Flash Flood in Pennsylvania, November 19, 2003

Name: Flash Flood in Pennsylvania, November 19, 2003
Start: 2003-11-19T09:15
End: 2003-11-19T14:30
Location: Pennsylvania

November 19, 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 Nov 19, 4:17 AM EST, 4 hours 58 minutes earlier.

Area forecast discussion, Nov 19, 4:17 AM EST, 4 hours 58 minutes before

AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PITTSBURGH PA
417 AM EST WED NOV 19 2003

FRONTAL BNDRY FROM WRN LK ERIE SWD INTO WRN TN ATTM...WHILE SFC WAVE
FORMING TWD ERN TN. MAIN BULK OF HVIER RAIN MVING INTO SWRN SXNS OF
CWA ATTM....MORE BACK ALONG/BHND FRONT IN INDIANA. AS UPPER LOW
SWINGS SLOWLY EWD TDY...PRECIP WILL CONT/PWS THRU
ERLY AFTN 1.2-1.5 RANGE...CHC TSTMS AS WELL SPCLY SRN SXNS BFR UPPER
TROF SWINGS THRU ERN SXNS EARLY TNGT. FLOOD WATCH REMAINS POSTED
THRU EARLY TNGT DUE TO POTENTIAL OF HVY RAINS/R.O. THROUGHOUT
DAY/EVENING. WILL KEEP PRECIP FAR ERN SXNS TNGT UNTIL PRECIP WINDS
DOWN THERE. MDLS SHOWING LITTLE WRAP ARND WITH THIS SYSTEM...WHILE
BOARD SW FLOW ALOFT WILL SET UP DURING THRS BRING DRY WX AND AOA
NORMAL TEMPS INTO WKND...NEXT THREAT FOR PRECIP AGAIN MON.
WINDY CONDS ERN SXNS TDY.

PIT   61  38  50  38 /  90  30  10  10
HLG   62  38  50  38 /  90  30  10  10
MGW   63  40  52  40 / 100  40  10  10
ZZV   62  38  52  40 /  80  20  10   0
PHD   61  37  51  39 /  80  20  10   0
FKL   58  37  48  36 / 100  40  10  10
DUJ   57  37  47  36 / 100  40  10  10
LBE   60  38  49  38 / 100  50  10  10
BTP   60  37  49  37 /  90  30  10  10
IDI   59  38  48  37 / 100  40  10  10
ODM   62  40  48  37 / 100  60  20  10

.PBZ...
MD...FLOOD WATCH UNTIL 1000 PM TONIGHT FOR ZONE MDZ001.

OH...FLOOD WATCH UNTIL 1000 PM EST TONIGHT FOR ZONES
OHZ039>041...OHZ048>050...OHZ057>059...OHZ068>069.

PA...FLOOD WATCH UNTIL 1000 PM EST TONIGHT FOR ZONES PAZ007>009...
PAZ013>016...PAZ020>023...PAZ029>032.

WV...FLOOD WATCH UNTIL 1000 PM EST TONIGHT FOR ZONES WVZ001>004...
WVZ012...WVZ021>023...WVZ041.

Hazardous weather outlook, Nov 19, 5:00 AM EST, 4 hours 15 minutes before

MDZ001-OHZ039>041-048>050-057>059-068-069-PAZ007>009-013>016-020>023-
029>032-WVZ001>004-012-021>023-041-19120-

HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PITTSBURGH PA
500 AM EST WED NOV 19 2003

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

.DAY ONE...TODAY

A FLOOD WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT TIL 10 PM TONIGHT.
RAIN...POSSIBLY HEAVY AT TIMES TODAY...BRINGS THE POTENTIAL FOR
FLOODING THROUGH THIS EVENING BEFORE...A COLD FRONT PUSHES THROUGH
THE AREA.

A RIVER FLOOD WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR TONIGHT FOR THE
CHEAT...MONONGAHELA AND YOUGHIOGHENY RIVERS...AS A RESULT OF
EXPECTED HEAVY RAINS AND RESULTANT RUNOFF FROM TODAY.

.DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...

A RIVER FLOOD WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR THURSDAY FOR THE
CHEAT...MONONGAHELA AND YOUGHIOGHENY RIVERS FROM CONTINUED
EXPECTED RUNOFF FROM WEDNESDAYS HEAVY RAIN.

NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED FROM DAY 3 THROUGH DAY 7 AT THIS
TIME.

.SPOTTER CALL TO ACTION STATEMENT...

SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS LIKELY TODAY.

