Flash Flood in Pennsylvania, April 16, 1996

Name: Flash Flood in Pennsylvania, April 16, 1996
Start: 1996-04-16T03:00
End: 1996-04-16T13:45
Location: Pennsylvania

April 16, 1996 · NWS PHI · 1 event in 1 county or zone

which averaged around 2 inches caused the flooding of several streams in Berks, Carbon, Western Lehigh and Monroe Counties. Hardest hit was Monroe County where pockets of 3 to 4 inches of rain fell and forced many streams out of their banks and resulted in several road closures.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 1 filed by county or forecast zone are drawn at its center, in a lighter ring. Tap one for its entry below.

Tornadoes
Tropical storms and surge
Floods
Wind
Hail
Winter weather
Heat and drought
Cold
Fire, smoke and dust
Marine and coastal
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The toll

Deaths: 0
Injuries: 0
Property damage: None recorded
Crop damage: None recorded
Events: 1

Deaths and injuries are direct and indirect together, as the offices filed them. Damage is property and crops in the dollars of the year, not adjusted for inflation, and only where an office estimated it.

What happened

The episode as NWS PHI wrote it up.

Heavy rain...which averaged around 2 inches caused the flooding of several streams in Berks, Carbon, Western Lehigh and Monroe Counties. Hardest hit was Monroe County where pockets of 3 to 4 inches of rain fell and forced many streams out of their banks and resulted in several road closures. Heavy rain moved in from south to north beginning in Berks County a little after midnight EDT on the 16th. Most of the heavy rain was over by 7 a.m. EDT, except it lingered in Monroe County through the morning. No serious injuries were reported. Storm totals included 2.63 inches in Pottstown, 2.45 inches in Tannersville, 2.42 inches in Hopewell Village, 2.40 inches in Walnutport, 2.35 inches in Tobyhanna, 2.28 inches in Hamburg, 2.05 inches in Palm, 2.00 inches in Reading and 1.89 inches in Allentown. 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.

The radar

The Binghamton radar (KBGM), 138 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 07:58 UTC.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

1 flash flood. Local standard time, as filed.

Flash Flood, Monroe

When: April 16, 3:00 AM EST to 1:45 PM EST
Where: Monroe County, Countywide
Coordinates: 41.058, -75.339 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

What these are

Flash Flood: Flooding that begins within six hours of the rain that causes it, or of a dam or levee failure or ice jam release, often with deadly speed.

After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.

The same day elsewhere

Every storm in Pennsylvania in 1996 Every state in 1996 This day in weather history Warnings in Pennsylvania, April 1996

Sources

NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information, Storm Events Database, compiled from the National Weather Service’s monthly Storm Data. Complete through 2026-06; NCEI adds each month about 75 days after it ends and revises past years a few times a year. Rebuilt 2026-09-24. Each event’s entry at NCEI: 5561123.