Flash Flood — Erie, Pennsylvania

2009-06-30 · near Middleboro Arpt, Erie, Pennsylvania

Event narrative

The persistent line of lake-enhanced showers causing flooding in Erie increased in intensity westward toward Girard after 9am local daylight time, with two to four inches of rain falling in less than two hours. Earlier rains had fallen over the headwaters of Elk Creek, creating a high water crest that reached Fairview and Girard Townships just as the additional heavy rainfall struck. Several roads along Elk Creek were flooded, including North Creek Road near Girard, where water levels were the highest seen in over 20 years. In Fairview Township, floodwaters from Walnut Creek rendered US Highway 20 impassable, while Trout Run inundated areas along Maple Street just north of Main Street.

Wider weather episode

Unseasonably cool air associated with a strong upper level low over the Great Lakes region combined with warm Lake Erie waters to produce persistent, intense lake-enhanced rainfall which trained repeatedly over northern Erie County, Pennsylvania during the early morning hours of the 30th. Over 4 inches of rain fell along the Interstate 90 corridor from near Girard to just south of Erie, with isolated locations approaching 7 inches of rain.

View location on OpenStreetMap → (42.0310, -80.1260)

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 185211. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.