A shortwave crossing the region helped support for the development of showers and thunderstorms a few of which became severe. However, the bigger threat was heavy rain, as there was plenty of low level moisture to support one to two inch an hour rain rates.
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 PBZ wrote it up.
A shortwave crossing the region helped support for the development of showers and thunderstorms a few of which became severe. However, the bigger threat was heavy rain, as there was plenty of low level moisture to support one to two inch an hour rain rates. Once cell in particular produced 3+ inches of rain as it slowly moved southward across Venango, Indiana, Westmoreland, and Armstrong counties in Pennsylvania and Garrett county in Maryland. The towns along the Kiskiminetas River; Apollo, Vandergrift, and Gilpin were hit particularly hard by flash flooding.
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 28, 4:17 PM EST, 13 minutes earlier.
AREA FORECAST DISCUSSION...UPDATED NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PITTSBURGH PA 517 PM EDT WED AUG 28 2013 .SYNOPSIS... SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE ENDING DURING THE EVENING HOURS. THERE WILL BE A MINOR DECREASE IN THE HUMIDITY LEVELS BUT CONDITIONS WILL REMAIN RATHER STICKY FOR THE REST OF THE WEEK. && .NEAR TERM /THROUGH THURSDAY/... ACTIVITY IS MAINLY OVER THE SOUTHERN HALF OF THE AREA AS BOUNDARY DRIFTS TOWARD WV. THE HEAVIEST ACTIVITY IS OVER THE FAR SOUTHEAST...MOVING WITH THE UPPER LEVEL WAVE. EXPECT ALL THE SHOWER/STORM ACTIVITY TO DISSIPATE DURING THE EVENING. SLIGHTLY DRIER AIR WILL MOVE DOWN BEHIND THE BOUNDARY...BUT CONDITIONS WILL STILL REMAIN HUMID. PREVIOUS DISCUSSION... A LINE SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS PRODUCING HEAVY RAIN WILL CONTINUE TO SLOWLY SAG SOUTH AND EASTWARD THROUGH THIS AFTERNOON. THESE SHOWERS ARE TIED TO AN AREA OF CONVERGENCE...INDICATED BY THE LATEST HOURLY SURFACE AND RADAR OBSERVATIONS...WITH THE UPPER LOW STILL ANALYZED BACK OVER LAKE ERIE. THERE HAVE BEEN SEVERAL REPORTS OF 1 TO 3 INCHES WHICH HAS CAUSED SOME FLOODING PROBLEMS WHERE THESE STORMS HAVE TRACKED. ELSEWHERE...DAYTIME HEATING HAS ALLOWED FOR ADDITIONAL SHOWERS TO DEVELOP. WILL MAINTAIN THE CHANCE POPS THROUGH THE EVENING...HIGHLIGHTING HIGHER POPS WHERE THE HEAVIER RAIN IS CONTINUING TO TRACK. WILL HOLD ONTO THE FLASH FLOOD WATCH WITH THESE STORMS LIKELY TO TRACK THROUGH THE COUNTIES IN QUESTION. SHOWERS SHOULD END AS THE FRONT DEPARTS TO THE SOUTH OVERNIGHT. HOWEVER...WITH NORTHERLY FLOW CONTINUING...DO NOT THINK CLEARING WILL OCCUR AS FAST AS THE MODELS ARE FORECASTING. WILL MAINTAIN MOSTLY CLOUDY WORDING AND ELEVATED TEMPERATURES OVERNIGHT. WEAK HIGH PRESSURE WILL KEEP THE REGION DRY ON THURSDAY. DESPITE LINGERING CLOUD COVER...TEMPERATURES SHOULD BE ABLE TO REBOUND TO JUST AT OR ABOVE NORMAL. && .SHORT TERM /THURSDAY NIGHT THROUGH SATURDAY/... NORTHWEST FLOW ALOFT WILL REMAIN IN PLACE WHILE WEAK SURFACE RIDGE KEEPS REGION DRY THROUGH FRIDAY NIGHT. A WARM FRONT WILL THEN MAKE IT'S APPROACH ON SATURDAY. THE MODELS DO NOT AGREE ON TIMING AT THIS POINT SO CHANCE POPS WERE INTRODUCED BY SATURDAY AFTERNOON. TEMPERATURES WERE KEPT JUST AT OR ABOVE SEASONAL AVERAGES THROUGH THE PERIOD. && .LONG TERM /SATURDAY NIGHT THROUGH WEDNESDAY/... FNT SHOULD SHIFT NE ON SUN...HOWEVER SCT CNVCTN IS STILL PSBL ESP IN THE AFTN. A CDFNT IS PROGGED TO MOVE THRU ON MON WITH THE BEST CHC FOR SHWRS AND TSTMS. DRY WEA AND HIGH PRES RTN AFT FROPA. TEMPS EXPD TO BE ABV SEASONAL AVGS UNTIL