1 flood, as filed by the National Weather Service.
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.
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.
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 State College, PA wrote its last area forecast discussion before the first event at Sep 17, 10:55 PM EST, 1 hour 5 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION...UPDATED NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE STATE COLLEGE PA 1155 PM EDT FRI SEP 17 2004 .SHORT TERM (REST OF TONIGHT)... WILL UPDATE GRIDS TO REMOVE TORNADO WATCH. LL JET CONTINUES TO PUMP COPIOUS MOISTURE NORTHWRD INTO EASTERN PA...WHILE BACK EDGE OF DEFORMATION ZONE PRECIP NOW WORKING INTO NW MTNS. WIDESPREAD FLOODING ONGOING OVER MOST OF OUR CENTRAL AND WESTERN CWA. && .PREVIOUS DISCUSSION... THE FOLLOWING WAS ORIGINALLY ISSUED AT 710 PM EDT FRI SEP 17 2004 SHORT TERM (REST OF TONIGHT)... QUICK UPDATE TO INCLUDE TORNADO WATCH. VERY HEAVY RAIN FALLING THROUGHOUT MUCH OF THE CWA...PROMPTING MANY FLOOD WARNINGS. ONDREJIK THE FOLLOWING WAS ORIGINALLY ISSUED AT 340 PM EDT FRI SEP 17 2004 AVIATION... WIDESPREAD IFR TO LIFR CONDITIONS WILL OCCUR THROUGH TONIGHT. DEEP DRYING PUSHING IN FROM THE NORTH DURING THE LATE MORNING HOURS SATURDAY WILL LEAD TO QUICK IMPROVEMENT TO MVFR...THEN VFR CONDITIONS BETWEEN 11Z AND 15Z. SHORT TERM (TONIGHT THROUGH MONDAY NIGHT)... STEADY RAIN WILL CONTINUE TO FILL IN ACROSS SERN CWA AND AREA OF HEAVY RAIN WILL CONTINUE TO OVERSPREAD THE CWA FROM NW TO SE INTO THE EVENING HOURS. SIG RAIN SHOULD CUT OFF BY SUNRISE ACROSS MOST OF CWA. BEST CHANCE OF LINGERING SHOWERS SAT MORNING WILL BE ACROSS EASTERN SECTIONS. EXPECT SWATCH OF 1-3 INCHES AND LOCALLY UP TO 5+ INCHES ACROSS MUCH OF THE CWA. GOOD DEAL OF DRY AIR PROGGED TO MOVE IN DURING THE DAY SAT AND CONT INTO MONDAY. LONG TERM (TUESDAY THROUGH FRIDAY)... A LARGE AREA OF HIGH PRESSURE WILL ENCOMPASS THE NE US AND MID ATLANTIC STATES DURING THE EARLY TO MID WEEK PERIOD. QPF IS NIL IN THE WEB BASED GRIDS MONDAY THROUGH THURSDAY MORNING. A WEAK COLD FRONT WILL BRING THE CHANCE FOR A FEW SHOWERS LATER THURSDAY THROUGH FRIDAY. && .CTP WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... PA...FLOOD WATCH FOR ZONES PAZ004>006-010>012-017>019-024>028- 033>037-041-042-045-046-049>053-056>059-063>066 THROUGH SATURDAY. && SHORT TERM (UPDATE)...FITZGERALD
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE STATE COLLEGE PA 458 AM EDT FRI SEP 17 2004 PAZ004>006-010>012-017>019-024>028-033>037-041-042-045-046-049>053- 056>059-063>066-180850- ADAMS PA-BEDFORD PA-BLAIR PA-CAMBRIA PA-CAMERON PA-CLEARFIELD PA- COLUMBIA PA-CUMBERLAND PA-DAUPHIN PA-ELK PA-FRANKLIN PA-FULTON PA- HUNTINGDON PA-JUNIATA PA-LANCASTER PA-LEBANON PA-MCKEAN PA- MIFFLIN PA-MONTOUR PA-NORTHERN CENTRE PA-NORTHERN CLINTON PA- NORTHERN LYCOMING PA-NORTHUMBERLAND PA-PERRY PA-POTTER PA- SCHUYLKILL PA-SNYDER PA-SOMERSET PA-SOUTHERN CENTRE PA- SOUTHERN CLINTON PA-SOUTHERN LYCOMING PA-SULLIVAN PA-TIOGA PA- UNION PA-WARREN PA-YORK PA- 458 AM EDT FRI SEP 17 2004 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR CENTRAL PENNSYLVANIA. .DAY ONE...TODAY: HEAVY RAIN FROM THE REMNANTS OF HURRICANE IVAN WILL OVERSPREAD CENTRAL PENNSYLVANIA TODAY AND TONIGHT. SEVERAL INCHES OF RAIN ARE EXPECTED OVER MUCH OF THE REGION...RESULTING IN WIDESPREAD FLOODING...INCLUDING ALONG THE MAJOR RIVERS. AT THIS POINT THE HEAVIEST RAIN...WITH LOCALIZED TOTALS AROUND 6 INCHES...APPEARS MOST LIKELY OVER THE CENTRAL PORTION OF THE STATE...ROUGHLY ALONG THE I-80 CORRIDOR. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...SATURDAY THROUGH THURSDAY: RAIN WILL LIKELY TAPER OFF EARLY SATURDAY. HOWEVER...FLOODING MAY CONTINUE THROUGHOUT THE DAY AND INTO SUNDAY. SPOTTER CALL TO ACTION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT ANTICIPATED.
