Flash Flood in Pennsylvania, August 7, 2003

Name: Flash Flood in Pennsylvania, August 7, 2003
Start: 2003-08-07T20:45
End: 2003-08-07T21:30
Location: Pennsylvania

August 7, 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: None recorded
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 7, 12:50 PM EST, 7 hours 55 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Aug 7, 12:50 PM EST, 7 hours 55 minutes before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PITTSBURGH PA
150 PM EDT THU AUG 7 2003

EARLY ZONE ISSUANCE SINCE WE ARE GOING WITH FFA TIL 10 PM THIS
EVENING FOR MUCH OF THE CWA. CELLS FORMING WITH HEAVY RAIN AND ARE
NEARLY STATIONARY.

LOCKED IN PATTERN WITH UPPER TROUGH TO OUR WEST THROUGH THE WEEKEND
AT LEAST. NOT MUCH CHANGE TO THIS FORECAST OVER THE PAST ONE.

PIT   64  80  65  79 /  60  40  40  40
HLG   64  79  65  78 /  60  40  40  40
MGW   63  80  66  78 /  60  30  30  40
ZZV   63  80  66  78 /  60  30  30  40
PHD   63  80  66  78 /  60  30  30  40
FKL   61  77  63  75 /  40  40  40  40
DUJ   61  77  63  75 /  40  40  40  40
LBE   62  77  64  76 /  60  40  40  40
BTP   63  78  65  77 /  50  40  40  40
IDI   61  77  63  75 /  40  40  40  40
ODM   58  78  59  69 /  70  50  50  40

.PBZ...
MD...FLOOD WATCH FOR THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING FOR ZONE MDZ001.

OH...FLOOD WATCH FOR THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING FOR ZONES
OHZ039>041...OHZ048>050...OHZ057>059...OHZ068>069.

PA...FLOOD WATCH FOR THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING FOR ZONES
PAZ013>014...PAZ020>021...PAZ029>032.

WV...FLOOD WATCH FOR THIS AFTERNOON AND EVENING FOR ZONES
WVZ001>004...WVZ012...WVZ021>023...WVZ041.

RS

Hazardous weather outlook, Aug 7, 3:58 AM EST, 16 hours 47 minutes before

MDZ001-OHZ039>041-048>050-057>059-068-069-PAZ007>009-013>016-020>023-
029>032-WVZ001>004-012-021>023-041-070900-

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PITTSBURGH PA
458 AM EDT THU AUG 7 2003

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

.DAY ONE...TODAY

SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS ARE EXPECTED TO DEVELOP AGAIN TODAY.
ALTHOUGH THIS ACTIVITY IS NOT EXPECTED TO REACH SEVERE LEVELS...ANY
STORMS THAT DO DEVELOP WILL BE VERY SLOW MOVING AND CONTAIN HEAVY
RAIN. BECAUSE OF THIS...FLOODING WILL BE A THREAT TODAY...
ESPECIALLY DURING THE AFTERNOON AND EVENING HOURS.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...

SHOWER AND THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY IS EXPECT THROUGH THE WEEKEND.

.SPOTTER CALL TO ACTION STATEMENT...

SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT ANTICIPATED.

In the hours before

Local storm report, Aug 7, 6:44 PM EST, 2 hours 1 minute before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PITTSBURGH, PA
744 PM EDT THU AUG 7 2003

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

0745 PM    NEW CASTLE                PA   FLASH FLOODS
08/07/03   LAWRENCE                       NUMEROUS ROADS AND
                                          BASEMENTS FLOODED. REPORTED
                                          BY SKYWARN SPOTTERS

Local storm report, Aug 7, 6:57 PM EST, 1 hour 48 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PITTSBURGH, PA
757 PM EDT THU AUG 7 2003

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

0747 PM    NEW CASTLE                PA   .75 INCH HAIL
08/07/03   LAWRENCE                       REPORTED BY
PUBLIC

Special weather statement, Aug 7, 6:57 PM EST, 1 hour 48 minutes before

PAZ015-080130-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PITTSBURGH PA
757 PM EDT THU AUG 7 2003

...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WITH VERY HEAVY RAIN IN CLARION COUNTY...

NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PITTSBURGH DOPPLER RADAR SHOWED STRONG
THUNDERSTORMS PRODUCING VERY HEAVY RAIN ACROSS NORTHERN CLARION
COUNTY.  THE STORMS EXTENDED FROM TURKEY CITY, THROUGH SHIPPENVILLE
AND LUCINDA, TO LEEPER.  THESE SLOW MOVING THUNDERSTORMS WERE
DRIFTING TO THE NORTH AT JUST 5 MPH, AND COULD DUMP 1.5 TO 2.0
INCHES OF RAIN IN JUST ONE HOUR.  THIS MAY CAUSE FLOODING IN LOW
LYING AND POOR DRAINAGE AREAS.  SOME STREET FLOODING IS ALSO
POSSIBLE.  MOTORISTS SHOULD WATCH FOR WATER PONDING ON THE ROAD.

