A weak cold front moved southeast across eastern Ohio and western Pennsylvania the afternoon and evening of the 28th. While some wind damage was reported, more significant flash flooding occurred over portions of Allegheny and Fayette counties in Pennsylvania, with the widespread flash flooding across Bullskin Township in Fayette county, including the town of Connellsville.
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 weak cold front moved southeast across eastern Ohio and western Pennsylvania the afternoon and evening of the 28th. While some wind damage was reported, more significant flash flooding occurred over portions of Allegheny and Fayette counties in Pennsylvania, with the widespread flash flooding across Bullskin Township in Fayette county, including the town of Connellsville. Between 75 to 100 homes sustained damage from flood waters in Bullskin Township, including 29 single family homes with major damage, 8 mobile homes destroyed, a bridge destroyed, and 3 to 4 bridges suffering major structural damage. 50 people were evacuated, with damage estimates in the millions of dollars.
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, 5:03 PM EST, 1 hour 2 minutes earlier.
Area Forecast Discussion National Weather Service Pittsburgh PA 603 PM EDT Sun Aug 28 2016 .SYNOPSIS... Thunderstorm chances will continue through the evening as a weak boundary crosses the region. Warm but less humid conditions will be introduced under building high pressure through midweek. && .NEAR TERM /UNTIL 6 AM MONDAY MORNING/... Thunderstorms have fired along the frontal boundary that is currently sinking south across the area. The storms are tapping into a highly unstable air mass with 3000+ J/kg of CAPE, and inverted-V soundings mean that downbursts are a threat. TPIT terminal doppler radar showed one such storm likely produced strong winds in Columbiana County. Will also need to watch rainfall totals as individual cells are moving slowly, and with high rainfall rates due to anomalously high precipitable water, localized flooding is possible. Little to no activity further south away from the boundary so far, as there is little support for lift. Upped PoPs and adjusted timing in the grids. Extended life of slight chance PoPs a little further into the night as well given boundary and lingering instability. Minor updates otherwise. && .SHORT TERM /6 AM MONDAY MORNING THROUGH WEDNESDAY/... Newest model guidance pushes the aforementioned boundary south of the region by Monday afternoon as reinforcing shortwaves help deepen a trough over the Northeast U.S. through midweek. The surface front may continue to provide focus for diurnally- enhanced convection over the mountains in WV, but building surface high under northwest flow should suppress precip by Tuesday. A second and more notable boundary, as far as temperatures change, will approach on Wednesday. At this time, it appears that instability and moisture will be rather meager with this fronts passage so very low pops were kept, based on a blend of guidance and timing differences through Wednesday. Temperatures should moderate to near normal with northwest flow/cool advection by Wednesday. && .LONG TERM /WEDNESDAY NIGHT THROUGH SUNDAY/... Troughing over the eastern CONUS will result in cooler temperatures the remainder of the week before ridging builds back in this weekend. Dry conditions are forecast under dry northwesterly flow and ridging later in the period. && .AVIATION /22Z SUNDAY THROUGH FRIDAY/... Warm air aloft has been capping off convective development thus far, however, weak surface convergence, slightly cooler temperatures aloft, and the passage of a weak wave in the mid and upper levels looks more likely than not enough to trigger