Pennsylvania, 1997Flash Flooding in Pennsylvania, November 7 to 8, 1997
November 7 to 8, 1997 · NWS CTP · 11 events in 11 counties and zones
11 flash flood, as filed by the National Weather Service.
Every event with a place to put it; 11 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
Open the live radar over this ground
- Deaths
- 1
- Injuries
- 0
- Property damage
- None recorded
- Crop damage
- None recorded
- Events
- 11
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.
Flash Flood, Bedford
- When
- November 7, 2:00 PM EST to November 8, 12:00 PM EST
- Where
- Bedford County, Countywide
- Coordinates
- 40.007, -78.490 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Heavy rains and flooding struck a 10 county area of south central Pennsylvania on November 7th and 8th as a low pressure system over Virginia pulled large amounts of moisture northwest from the Atlantic Ocean. Rainfall storm totals exceeded 6 inches across parts of Fulton, Bedford, Huntingdon and Blair counties with 3-5 inches falling across adjacent counties. Highest reported amount was 7.38 inches at Saxton in northeast Bedford County with 6.80 inches in Orbisonia in Huntingdon County. Heavy rains developed across the region late Friday morning with rainfall reports beginning to exceed 2 inches shortly before noon. Rains would continue across the area through the afternoon and evening before diminishing in the early morning hours Saturday. Small streams overflowed, basements flooded and many roads were closed across the region. Major roads including Routes 22, 522, and 219 were closed for much of the day Saturday. One death was indirectly attributed to the flooding. An 82 year old male died of a heart attack after his vehicle stalled on Goodman Road in Morris Township, Huntingdon County, around 2:15 p.m. Saturday afternoon. He succumbed while attempting to wade to dry land. Evacuation shelters were open in many counties. Water overflowed the emergency spillway of the Bakerton Dam in West Carroll Township of Cambria County. Eight families were advised to evacuate to a shelter at Carrolltown Fire Hall. Upper branches of the Juniata River flooded with the Frankstown Branch at Williamsburg cresting close to 18 feet, which is classified as near record flooding.
Flash Flood, Blair
- When
- November 7, 2:00 PM EST to November 8, 12:00 PM EST
- Where
- Blair County, Countywide
- Coordinates
- 40.481, -78.349 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Flash Flood, Cambria
- When
- November 7, 2:00 PM EST to November 8, 12:00 PM EST
- Where
- Cambria County, Countywide
- Coordinates
- 40.495, -78.714 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Flash Flood, Cumberland
- When
- November 7, 2:00 PM EST to November 8, 12:00 PM EST
- Where
- Cumberland County, West Portion
- Coordinates
- 40.164, -77.266 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Flash Flood, Somerset
- When
- November 7, 3:30 PM EST to November 8, 10:00 AM EST
- Where
- Somerset County, Countywide
- Coordinates
- 39.972, -79.028 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Flash Flood, Clearfield
- When
- November 7, 6:00 PM EST to November 8, 6:00 PM EST
- Where
- Clearfield County, Countywide
- Coordinates
- 41.000, -78.474 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Flash Flood, Fulton
- When
- November 7, 6:00 PM EST to November 8, 12:00 PM EST
- Where
- Fulton County, Countywide
- Coordinates
- 39.925, -78.113 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Flash Flood, Huntingdon
- When
- November 7, 6:00 PM EST to November 8, 12:00 PM EST
- Where
- Huntingdon County, Countywide
- Deaths
- 1 direct, 0 indirect
- Coordinates
- 40.417, -77.981 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Flash Flood, Franklin
- When
- November 7, 7:00 PM EST to November 8, 10:00 AM EST
- Where
- Franklin County, Countywide
- Coordinates
- 39.927, -77.721 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Flash Flood, Adams
- When
- November 7, 9:00 PM EST to November 8, 8:00 AM EST
- Where
- Adams County, West Portion
- Coordinates
- 39.872, -77.218 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Flash Flood, Perry
- When
- November 8, 12:45 AM EST to 8:00 AM EST
- Where
- Perry County, West Portion
- Coordinates
- 40.398, -77.262 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
- 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.
- Flash Flood in Pennsylvania, November 7 to 8, 1997$40,000 · 1 event
- Coastal Flood and High Wind in New Jersey, November 7 to 8, 199752 kt wind · 14 events
- High Wind in South Dakota, November 7, 199750 kt wind · 12 events
- Heavy Rain in New York, November 7 to 9, 199711 events
- Flash Flooding in Virginia, November 7, 1997$10,000 · 10 events
- Coastal Flood and Strong Wind in Delaware, November 7 to 9, 19976 events
- Flash Flooding in West Virginia, November 7, 19975 events
- Heavy Rain in New Jersey, November 7 to 9, 19975 events
- Flash Flooding in Maryland, November 7 to 8, 1997$5,000 · 4 events
- Heavy Rain in Connecticut, November 7 to 9, 19974 events
- Flash Flood in Pennsylvania, November 7, 19971 event
- High Wind in Alaska, November 7 to 8, 19971 event
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: 5619684, 5619686, 5619687, 5619689, 5619693, 5619688, 5619691, 5619694, 5619690, 5619685, 5619692.