THE MON CDFNT PASSAGE BRINGS A LTL BLO AVG TEMPS. && .AVIATION /21Z WEDNESDAY THROUGH MONDAY/... MVFR/IFR IN SHWRS AND ISOLD TSTMS TO THE AREA THRU THURSDAY MORNING. AS MOISTURE BEGINS TO SHIFT SWD LATE THIS AFTERNOON EXPECT AN END TO THE MORE WDSPRD SHWRS GRDLY. EVEN AS THE PREIP MOVE OUT EXPECT WIDESREAD MVFR AND IFR CONDIDTIONS THURSDAY MORNING. .OUTLOOK.../THURSDAY THROUGH SUNDAY/... VFR RTNS THU AND FRI WITH BLDG HIGH PRES. RSTRNS IN SHWRS/TSTMS ARE PSBL SAT AND SUN AS A WRMFNT APRCHS AND MOVES THRU. && .PBZ WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... MD...FLASH FLOOD WATCH UNTIL 8 PM EDT THIS EVENING FOR MDZ001. OH...NONE. PA...FLASH FLOOD WATCH UNTIL 8 PM EDT THIS EVENING FOR PAZ074-076. WV...FLASH FLOOD WATCH UNTIL 8 PM EDT THIS EVENING FOR WVZ023-041. &&
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PITTSBURGH PA 1010 AM EDT WED AUG 28 2013 OHZ039>041-048>050-057>059-068-069-WVZ001>004-012-291415- TUSCARAWAS-CARROLL-COLUMBIANA-COSHOCTON-HARRISON-JEFFERSON OH- MUSKINGUM-GUERNSEY-BELMONT-NOBLE-MONROE-HANCOCK-BROOKE-OHIO-MARSHALL- WETZEL- 1010 AM EDT WED AUG 28 2013 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR EAST CENTRAL OHIO...NORTHERN WEST VIRGINIA AND NORTHERN PANHANDLE OF WEST VIRGINIA. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT. NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY. NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... WEATHER SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO REPORT SIGNIFICANT WEATHER CONDITIONS ACCORDING TO STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURES. MDZ001-PAZ074-076-WVZ023-041-291415- GARRETT-WESTMORELAND RIDGES-FAYETTE RIDGES-PRESTON-TUCKER- 1010 AM EDT WED AUG 28 2013 ...FLASH FLOOD WATCH IN EFFECT UNTIL 8 PM EDT THIS EVENING... THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR WESTERN MARYLAND...SOUTHWEST PENNSYLVANIA AND NORTHERN WEST VIRGINIA. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT. PLEASE LISTEN TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO OR GO TO WEATHER.GOV ON THE INTERNET FOR MORE INFORMATION ABOUT THE FOLLOWING HAZARDS. FLASH FLOOD WATCH. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY. NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... WEATHER SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO REPORT SIGNIFICANT WEATHER CONDITIONS ACCORDING TO STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURES. PAZ007>009-013>016-020>023-029-031-073-075-WVZ021-022-291415- MERCER-VENANGO-FOREST-LAWRENCE-BUTLER-CLARION-JEFFERSON PA-BEAVER- ALLEGHENY-ARMSTRONG-INDIANA-WASHINGTON-GREENE-WESTMORELAND-FAYETTE- MARION-MONONGALIA- 1010 AM EDT WED AUG 28 2013 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR NORTHWEST PENNSYLVANIA...SOUTHWEST PENNSYLVANIA...WEST CENTRAL PENNSYLVANIA AND NORTHERN WEST VIRGINIA. .DAY ONE...TODAY AND TONIGHT. RAINFALL IN SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS MAY BE HEAVY ENOUGH TO CAUSE LOCALIZED FLOODING INTO THIS AFTERNOON. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...THURSDAY THROUGH TUESDAY. NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .SPOTTER INFORMATION STATEMENT... WEATHER SPOTTERS ARE ENCOURAGED TO REPORT SIGNIFICANT WEATHER CONDITIONS ACCORDING TO STANDARD OPERATING PROCEDURES. 34
PRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PITTSBURGH PA
435 PM EDT WED AUG 28 2013
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0433 PM FLOOD 6 N FREEPORT 40.77N 79.68W
08/28/2013 ARMSTRONG PA PUBLIC
IRON BRIDGE ROAD CLOSED DUE TO FLOODING FROM BUFFALO
CREEK.