convection by late afternoon into early evening. Outflows from early convection should be deep enough to continue initiate storms from northwest to southeast heading into early evening but will diminish as instability lessens. Do to the degree of uncertainty in timing have opted to utilize mention of VCTS in latest TAFs but will update as details emerge through the afternoon. .OUTLOOK /MONDAY THROUGH THURSDAY/... Restrictions are possible Monday mainly S of PIT as the front completes its passage, and again with another crossing front Wednesday. && .PBZ WATCHES/WARNINGS/ADVISORIES... MD...None. OH...None. PA...None. WV...None. &&
HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PITTSBURGH PA 324 PM EDT SUN AUG 28 2016 MDZ001-OHZ048-057>059-068-069-PAZ031-075-076-WVZ003-004-012-021- 509>514-291930- GARRETT-COSHOCTON-MUSKINGUM-GUERNSEY-BELMONT-NOBLE-MONROE-GREENE- FAYETTE-FAYETTE RIDGES-OHIO-MARSHALL-WETZEL-MARION-MONONGALIA- RIDGES OF EASTERN MONONGALIA AND NORTHWESTERN PRESTON-PRESTON- EASTERN PRESTON-WESTERN TUCKER-EASTERN TUCKER- 324 PM EDT SUN AUG 28 2016 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR WESTERN MARYLAND...EAST CENTRAL OHIO...SOUTHWEST PENNSYLVANIA...NORTHERN WEST VIRGINIA AND NORTHERN PANHANDLE OF WEST VIRGINIA. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT. NO HAZARDOUS WEATHER IS EXPECTED AT THIS TIME. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY. 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. OHZ039>041-049-050-PAZ007>009-013>016-020>023-029-073-074-WVZ001-002- 291930- TUSCARAWAS-CARROLL-COLUMBIANA-HARRISON-JEFFERSON-MERCER-VENANGO- FOREST-LAWRENCE-BUTLER-CLARION-BEAVER-ALLEGHENY-ARMSTRONG-INDIANA- WASHINGTON-WESTMORELAND-WESTMORELAND RIDGES-HANCOCK-BROOKE- 324 PM EDT SUN AUG 28 2016 THIS HAZARDOUS WEATHER OUTLOOK IS FOR EAST CENTRAL OHIO...NORTHWEST PENNSYLVANIA...SOUTHWEST PENNSYLVANIA...WEST CENTRAL PENNSYLVANIA...WESTERN PENNSYLVANIA...NORTHERN WEST VIRGINIA AND NORTHERN PANHANDLE OF WEST VIRGINIA. .DAY ONE...THIS AFTERNOON AND TONIGHT. ISOLATED STRONG STORMS WITH GUSTY WIND AND LOCALIZED HEAVY RAIN ARE POSSIBLE THIS EVENING. .DAYS TWO THROUGH SEVEN...MONDAY THROUGH SATURDAY. 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.
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PITTSBURGH PA
227 PM EDT SUN AUG 28 2016
PAZ016-281845-
JEFFERSON-
227 PM EDT SUN AUG 28 2016
...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WILL AFFECT NORTHEASTERN JEFFERSON COUNTY...
AT 227 PM EDT...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WAS LOCATED OVER BROCKWAY...OR
9 MILES NORTH OF DUBOIS...MOVING EAST AT 10 MPH.
WIND GUSTS UP TO 50 MPH ARE POSSIBLE WITH THIS STORM.
LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE...
BROCKWAY.
LAT...LON 4120 7877 4118 7878 4120 7886 4133 7888
4126 7874 4123 7874 4123 7871 4120 7871
TIME...MOT...LOC 1827Z 271DEG 10KT 4125 7881
34SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PITTSBURGH PA
457 PM EDT SUN AUG 28 2016
OHZ041-PAZ020-282200-
COLUMBIANA-BEAVER-
457 PM EDT SUN AUG 28 2016
...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WILL AFFECT COLUMBIANA AND NORTHERN BEAVER
COUNTIES...
AT 456 PM EDT...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WAS LOCATED 8 MILES SOUTH OF
SEBRING...OR 9 MILES SOUTHWEST OF SALEM...MOVING EAST AT 45 MPH.
WINDS IN EXCESS OF 30 MPH AND PEA SIZE HAIL ARE POSSIBLE WITH THIS
STORM.
LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE...
SALEM...BEAVER FALLS...COLUMBIANA...MONACA...EAST PALESTINE...ELLWOOD
CITY...NEW BRIGHTON...BEAVER...CALCUTTA...ROCHESTER...OHIOVILLE...
LISBON...LEETONIA...NEW WATERFORD...PATTERSON TOWNSHIP...BIG
BEAVER...FREEDOM...WEST MAYFIELD...KOPPEL AND BRIDGEWATER.
THIS INCLUDES THE FOLLOWING HIGHWAYS...
