Flood — Montgomery, Pennsylvania

2006-09-02 · near Schwenksville, Montgomery, Pennsylvania

Wider weather episode

The combination of the remnants of Tropical Storm Ernnesto and a large high pressure system over eastern Canada produced heavy rain and winds over Montgomery County. The heavy rain also claimed the life of one man. Rain moved into the area around Noon EDT on the 1st and did not exit until the early evening on the 2nd. The heaviest rain fell during the daytime hours on the 2nd. Storm totals averaged around two inches. The heavy rain produced poor drainage flooding as well as some stream and creek flooding. In addition to the heavy rain, persistent east to northeast winds caused tree damage as the heavy rain loosened the root support and weighed down limbs. The strongest winds occurred early on the 2nd. PECO Energy reported 117,000 of its southeastern Pennsylvania customers lost power, with Montgomery and Chester Counties hardest hit in their service area. About 25,600 homes and businesses lost power in the county. About 28,000 of PECO's customers throughout southeastern Pennsylvania were still without power as of 2 p.m. EDT on the 2nd. A 45-year-old Telford Borough man drowned in a swollen drainage pipe trying to rescue his dog. The dog jumped into an overflowing retention basin in Jacob and Mary Stover Park. A strong current created a whirlpool that sucked the dog into the basin drainage pipe. The man went into the basin to rescue the dog, but also was drawn into the outflow pipe. The dog survived after traveling through the pipe and making its way into a creek in the park. In Pottstown, downed trees damaged vehicles. Downed trees forced road closures in Hatfield, Towamencin, Whitpain and Pottstown. The Souderton High School pool was closed through the weekend because a 20 foot by 40 foot section of its metal roof was torn away.The East Branch of the Perkiomen Creek at Schwenksville was above its 7 foot flood stage from 456 p.m. EDT on the 2nd through 1242 a.m. EDT on the 3rd. It crested at 8.23 feet at 730 p.m. EDT. Actual storm totals included 3.12 inches in Hatboro, 3.04 inches in Green Lane, 2.52 inches in Palm, 1.97 inches in Pottstown and 1.74 inches in Norristown. Peak wind gusts included 44 mph in Pottstown and 43 mph at the Northeast Philadelphia Airport.The low pressure system that was Ernesto moved slowly north from around Petersburg, Virginia at 5 p.m. EDT on the 1st, to near Fredericksburg, Virginia at 11 p.m. EDT on the 1st, passed close to Washington D.C. at 5 a.m. EDT on the 2nd, near Hagerstown, Maryland at 8 a.m. EDT on the 2nd, near Altoona, Pennsylvania at 2 p.m. EDT on the 2nd and accelerated northward and was just southeast of Buffalo, New York at 2 a.m. EDT on the 3rd. Of greater importance, was a strong high pressure system (greater than 1032 millibars) that remained over southeastern Canada and maintained the pressure gradient (difference) between it and the remnant low of Ernesto.

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 5535195. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.