In the hours before

Special weather statement, Nov 19, 4:43 AM EST, 4 hours 32 minutes before

OHZ039-040-049-050-058-059-068-069-PAZ031-WVZ001>004-012-021-022-
191230-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PITTSBURGH PA
443 AM EST WED NOV 19 2003

RAIN, POSSIBLY HEAVY AT TIMES, WILL BE MOVING INTO THE AREA BETWEEN 5
AND 530 AM FROM THE SOUTH. RAIN WILL CONTINUE INTO THE MORNING RUSH
HOUR WITH AMOUNTS UP TO 1.5 INCHES POSSIBLE IN A FEW
HOURS...RESULTING IN PONDING OF WATER ON ROADWAYS AND IN POOR
DRAINAGE AND LOW LYING AREAS QUICKLY. SHARP RISES ON STREAMS AND
CREEKS CAN OCCUR RAPIDLY.

MOTORISTS SHOULD BE ALERT FOR LOW VISIBILITIES AND PONDING OF WATER.
DO NOT ATTEMPT TO DRIVE THROUGH FLOODED ROADWAYS.

A FLOOD WATCH CONTINUES IN EFFECT UNTIL 10 PM TONIGHT.

Special weather statement, Nov 19, 5:12 AM EST, 4 hours 3 minutes before

MDZ001-OHZ039>041-048>050-057>059-068-069-PAZ007>009-013>016-020>023-
029>032-WVZ001>004-012-021>023-041-191600-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PITTSBURGH PA
512 AM EST WED NOV 19 2003

THE NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE IN PITTSBURGH CONTINUES A FLOOD WATCH
TIL 1000 PM TONIGHT FOR WESTERN PENNSYLVANIA...EAST CENTRAL
OHIO...EXTREME NORTHERN WEST VIRGINIA AND GARRETT COUNTY MARLAND.

RAIN TODAY...MAYBE HEAVY AT TIMES TO RESULT IN FLOODING. THERE IS
ALSO A CHANCE OF THUNDERSTORMS ALONG WITH GUSTY WINDS.
WINDS MAY GUST TO 40 MPH OR SO ESPECIALLY IN THE RIDGE COUNTIES OF
INDIANA...WESTMORELAND..AND FAYETTE IN WESTERN PENNSYLVANIA AND
PRESTON AND TUCKER COUNTIES IN EXTREME NORTHERN WEST VIRGINIA AND
GARRETT COUNTY MARLAND.

IF YOU LIVE ALONG A STREAM OR CREEK BE ALERT FOR RAPID WATER LEVEL
RISES. DO NOT ATTEMPT TO DRIVE THROUGH ROADWAYS IF THEY BECOME
FLOODED.

IN ADDITION...A RIVER FLOOD WATCH IS IN EFFECT FOR TONIGHT AND
THURSDAY FOR THE CHEAT...MONONGAHELA AND YOUGHIOGHENY RIVERS DUE TO
EXPECTED RAPID RUNOFF FROM TODAYS RAINS.

STAY TUNED FOR FURTHER UPDATES.

THE SKYWARN SPOTTER NETWORK WILL BE ACTIVATED TODAY.
SKYWARN SPOTTERS ARE REQUESTED TO REPORT RAINFALL AMOUNTS IN
EXCESS OF 1.00 INCHES DURING THE DAY.

Special weather statement, Nov 19, 7:44 AM EST, 1 hour 31 minutes before

OHZ041-050-PAZ013-014-020-021-029-WVZ001-002-191530-

SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PITTSBURGH PA
744 AM EST WED NOV 19 2003

NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE SAYS HEAVY RAIN WILL CONTINUE ACROSS THE
PITTSBURGH METRO AREA ALL MORNING. LOCATIONS GETTING MORE THAN 1 INCH
WILL HAVE PONDING OF WATERS ON ROADS AND IN UNDERPASSES ALONG WITH
POOR DRAINAGE AREAS. THERE CAN ALSO BE FLOODED BASEMENTS. IF MORE 2
INCHES OF RAIN FALLS...SMALL STREAMS WILL GO OUT OF THEIR BANKS.

NEVER DRIVE THROUGH FLOODED ROADS. LISTEN FOR UPDATES AND WARNINGS.

The radar

The Pittsburgh radar (KPBZ), 84 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 14:15 UTC.

Open the radar archive at this moment

Event by event

1 flash flood. Local standard time, as filed.

Flash Flood, Fayette

When: November 19, 9:15 AM EST to 2:30 PM EST
Where: Fayette County, Smock
Reported by: EMERGENCY MANAGER
Coordinates: 39.920, -79.647 (the zone’s center; the record gives no point)

Flash flooding on Rowes Run.

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, November 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: 5335768.