Alert archive / Pennsylvania / Flash Flood Warnings in 2026

Flash Flood Warning 38, NWS Philadelphia/Mount Holly

July 9, 2026Chester County, Delaware County, Pennsylvania

NWS Philadelphia/Mount Holly issued this flash flood warning at Jul 9, 2026, 3:38 PM EDT for Chester County, Delaware County, Pennsylvania. It was in force for 4 hr. 8 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 9, 2026, 3:38 PM EDT (19:38 UTC)
Expired
Jul 9, 2026, 7:45 PM EDT
In force
4 hr
Issued by
NWS Philadelphia/Mount Holly
Area
Storm-based polygon
Flood severity
None

Counties Chester County, PA, Delaware County, PA

The radar

The Dover AFB radar (KDOX), 119 km from the middle of the area, began a volume at 19:38 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
Jul 9, 4:04 PM EDTFLASH FLOODOxford, PAMarket Street near Brick Road and South 5th Street flooded in Oxford.
Jul 9, 4:47 PM EDTFLASH FLOODEast Nottingham Twp., PAReport of streams well over their banks and street flooding in East Nottingham Township near Oxford.
Jul 9, 5:30 PM EDTRAIN 2.42 E East Nottingham Twp, PAMesonet station AV071 Oxford.
Jul 9, 5:30 PM EDTRAIN 2.671 Ne Kaolin, PAMesonet station FW8290 Kennett Square.
Jul 9, 5:32 PM EDTRAIN 2.361 Nne Penn Twp, PAMesonet station AV669 Cochranville.
Jul 9, 5:40 PM EDTRAIN 3.441 Se New London Twp., PAMesonet station AU860 New London.
Jul 9, 5:54 PM EDTRAIN 3.44New London Twp., PA
Jul 9, 6:45 PM EDTRAIN 3.51East Nottingham Twp., PA

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, 7.6 hours before the alert went out and 158 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 2026-07-09Temperature and dew point through the depth of the atmosphere, with the mixed-layer parcel. CAPE 1170 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 2026-07-09The wind through the lowest 10 kilometers. Zero to 1 km storm-relative helicity 39 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
1170 J/kg
Mixed-layer CIN
-24 J/kg
Mixed-layer LCL
543 m above ground
0-6 km bulk shear
23 kt
0-1 km storm-relative helicity
39 m²/s²
0-3 km storm-relative helicity
49 m²/s²
Significant tornado parameter
0.0
Supercell composite
0.8

Open this sounding in Storm Lab

The text

As transmitted.

634 
WGUS51 KPHI 091938
FFWPHI
PAC029-045-092345-
/O.NEW.KPHI.FF.W.0038.260709T1938Z-260709T2345Z/
/00000.0.ER.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.OO/

BULLETIN - EAS ACTIVATION REQUESTED
Flash Flood Warning
National Weather Service Mount Holly NJ
338 PM EDT Thu Jul 9 2026

The National Weather Service in Mount Holly has issued a

* Flash Flood Warning for...
  Southern Chester County in southeastern Pennsylvania...
  Southwestern Delaware County in southeastern Pennsylvania...

* Until 745 PM EDT.

* At 338 PM EDT, Doppler radar and automated rain gauges indicated 
  thunderstorms producing heavy rain across the warned area. Between 
  0.5 and 1 inch of rain has fallen. The expected rainfall rate is 1 
  to 3 inches in 1 hour. Additional rainfall amounts of 1 to 3 
  inches are possible in the warned area. Flash flooding is ongoing 
  or expected to begin shortly.

  HAZARD...Flash flooding caused by thunderstorms.

  SOURCE...Radar and automated gauges.

  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...
  West Chester, Westtown, Downingtown, Kennett Square, Oxford, West 
  Grove, Marshallton, Cochranville, Elam, Homeville, Concordville 
  and Cheyney.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

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

In hilly terrain there are hundreds of low water crossings which are 
potentially dangerous in heavy rain. Do not attempt to cross flooded 
roads. Find an alternate route.

