Flash Flood in Pennsylvania, August 26, 2003

Name: Flash Flood in Pennsylvania, August 26, 2003
Start: 2003-08-26T08:15
End: 2003-08-26T13:40
Location: Pennsylvania

August 26, 2003 · NWS PBZ · 1 event in 1 county or zone

1 flash flood, as filed by the National Weather Service.

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

Open the live radar over this ground

The toll

Deaths: 0
Injuries: 0
Property damage: $110,000
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 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 Aug 26, 1:46 AM EST, 6 hours 29 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Aug 26, 1:46 AM EST, 6 hours 29 minutes before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PITTSBURGH PA
246 AM EDT TUE AUG 26 2003

CONVECTION FIRED UP ALONG WARM FRONTAL BOUNDARY DRAPED ROUGHLY ALONG
INTERSTATE 80.  STORMS HAVE BEEN TRAINING THROUGH
MERCER...VENANGO...CLARION...AND JEFFERSON COUNTIES FOR SEVERAL
HOURS.  THE NEXT MCS OVER LAKE ERIE SHOULD ALSO MOVE THROUGH THE
NORTHERN COUNTIES BEFORE SUNRISE BRINGING THE POTENTIAL FOR FLOODING
TO THAT AREA.

AS SUCH...HAVE ISSUED A FLOOD WATCH FOR THE COUNTIES NORTH OF KPIT
VALID UNTIL 10 PM TUESDAY AS ADDITIONAL ACTIVITY NEAR JANESVILLE, WI
MAY HOLD TOGETHER THROUGH THE AT LEAST THE FIRST HALF OF THE DAY AND
CAUSE ADDITIONAL HEAVY RAINFALL.

DEWPOINTS IN THE LOW TO MID 70S TODAY WILL KEEP TEMPS FROM SHOOTING
UP MUCH FURTHER THAN YESTERDAYS READINGS.  THIS SOUPY AIRMASS ALONG
WITH OUTFLOW BOUNDARIES FROM THIS MORNINGS CONVECTION CAN SET OFF A
STORMS AT ANY TIME TODAY BUT ARE MORE LIKELY TONIGHT AS FRONTAL
BOUNDARY APPROACHES THE AREA.

EXTENDED LOOKS ON TARGET WITH THE NEXT COLD FRONT POISED TO CROSS
THE AREA LATE FRIDAY BRINGING A LATE SUMMER COOL-DOWN FOR THE
WEEKEND.

PIT   87  70  82  59 /  60  50  40  10
HLG   85  69  82  60 /  60  50  40  10
MGW   85  68  84  62 /  40  50  40  20
ZZV   88  69  83  61 /  50  50  30  20
PHD   88  69  83  61 /  50  50  30  20
FKL   85  68  80  58 /  70  50  40  10
DUJ   85  68  80  58 /  70  50  40  10
LBE   85  69  82  60 /  60  50  40  10
BTP   85  68  80  58 /  70  50  40  10
IDI   85  68  80  58 /  70  50  40  10
ODM   81  66  80  58 /  40  50  40  30

.PBZ...
MD...NONE.
OH...NONE.
PA...FLOOD WATCH UNTIL 1000 PM EDT TUESDAY FOR ZONES PAZ007>009...
PAZ013>016...PAZ022>023.

WV...NONE.

TYBURSKI

Hazardous weather outlook, Aug 26, 4:23 AM EST, 3 hours 52 minutes before

MDZ001-OHZ039>041-048>050-057>059-068-069-PAZ007>009-013>016-020>023-
029>032-WVZ001>004-012-021>023-041-261130-

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PITTSBURGH PA
523 AM EDT TUE AUG 26 2003

THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR WESTERN PENNSYLVANIA
EAST CENTRAL OHIO...NORTHERN WEST VIRGINIA AND
GARRETT COUNTY MARYLAND.

.DAY ONE...TODAY

.THERE IS A SLIGHT RISK OF SEVERE THUNDERSTORMS TODAY.  UNSTABLE AIR
ALONG WITH HUMID CONDITIONS HAVE MOVED INTO THE AREA BEHIND A WARM
FRONT. THUNDERSTORMS ARE POSSIBLE AT ANY TIME TODAY BUT WILL BE
MORE LIKELY TONIGHT AS A COLD FRONT APPROACHES FROM THE NORTHWEST.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...

.ANOTHER COLD FRONT WILL MOVE THROUGH THE AREA ON FRIDAY WHICH MAY
RESULT IN STRONG THUNDERSTORMS.

.SPOTTER CALL TO ACTION STATEMENT...

SPOTTER ACTIVATION MAY BE REQUIRED. STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO
FOR FURTHER DETAILS.

