Pennsylvania, 1997

Heavy Rain in Pennsylvania, May 25, 1997

May 25, 1997 · NWS PHI · 8 events in 8 counties and zones

A series of low pressure systems traveling west to east along a nearly stationary frontal boundary produced some locally heavy rain across Eastern Pennsylvania. The heaviest rain fell during the early afternoon in the Lehigh Valley and the late afternoon and early evening across the Greater Philadelphia Metropolitan Area.

Where it happened

Every event with a place to put it; 8 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

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The toll

Deaths
1
Injuries
0
Property damage
None recorded
Crop damage
None recorded
Events
8

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.

A series of low pressure systems traveling west to east along a nearly stationary frontal boundary produced some locally heavy rain across Eastern Pennsylvania. The heaviest rain fell during the early afternoon in the Lehigh Valley and the late afternoon and early evening across the Greater Philadelphia Metropolitan Area. A 40-year-old man drowned in Nottingham while trying to clear debris from a storm drain near the stables on his land. The rushing water knocked him into the storm drain. Storm totals averaged 1 to 2 inches, with some locally higher amounts and caused the usual poor drainage flooding. Representative totals included 2.44 inches in Doylestown (Bucks County), 2.31 inches in Perkasie (Bucks County), 2.05 inches at Northeast Philadelphia Airport, 2.00 inches in Norristown (Montgomery County), 1.97 inches in Crum Creek (Delaware County), 1.92 inches in Phoenixville (Chester County), 1.88 inches in Palm (Montgomery County), 1.55 inches in Honey Brook (Chester County), 1.23 inches at the Lehigh Valley International Airport and 1.10 inches at the Philadelphia International Airport. M40OU

The radar

The national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

8 heavy rain. Local standard time, as filed.

Heavy Rain, Berks

When
May 25, 6:00 AM EST to 9:00 PM EST
Where
Berks County, Countywide
Coordinates
40.416, -75.926 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Rain, Lehigh

When
May 25, 6:00 AM EST to 9:00 PM EST
Where
Lehigh County, Countywide
Coordinates
40.613, -75.592 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Rain, Northampton

When
May 25, 6:00 AM EST to 9:00 PM EST
Where
Northampton County, Countywide
Coordinates
40.754, -75.307 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Rain, Bucks

When
May 25, 7:00 AM EST to 10:00 PM EST
Where
Bucks County, Countywide
Coordinates
40.337, -75.107 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Rain, Chester

When
May 25, 7:00 AM EST to 10:00 PM EST
Where
Chester County, Countywide
Deaths
1 direct, 0 indirect
Coordinates
39.973, -75.748 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Rain, Delaware

When
May 25, 7:00 AM EST to 10:00 PM EST
Where
Delaware County, Countywide
Coordinates
39.917, -75.399 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Rain, Montgomery

When
May 25, 7:00 AM EST to 10:00 PM EST
Where
Montgomery County, Countywide
Coordinates
40.211, -75.367 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Heavy Rain, Philadelphia

When
May 25, 7:00 AM EST to 10:00 PM EST
Where
Philadelphia County, Countywide
Coordinates
40.008, -75.134 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

The people who died

As the offices recorded each death: direct deaths were caused by the weather itself, indirect ones by something it set in motion.

EventDateAgeSexWhereKind
Heavy Rain, Chester1997-05-2540MaleOutside/Open AreasDirect

What these are

Heavy Rain
Rainfall totals unusual for the place and season that did not produce a flood.

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

The same day elsewhere

More

Every storm in Pennsylvania in 1997Every state in 1997This day in weather historyWarnings in Pennsylvania, May 1997

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: 5609076, 5609080, 5609082, 5609077, 5609078, 5609079, 5609081, 5609083.