&&
EVENT NUMBER PBZ1302711
XXPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT...CORRECTED
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PITTSBURGH PA
447 PM EDT WED AUG 28 2013
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0335 PM FLOOD CHAMPION 40.08N 79.36W
08/28/2013 FAYETTE PA TRAINED SPOTTER
ROUTE 711 FLOODED.
&&
CORRECTED COUNTY/STATE...LOCATION
EVENT NUMBER PBZ1302708
XXPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PITTSBURGH PA
456 PM EDT WED AUG 28 2013
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0454 PM HEAVY RAIN IRWIN 40.33N 79.70W
08/28/2013 M1.25 INCH WESTMORELAND PA TRAINED SPOTTER
IN THE PAST 24 HOURS
&&
EVENT NUMBER PBZ1302712
RGPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PITTSBURGH PA
459 PM EDT WED AUG 28 2013
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0415 PM FLOOD 2 S CHAMPION 40.39N 80.29W
08/28/2013 WASHINGTON PA 911 CALL CENTER
BACK CREEK ROAD CLOSED DUE TO FLOODING.
0415 PM FLOOD 6 NNE CONNELLSVILLE 40.10N 79.55W
08/28/2013 FAYETTE PA 911 CALL CENTER
INDIAN VALLEY ROAD CLOSED DUE TO FLOODING.
0415 PM FLOOD 4 N CONNELLSVILLE 40.07N 79.59W
08/28/2013 FAYETTE PA NEWSPAPER
EVERSON VALLEY ROAD WASHED OUT DUE TO FLOODING. CLOSED.
&&
EVENT NUMBER PBZ1302713
EVENT NUMBER PBZ1302714
EVENT NUMBER PBZ1302715
XXPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PITTSBURGH PA
514 PM EDT WED AUG 28 2013
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0500 PM FLOOD DERRY 40.33N 79.30W
08/28/2013 WESTMORELAND PA 911 CALL CENTER
ROUTE 981 CLOSED IN DERRY TWP DUE TO FLOODING..
0500 PM FLOOD DONEGAL 40.11N 79.38W
08/28/2013 WESTMORELAND PA 911 CALL CENTER
ROUTE 711 CLOSED NEAR DONEGAL DUE TO FLOODING.
0500 PM FLOOD VANDERGRIFT 40.60N 79.56W
08/28/2013 WESTMORELAND PA 911 CALL CENTER
NUMEROUS ROADS CLOSED DUE TO FLOODING ACROSS ALLEGHENY
TWP.
0506 PM HEAVY RAIN LUXOR 40.33N 79.48W
08/28/2013 M2.10 INCH WESTMORELAND PA TRAINED SPOTTER
LAST 2 HOURS.
&&
EVENT NUMBER PBZ1302716
EVENT NUMBER PBZ1302717
EVENT NUMBER PBZ1302718
EVENT NUMBER PBZ1302719
XXPRELIMINARY LOCAL STORM REPORT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PITTSBURGH PA
517 PM EDT WED AUG 28 2013
..TIME... ...EVENT... ...CITY LOCATION... ...LAT.LON...
..DATE... ....MAG.... ..COUNTY LOCATION..ST.. ...SOURCE....
..REMARKS..
0510 PM FLOOD LUXOR 40.33N 79.48W
08/28/2013 WESTMORELAND PA AMATEUR RADIO
LITTLE CRABTREE CREEK NEAR LUXOR OUT OF BANKS FLOODING
BASEMENTS AND PROPERTY.
&&
EVENT NUMBER PBZ1302720
XXThe national radar mosaic for the moment the first event began.
3 flood. Local standard time, as filed.
State official reported numerous roads closed and basements flooded in Friendsville.
State official reported that Oakland-Sang Run Road was washed out in several locations.
State official reported that several roads and basements were flooded in Mountain Lake Park.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Maryland in 2013Every state in 2013This day in weather historyWarnings in Maryland, August 2013
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: 475903, 475904, 475905.