Flash Flood, Venango
- When
- July 19, 3:00 AM EST to 3:00 PM EST
- Where
- Venango County, Franklin
- Property damage
- $50 million
- Coordinates
- 41.401, -79.758 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Flash Flood in Pennsylvania, July 19, 1996
Widespread heavy thunderstorm rains, between 4 and 5 inches, caused numerous streams to go over their banks throughout the county. Roads were closed due to extensive flooding in Oil City and Franklin.
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
- Other
The toll
- Deaths
- 0
- Injuries
- 0
- Property damage
- $50 million
- 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 PBZ wrote it up.
Widespread heavy thunderstorm rains, between 4 and 5 inches, caused numerous streams to go over their banks throughout the county. Roads were closed due to extensive flooding in Oil City and Franklin. Flooding was extensive at Sugar Creek Borough along the French Creek and along Chubb Run in Franklin.A total of 5 residences were destroyed, 60 had major damage and around 200 had minor damage. 11 bridges were out and over 100 miles of roads were damaged.
The radar
The Pittsburgh radar (KPBZ), 104 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 08:01 UTC.
Event by event
1 flash flood. Local standard time, as filed.
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
- Tornado in Maryland, July 19, 1996
- Flash Flood in Pennsylvania, July 19, 1996
- Flash Flood in Pennsylvania, July 19, 1996
- Tornadoes in Pennsylvania, July 19, 1996
- Tornado in Maryland, July 19, 1996
- Flash Flood in Pennsylvania, July 19, 1996
- Flash Flood in Ohio, July 19 to 20, 1996
- Rip Current in Florida, July 19, 1996
- Tornadoes in Pennsylvania, July 19, 1996
- Flash Flood in Kentucky, July 19 to 20, 1996
- Flash Flood in Kentucky, July 19, 1996
- Flash Flood in Pennsylvania, July 19, 1996
More
Every storm in Pennsylvania in 1996Every state in 1996This day in weather historyWarnings in Pennsylvania, July 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: 5574551.