TYBURSKI

In the hours before

Special weather statement, Aug 26, 6:43 AM EST, 1 hour 32 minutes before

PAZ030-261245-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PITTSBURGH PA
743 AM EDT TUE AUG 26 2003

AT 7:35 AM...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED STRONG
THUNDERSTORMS MOVING THROUGH ALLEGHENY COUNTY.  THESE STORMS ARE
MOVING TO THE SOUTHEAST AT 35 MPH AND WILL AFFECT WESTMORELAND COUNTY
BETWEEN 7:45 AM AND 8:45 AM.

BE ALERT FOR HEAVY RAINFALL...GUSTY WINDS TO 35 MPH...AND DANGEROUS
LIGHTNING.  DRIVING MAY BE DIFFICULT DUE TO PONDING OF WATER ON
ROADWAYS AND REDUCED VISIBILITY IN HEAVY RAIN.

AREAS THAT WILL BE AFFECTED BY THESE STORMS INCLUDE
MURRYSVILLE...EXPORT AND MANOR.

IF YOU EXPERIENCE HIGH WATER OR STORM-RELATED DAMAGE...PLEASE CONTACT
THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE TOLL-FREE AT 1-877-633-6772.

TYBURSKI

Local storm report, Aug 26, 7:21 AM EST, 54 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PITTSBURGH, PA
821 AM EDT TUE AUG 26 2003

TIME(EDT)  .....CITY LOCATION.....STATE   ...EVENT/REMARKS...
           ....COUNTY LOCATION....

0755 AM    DUQUESNE                  PA   .75 INCH HAIL
08/26/03   ALLEGHENY

Local storm report, Aug 26, 7:22 AM EST, 53 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PITTSBURGH, PA
822 AM EDT TUE AUG 26 2003

TIME(EDT)  .....CITY LOCATION.....STATE   ...EVENT/REMARKS...
           ....COUNTY LOCATION....

0750 AM    DRAVOSBURG                PA   0.50 INCH HAIL
08/26/03   ALLEGHENY

Local storm report, Aug 26, 7:40 AM EST, 35 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PITTSBURGH, PA
840 AM EDT TUE AUG 26 2003

TIME(EDT)  .....CITY LOCATION.....STATE   ...EVENT/REMARKS...
           ....COUNTY LOCATION....

0750 AM    DRAVOSBURG                PA   0.50 INCH HAIL
08/26/03   ALLEGHENY

0830 AM    ACME                      PA   .75 INCH HAIL
08/26/03   WESTMORELAND

Special weather statement, Aug 26, 8:12 AM EST, 3 minutes before

OHZ039>041-048>050-PAZ007>009-013>016-020>023-029-030-WVZ001>003-
261800-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PITTSBURGH PA
912 AM EDT TUE AUG 26 2003

SEVERE THUNDERSTORM WATCH IN EFFECT UNTIL 200 PM EDT TUESDAY
AFTERNOON
FOR THE FOLLOWING COUNTIES...

IN PENNSYLVANIA...

  ALLEGHENY       ARMSTRONG       BEAVER          BUTLER
  CLARION         FOREST          INDIANA         JEFFERSON
  LAWRENCE        MERCER          VENANGO         WASHINGTON
  WESTMORELAND

IN WEST VIRGINIA...

  BROOKE          HANCOCK         OHIO

IN OHIO...

  CARROLL         COLUMBIANA      COSHOCTON       HARRISON
  JEFFERSON       TUSCARAWAS

Local storm report, Aug 26, 8:15 AM EST, 0 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PITTSBURGH, PA
915 AM EDT TUE AUG 26 2003

TIME(EDT)  .....CITY LOCATION.....STATE   ...EVENT/REMARKS...
           ....COUNTY LOCATION....

0750 AM    DRAVOSBURG                PA   0.50 INCH HAIL
08/26/03   ALLEGHENY

0830 AM    ACME                      PA   .75 INCH HAIL
08/26/03   WESTMORELAND

0856 AM    FRANKLIN                  PA   FLASH FLOODS
08/26/03   VENANGO                        BETWEEN 0856 AM AND 0911
                                          AM STREAMS OVER ROADS AND
                                          IN BUILDINGS

The radar

The Pittsburgh radar (KPBZ), 104 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 13:13 UTC.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

1 flash flood. Local standard time, as filed.

Flash Flood, Venango

When: August 26, 8:15 AM EST to 1:40 PM EST
Where: Venango County, Franklin
Property damage: $110,000
Reported by: EMERGENCY MANAGER
Coordinates: 41.401, -79.758 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Parts of Routes 8 and 62, and other roads, flooded. Pizza business on 15th Street hill flooded twice during this storm. Chubb Run overflowed, flooded at least 3 homes. Three homes evacuated. At least a dozen basements flooded. Route 257 near Oil City flooded. Doppler radar estimated 3.7 inches of rain fell.

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 2003 Every state in 2003 This day in weather history Warnings in Pennsylvania, August 2003

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: 5334331.