Heavy rainfall associated with a strong Mid-Atlantic storm brought heavy rain to portions of south-central Pennsylvania.
Every event with a place to put it. 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 episode as NWS CTP wrote it up.
Heavy rainfall associated with a strong Mid-Atlantic storm brought heavy rain to portions of south-central Pennsylvania.
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 May 12, 1:48 AM EST, 12 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE STATE COLLEGE PA 248 AM EDT MON MAY 12 2008 .SYNOPSIS... A POTENT STORM SYSTEM WILL TRACK FROM OHIO TO THE CHESAPEAKE BAY BY MONDAY AFTERNOON...BRINGING HEAVY RAIN AND SOME THUNDERSTORMS TO SOUTHERN PENNSYLVANIA. A RIDGE OF HIGH PRESSURE WILL BUILD OVER THE REGION TUESDAY AND EARLY WEDNESDAY. A COLD FRONT WILL LIKELY PUSH INTO THE REGION BY LATE WEDNESDAY OR THURSDAY. && .NEAR TERM /UNTIL 5 AM THIS MORNING/... HIGH WIND WARNING EXPIRED ON TIME AS MIXING HEIGHTS HAVE SIGNIFICANTLY LOWERED WITH THE ARRIVAL OF STEADY RAINFALL AND RESULTINGLY COOLER AND MORE STABLE LOWER LEVELS. MAIN CONCERN SHIFTS BACK TO THE OVERRIDING POTENTIAL HEAVY RAINFALL EVENT WITH ANOMALOUS EASTERLY JET ORIENTING ITSELF OVER CENTRAL AND EAST CENTRAL PA OVERNIGHT INTO MONDAY MORNING. STRENGTH OF THE LLJ FEATURE ABSOLUTELY NOT IN QUESTION...BUT GIVEN MEAGER PWATS AVAILABLE TO WORK ON...CONCERN AT THE MOMENT IS THAT DEEP CONVECTION SOUTH OF THE MASON DIXON LINE MAY LIMIT THE NORTHWARD EXTENT OF HEAVY RAINFALL ACROSS THE WATCH AREA. TOO EARLY TO MAKE A CALL ON THIS JUST YET BUT WILL HAVE TO BE MONITORED OVERNIGHT. POTENTIAL REMAINS FOR WIDESPREAD 1.5 TO 2.5 AMOUNTS WITH SOME ISOLATED 3.5 TO PERHAPS >4 AMOUNTS WHERE THE BEST LLJ FORCING AND RAIN BANDING SETS UP LATER TONIGHT TO THE WEST OF THE >+5 S.D. ABOVE NORMAL EASTERLY JET. THE GOOD NEWS IS THAT WERE VERY FORTUNATE THAT THIS IS NOT A TROPICAL AIR MASS && .SHORT TERM /5 AM THIS MORNING THROUGH 6 PM TUESDAY/... MOD TO HVY RAIN EXPECTED TO FALL OVER SOUTHERN PA TONIGHT AS SFC LO TRACKS JUST SOUTH OF THE MASON DIXON LINE. LATEST SREF DATA INDICATES A 12HR PERIOD OF IMPRESSIVE MOISTURE FLUX/ISENTROPIC LIFT TONIGHT AND MONDAY MORNING OVER SOUTHERN PA ASSOCIATED WITH ANOMALOUS EASTERLY LL JET. SOME CONVECTION POSSIBLE AS WELL. LATEST SREF QPF INDICATES PORTIONS OF SOUTHERN PA LIKELY TO RECEIVE IN EXCESS OF 2 INCHES...WITH MUCH OF THE AREA OVER AN INCH. ANTECEDENT CONDS IN THIS AREA PRETTY WET...WITH LATEST 12HR HEADWATER GUIDANCE ARND 1.2 INCHES FOR 12 HOURS AT SHIRLEYSBURG. OTHER FFG NUMBERS IN THE 1.5 TO 2 INCH RANGE. THEREFORE...WILL CONTINUE THE FLOOD WATCH FOR ROUGHLY THE SOUTHERN THIRD OF THE CWA INTO MONDAY. MODEL SOUNDINGS ACTUALLY BECOME MARGINALLY COLD ENOUGH FOR SNOW OVR THE HIGH TERRAIN OF THE ALLEGHENIES MON MORNING...AS STRONG LIFT/DYNAMIC COOLING DEVELOPS IN ADVANCE OF UPPER LO CENTER. HAVE INCLUDED A CHC OF SNOW ABV 1900FT ELEV FOR NOW IN THE SW AND THE NW DURING THE FEW HOURS AROUND SUNRISE...BUT SFC TEMPS SHOULD ONLY BE DOWN TO THE M30S AT THE COLDEST. RAIN SHOULD TAPER OFF BY MONDAY AFTN...AS SFC LO PUSHES OFF THE MID ATLANTIC COAST. HOWEVER...CLOUDS/NE