Flash Flood in Pennsylvania, April 16, 1996

Heavy rain...which averaged around 2 inches caused the flooding of several streams throughout the county. About an inch fell between 1030 p.m. EDT on the 15th and 130 a.m. EDT on the 16th. Small streams in Valley Township were the first to flood 115 a.m. EDT. Most of the rain was over by 7 a.m. EDT on the 16th, but not before the Brandywine Creek exceeded its banks at both Downingtown and Chadds Ford. In Downingtown, the East Branch of the Brandywine Creek reached its flood stage of 7 feet at 5 a.m. EDT on the 16th, and crested at 9.81 feet at 9 a.m. EDT. The Brandywine Creek at Chadds Ford reached its flood stage of 9 feet at 11 a.m. EDT. No serious damage or injuries were reported, but in neighboring Montgomery County, the United States Coast Guard Helicopter rescued four young men (Ages 20 to 23) from the rain swollen Perkiomen Creek in Lower Providence Township the morning of the 16th. Their fishing boat's tie to the shore broke, the boat hit a tree and capsized. The four young men were rescued from tree tops. Storm totals included 2.23 inches in Glenmoore, 2.20 inches in Palm, 2.06 inches in Palm, 1.91 inches in Valley Forge and 1.81 inches in Norristown. A slow moving cold front was responsible for the heavy rain. Weak low pressure systems moving north along the frontal boundary enhanced the heavy rain across Eastern Pennsylvania.