Alert archive / Pennsylvania / Flash Flood Warnings in 2025

Flash Flood Warning 2, NWS Philadelphia/Mount Holly

May 3, 2025New Castle County, Delaware; Chester County, Delaware County, Pennsylvania

NWS Philadelphia/Mount Holly issued this flash flood warning at May 3, 2025, 7:32 PM EDT for New Castle County, Delaware; Chester County, Delaware County, Pennsylvania. It was in force for 3 hr. 2 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
May 3, 2025, 7:32 PM EDT (23:32 UTC)
Expired
May 3, 2025, 10:32 PM EDT
In force
3 hr
Issued by
NWS Philadelphia/Mount Holly
Area
Storm-based polygon
Flood severity
None

Counties New Castle County, DE, Chester County, PA, Delaware County, PA

The radar

The Philadelphia radar (KDIX), 96 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 23:31 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
May 3, 8:31 PM EDTFLOOD1 Ene Broomall, PAFlooding on I-476 northbound between .7 miles north of Exit 9: PA 3 - BROOMALL/UPPER DARBY and Exit 13: US 30 - ST DAVIDS/VILLANOVA. There is a lane restriction.
May 3, 8:34 PM EDTFLOOD1 Nne Nether Providence, PAFlooding on I-476 southbound between Exit 3: SWARTHMORE/MEDIA and Exit 1: MACDADE BLVD. There is a traffic disruption.

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, 11.5 hours before the alert went out and 188 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 2025-05-03Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 77 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 2025-05-03The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 34 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
77 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-174 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
1072 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
30 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
34 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
90 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
-0.0

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

As transmitted.

368 
WGUS51 KPHI 032332
FFWPHI
DEC003-PAC029-045-040330-
/O.NEW.KPHI.FF.W.0002.250503T2332Z-250504T0330Z/
/00000.0.ER.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.OO/

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
Flash Flood Warning
National Weather Service Mount Holly NJ
732 PM EDT Sat May 3 2025

The National Weather Service in Mount Holly has issued a

* Flash Flood Warning for...
  Northern New Castle County in northern Delaware...
  Southeastern Chester County in southeastern Pennsylvania...
  Delaware County in southeastern Pennsylvania...

* Until 1130 PM EDT.

* At 732 PM EDT, Doppler radar indicated thunderstorms producing 
  heavy rain across the warned area. Between 0.5 and 1 inch of rain 
  has fallen. The expected rainfall rate is 0.5 to 1 inch in 1 hour. 
  Additional rainfall amounts of 1 to 2 inches are possible in the 
  warned area. Flash flooding is ongoing or expected to begin 
  shortly.

  HAZARD...Flash flooding caused by thunderstorms.

  SOURCE...Radar.

  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 may experience flash flooding include...
  Wilmington, Newark, Chester, Westtown, Swarthmore, Elsmere, 
  Kennett Square, Newport, Arden, Talleyville, Elam and Concordville.

This includes the following highways...
	Interstate 476 in Pennsylvania between mile markers 0 and 12.
	Interstate 95 in Pennsylvania between mile markers 0 and 7.
	Interstate 95 in Delaware between mile markers 5 and 23.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

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

Please report observed flooding to local emergency services or law 
enforcement and request they pass this information to the National 
Weather Service when you can do so safely.

&&

LAT...LON 4001 7543 4003 7540 4003 7536 3992 7527
      3991 7528 3980 7541 3980 7542 3979 7543
      3966 7561 3965 7567 3968 7579 3972 7579
      3972 7583 3975 7585

FLASH FLOOD...RADAR INDICATED
EXPECTED RAINFALL RATE...0.5-1 INCH IN 1 HOUR

$$

MPS
2 follow-up statements
103 
WGUS71 KPHI 040128
FFSPHI

Flash Flood Statement
National Weather Service Mount Holly NJ
928 PM EDT Sat May 3 2025

DEC003-PAC029-045-040330-
/O.CON.KPHI.FF.W.0002.000000T0000Z-250504T0330Z/
/00000.0.ER.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.OO/
New Castle DE-Chester PA-Delaware PA-
928 PM EDT Sat May 3 2025

...FLASH FLOOD WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 1130 PM EDT THIS 
EVENING FOR NORTHERN NEW CASTLE, SOUTHEASTERN CHESTER AND DELAWARE 
COUNTIES...

At 928 PM EDT, Doppler radar indicated thunderstorms produced heavy 
rain across the warned area earlier this evening, but rain has since 
ended. Between 1 and 2 inches of rain have fallen. Flash flooding is 
ongoing or expected to begin shortly.

HAZARD...Flash flooding caused by thunderstorms.

SOURCE...Radar.

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 may experience flash flooding include...
  Wilmington, Newark, Chester, Westtown, Swarthmore, Elsmere, 
  Kennett Square, Newport, Arden, Talleyville, Elam and Concordville.

This includes the following highways...
	Interstate 476 in Pennsylvania between mile markers 0 and 12.
	Interstate 95 in Pennsylvania between mile markers 0 and 7.
	Interstate 95 in Delaware between mile markers 5 and 23.

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.

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

Please report observed flooding to local emergency services or law 
enforcement and request they pass this information to the National 
Weather Service when you can do so safely.

&&

LAT...LON 4001 7543 4003 7540 4003 7536 3992 7527
      3991 7528 3980 7541 3980 7542 3979 7543
      3966 7561 3965 7567 3968 7579 3972 7579
      3972 7583 3975 7585

FLASH FLOOD...RADAR INDICATED

$$

MPS
943 
WGUS71 KPHI 040232
FFSPHI

Flash Flood Statement
National Weather Service Mount Holly NJ
1032 PM EDT Sat May 3 2025

DEC003-PAC029-045-040242-
/O.CAN.KPHI.FF.W.0002.000000T0000Z-250504T0330Z/
/00000.0.ER.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.OO/
New Castle DE-Chester PA-Delaware PA-
1032 PM EDT Sat May 3 2025

...FLASH FLOOD WARNING IS CANCELLED FOR NORTHERN NEW CASTLE, 
SOUTHEASTERN CHESTER AND DELAWARE COUNTIES...

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

&&

LAT...LON 4001 7543 4003 7540 4003 7536 3992 7527
      3991 7528 3980 7541 3980 7542 3979 7543
      3966 7561 3965 7567 3968 7579 3972 7579
      3972 7583 3975 7585

$$

RCM

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
May 3, 6:16 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningPHINew Castle44 min
May 3, 4:38 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningPHIBucks52 min
May 3, 7:34 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningPHIBucks, Delaware, Montgomery, Philadelphia41 min

Nearby

Flash Flood Warnings in Pennsylvania, 2025Flash Flood Warnings in Delaware, 2025Every flash flood warning in 2025

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.