FLOW WILL KEEP TEMPS FROM REBOUNDING. HIGHS MOSTLY IN THE 40S FOR MONDAY...WHICH ARE SOME 20-25F BELOW NORMAL. && .LONG TERM /TUESDAY NIGHT THROUGH SUNDAY/... LITTLE DEVIATION AMONGST ENSEMBLE MEMBERS TUE THRU THUR...WITH A LARGER SPREAD DEVELOPING TOWARDS NEXT WEEKEND. HIGH CONFIDENCE RIDGE OFF OF THE PAC-NW COAST WILL RESULT IN A TROUGHING ACROSS EASTERN THIRD OF THE CONUS AND MARGINALLY SUB-SEASONAL TEMPS AND A SEMI-ACTIVE WX PATTERN THRU THE NEXT 7 DAYS WITH PERIODS OF DRY WX MIXED IN. SFC RIDGE WILL INFLUENCE WX TUE AFTN...PROVIDING DRY WX THRU FIRST HALF WED. RIDGE SLIDES EAST WED AS A WEAK SHORTWAVE DROPS SOUTH INTO THE WESTERN GRT LKS BUT STRUGGLES TO SLIDE EAST BUMPING INTO PESKY MID-LVL RIDGE. FRONTAL BNDRY WILL STRETCH SOUTH THROUGH PLAINS EARLY WED...AND AS IT APPROACHES THE MID-ATLANTIC EXPECT SOME LVL OF FRONTOLYSIS TO OCCUR. SFC VORT SLIDES NE INTO ONTARIO WITH SECONDARY VORT SPLITTING TOWARDS GULF COASTAL STATES. THUS EXPECT AS PRECIP ARRIVES EARLY THUR IT WILL BE WAINING. 850MB THERMAL RIDGE IS PROGGED TO PERSIST THUR ACROSS NEW ENGLAND/MID-ATLANTIC...THEN BECOME CHOCKED OFF AS COOLER AIR SLIDES IN BEHIND BNDRY LATE THUR/EARLY FRI. THUR COULD FEATURE A LARGE DIURNAL SWING WITH TEMPS NEARING LOW/MID 70S. QUASI-STATIONARY MID-LVL VORT JUST SOUTH OF HUDSON BAY WILL SEND A FEW VORT LOBES THRU SOUTHERN GRT LKS FRI/SAT...KEEPING LOW CHC PRECIP THROUGH THE WEEKEND. 500MB TROUGH IS PROGGED TO BECOME NEGATIVELY TILTED TOWARDS THE WEEKEND...WHICH MAY HELP DEVELOP A COASTAL LOW OFF-SHORE OF THE CAROLINAS NEXT WEEKEND. CONFIDENCE IS LOW ATTM WITH THE FRI-SUN PERIODS. && .AVIATION /06Z MONDAY THROUGH FRIDAY/... POTENT STORM SYSTEM WILL CONTINUE TO BRING INCLEMENT WEATHER TO THE REGION FOR THE NEXT 6-12 HOURS. STORM HAS TRANSFERRED IT/S ENERGY TO THE MID ATLANTIC COAST...SPREADING STRONG EASTERLY FLOW ACROSS PA ALONG WITH A LARGE AREA OF RAIN. WINDS WILL REMAIN GUSTY BUT GRADUALLY DIMINISH AS THE DAY WEARS ON. RAIN WILL PERSIST THROUGH 18Z BEFORE DIMINISHING FROM N TO S THIS AFTERNOON. CIGS/VSBYS WILL BE WORST ACROSS THE SOUTH WITH WIDESPREAD MVFR WITH SCATTERED AREAS OF IFR. NORTH OF I-80 CONDITIONS WILL VARY BETWEEN VFR AND MVFR. ALSO ADDED SOME MARGINAL WIND SHEAR TO KMDT AS EASTERLY FLOW AT 850 MB IS NEAR 40 KTS. LOW SLIDES OFF THE COAST BY TONIGHT...AND COOL NORTHERLY FLOW SETTLES IN FOR MON NIGHT/TUES. VFR CONDS SHOULD DEVELOP MON NGT INTO TUE. SOME LOCATIONS MAY SEE RADIATIONAL FOG DEVELOP EARLY TUE AS CLEARING AND WET GROUND MAKE FOR GOOD FOG CONDITIONS. TUE/WED WILL BE DRY...WITH THE FIRST OF A SERIES OF WEAKER WAVES POISED TO MOVE THROUGH WED NGT BRINGING A CHC FOR PRECIP LATE WED/EARLY THUR FOLLOWED BY POTENTIALLY MORE UNSETTLED WEATHER THE REMAINDER OF THE WEEK. && .CTP WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... FLOOD WATCH THROUGH THIS EVENING FOR PAZ024>028-033>036-056- 057-063>066. && SYNOPSIS...DANGELO/FITZGERALD NEAR TERM...DANGELO/DEVOIR SHORT TERM...DANGELO LONG TERM...BEACHLER AVIATION...MARTIN/RXR
