET/ROAD FLOODING; STREET/ROAD CLOSED; ROADWAY IMPASSABLE.
Aug 22, 4:22 PM EDTFLASH FLOOD3 Nnw New Holland, PASTREET/ROAD FLOODING; STREET/ROAD CLOSED; ROADWAY IMPASSABLE.

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, 6.6 hours before the alert went out and 170 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 2021-08-22Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 870 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 2021-08-22The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity -21 square meters per square second.19395878Sfc1 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
870 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-80 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
1065 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
5 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
-21 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
-39 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
0.0

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

As transmitted.

809 
WGUS51 KCTP 221835
FFWCTP
PAC071-222045-
/O.NEW.KCTP.FF.W.0020.210822T1835Z-210822T2045Z/
/00000.0.ER.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.OO/

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
Flash Flood Warning
National Weather Service State College PA
235 PM EDT Sun Aug 22 2021

The National Weather Service in State College has issued a

* Flash Flood Warning for...
  Northeastern Lancaster County in south central Pennsylvania...

* Until 445 PM EDT.

* At 235 PM EDT, Doppler radar and automated rain gauges indicated 
  thunderstorms producing heavy rain across the warned area. Between 
  1 and 3 inches of rain have fallen. Flash flooding is ongoing or 
  expected to begin shortly.

  HAZARD...Life threatening flash flooding. Thunderstorms
           producing flash flooding.

  SOURCE...Radar and automated gauges.

  IMPACT...Life threatening flash flooding of creeks and streams,
           urban areas, highways, streets and underpasses.

* Some locations that will experience flash flooding include...
  Ephrata, New Holland, Akron, Leola, Terre Hill, Churchtown, 
  Bareville, Intercourse, Blue Ball, Farmersville, Goodville and 
  White Horse.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

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

Be aware of your surroundings and do not drive on flooded roads.

&&

LAT...LON 4019 7621 4015 7596 4001 7600 4005 7620

FLASH FLOOD...RADAR AND GAUGE INDICATED
FLASH FLOOD DAMAGE THREAT...CONSIDERABLE

$$

CR

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Aug 22, 12:26 AM EDTAreal Flood AdvisoryCTPLancaster2 hr
Aug 22, 5:01 AM EDTFlood WatchCTPLancaster, Lebanon, Schuylkill24 hr
Aug 22, 5:47 AM EDTAreal Flood AdvisoryCTPDauphin, Lancaster, Lebanon118 min
Aug 22, 8:55 AM EDTAreal Flood AdvisoryCTPLancaster2 hr
Aug 22, 10:19 AM EDTAreal Flood AdvisoryCTPLancaster, York2 hr
Aug 22, 2:11 PM EDTAreal Flood AdvisoryCTPLancaster2 hr
Aug 22, 2:18 PM EDTAreal Flood AdvisoryCTPYork2 hr

Nearby

Flash Flood Warnings in Pennsylvania, 2021Every flash flood warning in 2021

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.