PENNSYLVANIA TURNPIKE BETWEEN MILE MARKERS 9 AND 23.
INTERSTATE 376 IN PENNSYLVANIA BETWEEN MILE MARKERS 31 AND 36.
TORRENTIAL RAINFALL IS ALSO OCCURRING WITH THIS STORM...AND MAY CAUSE
LOCALIZED FLOODING. DO NOT DRIVE YOUR VEHICLE THROUGH FLOODED
ROADWAYS.
LAT...LON 4090 8081 4090 8052 4085 8052 4085 8017
4069 8016 4072 8092 4073 8092 4073 8106
4090 8107 4090 8090 4091 8089 4092 8082
TIME...MOT...LOC 2056Z 267DEG 40KT 4081 8099SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PITTSBURGH PA
504 PM EDT SUN AUG 28 2016
PAZ009-015-016-282200-
JEFFERSON-CLARION-FOREST-
504 PM EDT SUN AUG 28 2016
...LINE OF STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WILL AFFECT NORTHERN JEFFERSON...
SOUTHEASTERN FOREST AND NORTHEASTERN CLARION COUNTIES...
AT 504 PM EDT...A LINE OF STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WAS LOCATED 9 MILES
NORTHEAST OF CLARION...MOVING EAST AT 25 MPH.
WINDS IN EXCESS OF 30 MPH AND PEA SIZE HAIL ARE POSSIBLE WITH THIS
STORM.
LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE...
CLARION...BROOKVILLE...MARIENVILLE...BROCKWAY...FALLS CREEK...
STRATTANVILLE...CORSICA...SIGEL...LEEPER...FISHER...COOK FOREST STATE
PARK...CLEAR CREEK STATE PARK AND CLARINGTON.
THIS INCLUDES INTERSTATE 80 IN PENNSYLVANIA BETWEEN MILE MARKERS 63
AND 96.
TORRENTIAL RAINFALL IS ALSO OCCURRING WITH THIS STORM...AND MAY CAUSE
LOCALIZED FLOODING. DO NOT DRIVE YOUR VEHICLE THROUGH FLOODED
ROADWAYS.
LAT...LON 4120 7877 4113 7881 4114 7939 4146 7935
4147 7896 4144 7896 4145 7899 4145 7906
4142 7907 4142 7909 4134 7909 4135 7908
4135 7902 4138 7897 4136 7896 4126 7874
4123 7874 4123 7871 4120 7871
TIME...MOT...LOC 2104Z 267DEG 22KT 4133 7930SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PITTSBURGH PA
517 PM EDT SUN AUG 28 2016
OHZ040-282200-
CARROLL-
517 PM EDT SUN AUG 28 2016
...LINE OF STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WILL AFFECT NORTHERN CARROLL
COUNTY...
AT 516 PM EDT...A LINE OF STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WAS LOCATED OVER
WAYNESBURG... OR 11 MILES SOUTHEAST OF CANTON...MOVING EAST AT 35
MPH.
WINDS IN EXCESS OF 30 MPH AND PEA SIZE HAIL ARE POSSIBLE WITH THIS
STORM.
LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE...
CARROLLTON...MINERVA...AUGUSTA...MALVERN AND MECHANICSTOWN.
TORRENTIAL RAINFALL IS ALSO OCCURRING WITH THIS STORM...AND MAY CAUSE
LOCALIZED FLOODING. DO NOT DRIVE YOUR VEHICLE THROUGH FLOODED
ROADWAYS.
