Pennsylvania, 2002Flash Flooding and Damaging Winds in Pennsylvania, May 9, 2002
May 9, 2002 · NWS PBZ · 6 events in 4 counties and zones
4 flash flood, 2 thunderstorm wind, as filed by the National Weather Service.
Every event with a place to put it; 4 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
- 0
- Injuries
- 0
- Property damage
- $711,000
- Crop damage
- None recorded
- Events
- 6
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 forecasters said that day
The local office's own words before the first event, as it sent them, from the Iowa Environmental Mesonet's archive of National Weather Service text.
NWS Pittsburgh, PA wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at May 8, 9:48 PM EST, 2 hours 12 minutes earlier.
Area forecast discussion, May 8, 9:48 PM EST, 2 hours 12 minutes before
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PITTSBURGH PA
1048 PM EDT WED MAY 8 2002
UPDATED ZONES FOR FLOOD WATCH TIL 5 PM THU. MAIN REASON FOR THIS IS MY
VERY LOW FF VALUES IN SRN HALF OF CWA. SMALL TSTMS KEEP POPPING UP IN
THE WARM SECTOR, AND THEY TEND TO DUMP A LOT OF RAIN. IF TOO MANY OF
THEM MOVE OVER THE SAME SPOT, BINGO.
OTRW...TEMPS LOOKED OK. WERE SET FOR SVR WX THU. RAISED POPS 10 PCT IN
S, KEEP REST THE SAME AS EARLIER.
.PBZ...
PA...FLOOD WATCH TIL 5 PM THU PAZ021-029>032.
OH...FLOOD WATCH TIL 5 PM THU OHZ039-040-048>050-057>059-068-069.
WV...FLOOD WATCH TIL 5 PM THU WVZ001>004-012-021-022-023-041.
MD...FLOOD WATCH TIL 5 PM THU MDZ001.
Flash Flood, Fayette
- When
- May 9, 12:00 AM EST to 3:00 AM EST
- Where
- Fayette County, Brownsville
- Property damage
- $200,000
- Reported by
- TRAINED SPOTTER
- Coordinates
- 39.920, -79.647 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Heavy thunderstorm rains falling on nearly saturated ground produced basement and roadway flooding across portions of northwest Fayette County in Brownsville and Perryopolis boroughs, as well as Luzerne, Jefferson, Frankin, Perry and Saltlick townships. In Brownsville, seven residents were evacuated from a personal care facility due to the flash flooding. Several other homes in the lower, south side of Brownsville were also evacuated as water poured down the adjacent steep hillside and into their homes. Large rocks, logs and other debris also washed down the hillside and produced damage to area homes. Some roadways in the Brownsville area sustained damage to the point they were closed. In Perryopolis, the rains flooded the basements of 24 homes and damaged roads and infrastructure in Franklin Township. Portions of the area's busiest highways, State Highways 51 and 119, were also closed at times overnight.
Flash Flood, Washington
- When
- May 9, 12:54 AM EST to 3:30 AM EST
- Where
- Washington County, West Brownsville
- Property damage
- $500,000
- Reported by
- NEWSPAPER
- Coordinates
- 40.189, -80.248 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
1.25 inches of rain in less than an hour from thunderstorms passing over the area produced flash flooding that flooded 25 basements, washed out a bridge and damaged several roads in the West Brownsville, Deemston and California areas.
Flash Flood, Westmoreland
- When
- May 9, 1:04 AM EST to 3:30 AM EST
- Where
- Westmoreland County, Scottdale
- Property damage
- $5,000
- Reported by
- LAW ENFORCEMENT
- Coordinates
- 40.311, -79.467 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Thunderstorm rains produced minor roadway flooding in the Scottdale area.
Flash Flood, Fayette
- When
- May 9, 6:13 AM EST to 9:00 AM EST
- Where
- Fayette County, Melcroft
- Reported by
- TRAINED SPOTTER
- Coordinates
- 39.920, -79.647 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)
Over 1.50 inches of rain in less than one hour forced Indian Creek out of its banks.
Thunderstorm Wind, Indiana
- When
- May 9, 12:40 PM EST
- Where
- Indiana County, Juneau
- Property damage
- $5,000
- Reported by
- LAW ENFORCEMENT
- Coordinates
- 40.883, -78.950
Thunderstorm winds downed several trees.
Thunderstorm Wind, Indiana
- When
- May 9, 4:43 PM EST
- Where
- Indiana County, Tunnelton
- Property damage
- $1,000
- Reported by
- LAW ENFORCEMENT
- Coordinates
- 40.467, -79.383
Thunderstorm winds downed a large tree.
- 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.
- Thunderstorm Wind
- Winds from a thunderstorm of 50 knots (58 mph) or more, or lower winds that caused damage or casualties. Measured gusts are marked MG, estimated EG.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
- Tornado in Illinois, May 9, 20022 deaths · F1 · 1 event
- Flooding in Alaska, May 9 to 13, 2002$2.0 million · 2 events
- Flash Flood and Damaging Wind in Indiana, May 9, 2002$230,000 · 2 events
- Lightning Strikes in Wisconsin, May 9, 2002$200,000 · 2 events
- Hail and Damaging Winds in Georgia, May 9 to 11, 2002$40,000 · 1.75 in hail · 32 events
- Damaging Winds in Pennsylvania, May 9, 2002$100,000 · 52 kt wind · 2 events
- Damaging Wind in Georgia, May 9, 2002$100,000 · 60 kt wind · 1 event
- Hail and Damaging Winds in Georgia, May 9, 2002$62,000 · 1.75 in hail · 9 events
- Tornado in Ohio, May 9, 2002$50,000 · F0 · 1 event
- Damaging Wind in Missouri, May 9, 2002$40,000 · 52 kt wind · 1 event
- Damaging Wind in Missouri, May 9, 2002$40,000 · 50 kt wind · 1 event
- Lightning Strike in Michigan, May 9, 2002$30,000 · 1 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: 5298759, 5298760, 5298981, 5298982, 5298983, 5298984.