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE STATE COLLEGE PA 700 PM EDT FRI SEP 17 2004 PAZ035-036-063>066-180400- ADAMS PA-CUMBERLAND PA-FRANKLIN PA-FULTON PA-LANCASTER PA-YORK PA- 700 PM EDT FRI SEP 17 2004 ...A TORNADO WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL MIDNIGHT EDT SATURDAY MORNING FOR THE FOLLOWING COUNTIES IN CENTRAL PENNSYLVANIA... ADAMS...CUMBERLAND...FRANKLIN...FULTON...LANCASTER AND YORK. REMEMBER A TORNADO WATCH MEANS CONDITIONS ARE FAVORABLE FOR TORNADOS IN AND CLOSE TO THE WATCH AREA. PEOPLE IN THESE AREAS SHOULD BE ON THE LOOKOUT FOR THREATENING WEATHER CONDITIONS AND LISTEN FOR LATER STATEMENTS AND POSSIBLE WARNINGS. STAY TUNED TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO AND OTHER MEDIA FOR FURTHER DETAILS OR UPDATES.
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE STATE COLLEGE PA
725 PM EDT FRI SEP 17 2004
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION...ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0717 PM TORNADO GREENCASTLE 39.79N 77.73W
09/17/2004 FRANKLIN PA TRAINED SPOTTER
CONFIRMED TORNADO TOUCHDOWN
&&
JVPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT ... CORRECTION
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE STATE COLLEGE PA
942 PM EDT FRI SEP 17 2004
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION...ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0717 PM TORNADO GREENCASTLE 39.79N 77.73W
09/17/2004 FRANKLIN PA TRAINED SPOTTER
CONFIRMED TORNADO TOUCHDOWN
0905 PM TSTM WND DMG NEWVILLE 40.17N 77.40W
09/17/2004 CUMBERLAND PA EMERGENCY MNGR
BARN COLLAPSED. ROOF OFF HOUSE.
&&
KFSPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE STATE COLLEGE PA 955 PM EDT FRI SEP 17 2004 PAZ064-065-180245- ADAMS-YORK- 955 PM EDT FRI SEP 17 2004 ...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WILL AFFECT YORK AND ADAMS COUNTIES THROUGH 1045 PM... AT 950 PM EDT...NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE DOPPLER RADAR INDICATED A STRONG THUNDERSTORM 6 MILES SOUTH OF PARKVILLE...MOVING NORTH AT 25 MPH. THE THUNDERSTORM WILL BE NEAR PARKVILLE...PENNVILLE... MCSHERRYSTOWN AROUND 1005 PM...HANOVER AROUND 1010 PM...NEW OXFORD AROUND 1015 PM...ABBOTTSTOWN AROUND 1020 PM...SPRING GROVE... HEIDLERSBURG AROUND 1025 PM...EAST BERLIN AND THOMASVILLE AROUND 1030 PM. VERY HEAVY RAIN WILL FALL...AND WILL CAUSE WATER TO POND ON ROADS AND QUICKLY FILL ROADSIDE DITCHES AND SMALL STREAMS. WIND GUSTS TO 50 MPH ARE POSSIBLE WITH THIS STORM. ALSO...EXPECT INTENSE LIGHTNING. DO NOT SEEK SHELTER UNDER TREES OR STAY IN THE OPEN WHEN LIGHTNING THREATENS. A TORNADO WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT UNTIL MIDNIGHT. JV
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE STATE COLLEGE PA
1252 AM EDT SAT SEP 18 2004
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION...ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0745 PM FLOOD EMPORIUM 41.51N 78.24W
09/17/2004 CAMERON PA TRAINED SPOTTER
ROADS FLOODED
0945 PM FLOOD MEYERSDALE 39.81N 79.03W
09/17/2004 SOMERSET PA TRAINED SPOTTER
ROUTE 219 COVERED IN WATER
1015 PM FLOOD NEW BLOOMFIELD 40.42N 77.19W
09/17/2004 PERRY PA EMERGENCY MNGR
COUNTY WIDE FLOODING
1125 PM FLOOD MONTGOMERY 41.17N 76.88W
09/17/2004 LYCOMING PA TRAINED SPOTTER
EVACUATIONS NEAR BROOK STREET
1245 AM FLOOD STATE COLLEGE 40.79N 77.86W
09/18/2004 CENTRE PA NWS EMPLOYEE
NUMEROUS BASEMENTS FLOODED
&&
JVThe national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
1 flood. Local standard time, as filed.
Heavy rain caused the Aughwick Creek at Shirleysburg to exceed its flood stage of 10 feet. The river rose above flood stage at 00:00 EST on the 18th, crested at 18.5 feet at 12:15 EST on the 18th, and fell below flood stage at 10:15 EST on the 19th.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Pennsylvania in 2004Every state in 2004This day in weather historyWarnings in Pennsylvania, September 2004
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: 5422727.