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE STATE COLLEGE PA 934 PM EDT SUN MAY 11 2008 PAZ004>006-010>012-017>019-037-041-042-045-046-049>053-058-059- 122045- WARREN-MCKEAN-POTTER-ELK-CAMERON-NORTHERN CLINTON-CLEARFIELD- NORTHERN CENTRE-SOUTHERN CENTRE-TIOGA-NORTHERN LYCOMING-SULLIVAN- SOUTHERN CLINTON-SOUTHERN LYCOMING-UNION-SNYDER-MONTOUR- NORTHUMBERLAND-COLUMBIA-SCHUYLKILL-LEBANON- 934 PM EDT SUN MAY 11 2008 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR CENTRAL PENNSYLVANIA. .DAY ONE...TONIGHT THE PROBABILITY FOR WIDESPREAD HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS LOW. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY THE PROBABILITY FOR WIDESPREAD HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS LOW. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. PAZ024>028-033>036-056-057-063>066-122045- CAMBRIA-BLAIR-HUNTINGDON-MIFFLIN-JUNIATA-SOMERSET-BEDFORD-FULTON- FRANKLIN-PERRY-DAUPHIN-CUMBERLAND-ADAMS-YORK-LANCASTER- 934 PM EDT SUN MAY 11 2008 ...FLOOD WATCH IN EFFECT THROUGH MONDAY EVENING... THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR CENTRAL PENNSYLVANIA. .DAY ONE...TONIGHT PLEASE LISTEN TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR GO TO WEATHER.GOV/STATECOLLEGE ON THE INTERNET FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE FOLLOWING HAZARDS. FLOOD WATCH. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY PLEASE LISTEN TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR GO TO WEATHER.GOV/STATECOLLEGE ON THE INTERNET FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE FOLLOWING HAZARDS. FLOOD WATCH. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... SPOTTER ACTIVATION IS NOT EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. HOWEVER...SPOTTERS SHOULD REPORT RAINFALL AMOUNTS EXCEEDING 1 INCH. MARTIN
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT...SUMMARY
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE STATE COLLEGE PA
1014 PM EDT SUN MAY 11 2008
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0120 PM NON-TSTM WND DMG PORTAGE 40.39N 78.68W
05/11/2008 CAMBRIA PA LAW ENFORCEMENT
TREES DOWN.
0240 PM NON-TSTM WND DMG HYNDMAN 39.82N 78.72W
05/11/2008 BEDFORD PA LAW ENFORCEMENT
TREES REPORTED DOWN ACROSS WESTERN BEDFORD COUNTY.
0330 PM NON-TSTM WND DMG TREASURE LAKE 41.17N 78.72W
05/11/2008 CLEARFIELD PA LAW ENFORCEMENT
TREES REPORTED DOWN.
0340 PM NON-TSTM WND DMG FRIEDENS 40.04N 79.01W
05/11/2008 SOMERSET PA LAW ENFORCEMENT
TREES DOWNED BY STRONG WINDS
0438 PM NON-TSTM WND DMG ALTOONA 40.51N 78.40W
05/11/2008 BLAIR PA LAW ENFORCEMENT
TREES REPORTED DOWN.
0440 PM NON-TSTM WND DMG VINCO 40.41N 78.84W
05/11/2008 CAMBRIA PA LAW ENFORCEMENT
TREES DOWN IN JACKSON TWP.
&&
CJEThe national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
1 flood. Local standard time, as filed.
Heavy rainfall caused flooding of several small streams and creeks throughout Franklin County, and the closure of several roads. While most of the rain ended by mid morning, flooding continued through noontime.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Pennsylvania in 2008Every state in 2008This day in weather historyWarnings in Pennsylvania, May 2008
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: 92687.