LAT...LON 4065 8124 4072 8124 4072 8120 4073 8120
4073 8092 4064 8092 4064 8086 4058 8086
4059 8131 4065 8132
TIME...MOT...LOC 2116Z 276DEG 32KT 4070 8122SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PITTSBURGH PA 551 PM EDT SUN AUG 28 2016 PAZ016-282245- JEFFERSON- 551 PM EDT SUN AUG 28 2016 ...STRONG THUNDERSTORMS WILL AFFECT NORTHWESTERN JEFFERSON COUNTY... AT 551 PM EDT...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WAS LOCATED NEAR BROOKVILLE... MOVING EAST AT 10 MPH. WINDS IN EXCESS OF 30 MPH ARE POSSIBLE WITH THIS STORM. LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE... BROOKVILLE...SUMMERVILLE AND SIGEL. THIS INCLUDES INTERSTATE 80 IN PENNSYLVANIA BETWEEN MILE MARKERS 74 AND 89. TORRENTIAL RAINFALL IS ALSO OCCURRING WITH THIS STORM...AND MAY CAUSE LOCALIZED FLOODING. DO NOT DRIVE YOUR VEHICLE THROUGH FLOODED ROADWAYS. LAT...LON 4106 7920 4129 7919 4129 7892 4107 7893 TIME...MOT...LOC 2151Z 272DEG 9KT 4115 7916
SPECIAL WEATHER STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE PITTSBURGH PA
636 PM EDT SUN AUG 28 2016
OHZ039-040-282330-
TUSCARAWAS-CARROLL-
636 PM EDT SUN AUG 28 2016
...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WILL AFFECT CARROLL AND NORTHEASTERN
TUSCARAWAS COUNTIES...
AT 636 PM EDT...A STRONG THUNDERSTORM WAS LOCATED NEAR WAYNESBURG...
OR 8 MILES WEST OF CARROLLTON...MOVING EAST AT 15 MPH.
WIND GUSTS UP TO 50 MPH ARE POSSIBLE WITH THIS STORM.
LOCATIONS IMPACTED INCLUDE...
CARROLLTON...MINERAL CITY...AMSTERDAM...DELLROY...SHERRODSVILLE...
MECHANICSTOWN...HARLEM SPRINGS...KILGORE...ATWOOD LAKE AND LEESVILLE
LAKE PARK.
LAT...LON 4065 8139 4065 8124 4064 8092 4047 8092
4047 8094 4043 8094 4050 8140
TIME...MOT...LOC 2236Z 275DEG 11KT 4059 8124
24The Pittsburgh radar (KPBZ), 23 km away, was scanning. The volume nearest the first event began at 23:04 UTC.
11 thunderstorm wind, 8 flood, 2 flash flood, 1 hail. Local standard time, as filed.
Law enforcement reported trees down on Carnegie Mellon University.
Emergency management reported flash flooding on Washington BLVD, and elsewhere in the Highland Park area. Water was quickly rising to the tops of cars, with one woman rescued from her vehicle.
The 911 Call Center reported flooding on SR 119.
Law enforcement reported trees and wires down.
Law enforcement reported trees down.
Law enforcement reported numerous trees and wires down.
The public reported flooding on I-376 near exit 72.
Law enforcement reported several trees down.
Law enforcement reported trees down.
The 911 Call Center reported several roads flooded.
The public reported trees down.
Law enforcement reported trees down and a power pole down.
The 911 Call Center reported basement flooding in some homes.
The 911 Call Center reported water in residences.
Emergency management reported SR 711 flooded.
Law enforcement reported several trees down.
Law enforcement reported trees down.
The public reported large tree branches down across the area.
Flash flooding caused widespread damage across Bullskin Township, and in the town of Connellsville. Between 75 to 100 homes sustained damage from flood waters in Bullskin Township, including 29 single family homes with major damage, 8 mobile homes destroyed, a bridge destroyed, and 3 to 4 bridges suffering major structural damage. 50 people were evacuated, with damage estimated to be over 5 million dollars.
The 911 Call Center reported Donley Road closed due to flooding.
Law enforcement reported flooding with a rock slide on State Route 28.
After NWS Directive 10-1605, the rules offices file Storm Data by.
Every storm in Pennsylvania in 2016Every state in 2016This day in weather historyWarnings in Pennsylvania, August 2016
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: 655446, 655425, 655445, 655429, 655447, 655448, 655449, 655433, 655450, 655451, 655437, 655452, 655453, 655440, 655441, 655442, 655454, 655457, 655458, 655469, 655443, 655444.