&&

LAT...LON 3983 7564 3972 7598 3973 7613 3974 7611
      3973 7610 3975 7610 3976 7606 3980 7604
      3980 7605 3981 7603 3983 7604 3983 7602
      3985 7602 3985 7601 3987 7600 3987 7599
      3990 7599 4006 7555 3987 7544

FLASH FLOOD...RADAR AND GAUGE INDICATED
EXPECTED RAINFALL RATE...1-3 INCHES IN 1 HOUR

$$

Guzzo
2 follow-up statements
578 
WGUS71 KPHI 092047
FFSPHI

Flash Flood Statement
National Weather Service Mount Holly NJ
447 PM EDT Thu Jul 9 2026

PAC029-045-092345-
/O.CON.KPHI.FF.W.0038.000000T0000Z-260709T2345Z/
/00000.0.ER.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.OO/
Chester PA-Delaware PA-
447 PM EDT Thu Jul 9 2026

...FLASH FLOOD WARNING REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL 745 PM EDT THIS 
EVENING FOR SOUTHERN CHESTER AND SOUTHWESTERN DELAWARE COUNTIES...

At 447 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. The expected rainfall rate is 1 to 
2 inches 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 and automated gauges.

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...
  West Chester, Westtown, Downingtown, Kennett Square, Oxford, West 
  Grove, Marshallton, Cochranville, Elam, Homeville, Concordville 
  and Cheyney.

PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...

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

In hilly terrain there are hundreds of low water crossings which are 
potentially dangerous in heavy rain. Do not attempt to cross flooded 
roads. Find an alternate route.

&&

LAT...LON 3983 7564 3972 7598 3973 7613 3974 7611
      3973 7610 3975 7610 3976 7606 3980 7604
      3980 7605 3981 7603 3983 7604 3983 7602
      3985 7602 3985 7601 3987 7600 3987 7599
      3990 7599 4006 7555 3987 7544

FLASH FLOOD...RADAR AND GAUGE INDICATED
EXPECTED RAINFALL RATE...1-2 INCHES IN 1 HOUR

$$

Guzzo
560 
WGUS71 KPHI 092335
FFSPHI

Flash Flood Statement
National Weather Service Mount Holly NJ
735 PM EDT Thu Jul 9 2026

PAC029-045-092345-
/O.EXP.KPHI.FF.W.0038.000000T0000Z-260709T2345Z/
/00000.0.ER.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.000000T0000Z.OO/
Chester PA-Delaware PA-
735 PM EDT Thu Jul 9 2026

...FLASH FLOOD WARNING WILL EXPIRE AT 745 PM EDT THIS EVENING FOR 
SOUTHERN CHESTER AND SOUTHWESTERN 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.

A Flood Watch remains in effect until 1200 AM EDT for a portion of 
southeast Pennsylvania.

&&

LAT...LON 3983 7564 3972 7598 3973 7613 3974 7611
      3973 7610 3975 7610 3976 7606 3980 7604
      3980 7605 3981 7603 3983 7604 3983 7602
      3985 7602 3985 7601 3987 7600 3987 7599
      3990 7599 4006 7555 3987 7544

$$

Guzzo

The office that day

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

IssuedProductOfficeCountiesLasted
Jul 9, 2:09 AM EDTFlood WatchPHIBerks, Bucks, Chester, Delaware, Montgomery, Philadelphia19 hr
Jul 9, 1:37 PM EDTFlash Flood WarningPHIDelaware6 hr
Jul 9, 2:00 PM EDTFlash Flood Warning Considerable damage threatPHIDelaware, Philadelphia5 hr
Jul 9, 3:01 PM EDTFlash Flood WarningPHIBucks, Delaware, Montgomery, Philadelphia4 hr
Jul 9, 3:20 PM EDTFlash Flood WarningPHIBerks, Chester, Montgomery3 hr
Jul 9, 4:30 PM EDTFlash Flood WarningPHIChester, Delaware4 hr
Jul 9, 5:30 PM EDTSevere Thunderstorm WarningPHIDelaware45 min

Nearby

Flash Flood Warnings in Pennsylvania, 2026Every flash flood warning in 2026

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.