ALSO, FREQUENT LIGHTNING IS A THREAT, SO TAKE COVER INDOORS.

IF CAUGHT IN RISING WATER, MOVE QUICKLY TO HIGHER GROUND.  NEVER
DRIVE WHERE WATER COVERS THE ROAD, IT COULD BE TOO DEEP OR SWIFT TO
PASS THROUGH SAFELY.  STAY TUNED FOR UPDATES.

REHAK

Special weather statement, Aug 7, 7:27 PM EST, 1 hour 18 minutes before

OHZ041-080130-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PITTSBURGH PA
827 PM EDT THU AUG 7 2003

...VERY HEAVY RAINFALL IN NORTHEAST COLUMBIANA COUNTY...

NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PITTSBURGH DOPPLER RADAR ESTIMATES AND
SKYWARN SPOTTER REPORTS INDICATE THAT UP TO 1.50 INCHES OF RAIN HAS
FALLEN IN THE PAST 90 MINUTES.  THIS MAY CAUSE FLOODING IN LOW
LYING AND POOR DRAINAGE AREAS.  SOME STREET FLOODING IS ALSO
POSSIBLE.  MOTORISTS SHOULD WATCH FOR WATER PONDING ON THE ROAD.

RADAR SHOWS THAT THE THUNDERSTORMS ARE WEAKENING, SO THE RAIN AND
RUNOFF SHOULD SOON END.

IF CAUGHT IN RISING WATER, MOVE QUICKLY TO HIGHER GROUND.  NEVER
DRIVE WHERE WATER COVERS THE ROAD, IT COULD BE TOO DEEP OR SWIFT TO
PASS THROUGH SAFELY.  STAY TUNED FOR UPDATES.

REHAK

Special weather statement, Aug 7, 7:33 PM EST, 1 hour 12 minutes before

PAZ008-009-080230-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PITTSBURGH PA
833 PM EDT THU AUG 7 2003

...STRONG THUNDERSTORM WITH VERY HEAVY RAIN MOVING THROUGH FOREST
AND VENANGO COUNTIES...

NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PITTSBURGH DOPPLER RADAR SHOWED A LINE OF
THUNDERSTORMS PRODUCING VERY HEAVY RAIN EXTENDING FROM NEAR
KENNERDALE IN VENANGO COUNTY, THROUGH COAL HILL, TO MARIENVILLE IN
FOREST COUNTY.

THESE SLOW MOVING THUNDERSTORMS COULD DUMP UP TO 2 INCHES OF RAIN IN
AN HOUR AS THEY DRIFT SLOWLY TOWARD THE NORTH AT 10 MILES AN HOUR.
THIS MAY CAUSE FLOODING IN LOW LYING AND POOR DRAINAGE AREAS.  SOME
STREET FLOODING IS ALSO POSSIBLE.  MOTORISTS SHOULD WATCH FOR WATER
PONDING ON THE ROAD.

ALSO, FREQUENT LIGHTNING IS A THREAT, SO TAKE COVER INDOORS.

IF CAUGHT IN RISING WATER, MOVE QUICKLY TO HIGHER GROUND.  NEVER
DRIVE WHERE WATER COVERS THE ROAD, IT COULD BE TOO DEEP OR SWIFT TO
PASS THROUGH SAFELY.  STAY TUNED FOR UPDATES.

REHAK

Local storm report, Aug 7, 7:47 PM EST, 58 minutes before

PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PITTSBURGH, PA
847 PM EDT THU AUG 7 2003

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

0845 PM    SHIPPENVILLE              PA   FLASH FLOODS
08/07/03   CLARION                        RT 66N FLOODED BETWEEN
                                          SHIPPENVILLE AND LUCINDA.
                                          REPORTED BY EMERGENCY
                                          MANAGEMENT.

0845 PM    CLARION                   PA   FLASH FLOODS
08/07/03   CLARION                        ROAD FLOODING. REPORTED BY
                                          EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT

The radar

The Pittsburgh radar (KPBZ), 104 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 01:46 UTC.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

1 flash flood. Local standard time, as filed.

Flash Flood, Venango

When: August 7, 8:45 PM EST to 9:30 PM EST
Where: Venango County, Nickleville
Reported by: LAW ENFORCEMENT
Coordinates: 41.401, -79.758 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Route 38 near Nickleville closed by flooding.

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: 5334169.