Alert archive / Pennsylvania / Flash Flood Warnings in 2021

Flash Flood Warning 15, NWS Pittsburgh, PA

July 17, 2021Mercer County, Venango County, Pennsylvania

NWS Pittsburgh, PA issued this flash flood warning at Jul 17, 2021, 12:34 PM EDT for Mercer County, Venango 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
Jul 17, 2021, 12:34 PM EDT (16:34 UTC)
Expired
Jul 17, 2021, 3:45 PM EDT
In force
3 hr
Issued by
NWS Pittsburgh, PA
Area
Storm-based polygon
Flood severity
None

Counties Mercer County, PA, Venango County, PA

The radar

The Pittsburgh radar (KPBZ), 109 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 16:34 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 17, 1:15 PM EDTFLASH FLOOD1 Nnw Dempseytown, PAPUMP STATION ROAD IS IMPASSIBLE DUE TO WATER OVER THE ROAD.

Local storm reports filed while the alert was in force, from inside its polygon or its counties.

The nearest sounding before it

Pittsburgh, PA (KPIT), launched 12:00Z, 4.6 hours before the alert went out and 121 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, Pittsburgh, PA at 12:00Z on 2021-07-17Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 70 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, Pittsburgh, PA at 12:00Z on 2021-07-17The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 80 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
70 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-81 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
882 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
35 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
80 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
128 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
-0.0
Supercell composite
-0.2

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

As transmitted.

182 
WGUS51 KPBZ 171634
FFWPBZ
PAC085-121-171945-
/O.NEW.KPBZ.FF.W.0015.210717T1634Z-210717T1945Z/
/00000.0.ER.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.OO/

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
Flash Flood Warning
National Weather Service Pittsburgh PA
1234 PM EDT Sat Jul 17 2021

The National Weather Service in Pittsburgh has issued a

* Flash Flood Warning for...
  Northern Mercer County in northwestern Pennsylvania...
  Northwestern Venango County in northwestern Pennsylvania...

* Until 345 PM EDT.

* At 1234 PM EDT, Doppler radar indicated thunderstorms producing 
  heavy rain across the warned area. Between 1 and 1.5 inches of 
  rain have fallen on saturated ground. Flash flooding is ongoing or 
  expected to begin shortly.

  HAZARD...Flash flooding caused by thunderstorms.

  SOURCE...Radar.

  IMPACT...Flash flooding of small creeks and streams, urban
           areas, highways, streets and underpasses as well as
           other poor drainage and low-lying areas.

* Some locations that will experience flash flooding include...
  Hermitage, Sharon, Sharpsville, Greenville, Sugarcreek, Farrell, 
  Stoneboro, Sandy Lake, Clark, Wheatland, Fredonia, Cooperstown, 
  Utica, New Lebanon, Sheakleyville, Maurice K Goddard State Park 
  and Oil Creek State Park.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

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

&&

LAT...LON 4120 8050 4140 8050 4148 8029 4149 8000
      4151 7998 4153 7994 4154 7994 4154 7992
      4155 7993 4155 7991 4157 7989 4157 7987
      4160 7983 4162 7983 4162 7973 4152 7963

FLASH FLOOD...RADAR INDICATED

$$
1 follow-up statement
926 
WGUS71 KPBZ 171747
FFSPBZ

Flash Flood Statement
National Weather Service Pittsburgh PA
147 PM EDT Sat Jul 17 2021

PAC085-121-171945-
/O.CON.KPBZ.FF.W.0015.000000T0000Z-210717T1945Z/
/00000.0.ER.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.OO/
Mercer PA-Venango PA-
147 PM EDT Sat Jul 17 2021

...FLASH FLOOD WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 345 PM EDT THIS 
AFTERNOON FOR NORTHERN MERCER AND NORTHWESTERN VENANGO COUNTIES...

At 147 PM EDT, Doppler radar indicated showers producing light to 
moderate rain across the warned area. Between 1.5 and 2 inches of 
rain have fallen on saturated ground over the past 6 hours. Flash 
flooding is ongoing or expected to begin shortly.

HAZARD...Flash flooding caused by thunderstorms.

SOURCE...Radar.

IMPACT...Flash flooding of small creeks and streams, urban areas,
         highways, streets and underpasses as well as other poor
         drainage and low-lying areas.

Some locations that will experience flash flooding include...
  Hermitage, Sharon, Sharpsville, Greenville, Sugarcreek, Farrell, 
  Stoneboro, Sandy Lake, Clark, Wheatland, Fredonia, Cooperstown, 
  Utica, New Lebanon, Sheakleyville, Maurice K Goddard State Park 
  and Oil Creek State Park.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

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

&&

LAT...LON 4120 8050 4140 8050 4148 8029 4149 8000
      4151 7998 4153 7994 4154 7994 4154 7992
      4155 7993 4155 7991 4157 7989 4157 7987
      4160 7983 4162 7983 4162 7973 4152 7963

FLASH FLOOD...RADAR INDICATED

$$

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Jul 16, 10:28 PM EDTAreal Flood AdvisoryPBZMercer, Venango3 hr
Jul 17, 2:46 AM EDTFlash Flood WatchPBZArmstrong, Beaver, Butler, Clarion, Forest, Jefferson and 3 more15 hr
Jul 17, 11:21 AM EDTAreal Flood AdvisoryPBZForest, Mercer, Venango4 hr
Jul 17, 1:39 PM EDTAreal Flood AdvisoryPBZAllegheny, Washington3 hr
Jul 17, 2:30 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningPBZArmstrong, Indiana, Westmoreland45 min
Jul 17, 2:51 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningPBZIndiana39 min
Jul 17, 4:01 PM EDTAreal Flood AdvisoryPBZAllegheny, Fayette, Greene, Washington, Westmoreland92 min
Jul 17, 4:30 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningPBZFayette, Westmoreland45 min

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.