Flash Flood — Essex, New York

2019-11-01 · near Baldwin, Essex, New York

Event narrative

A widespread 2 to 4 inches of rain fell across Essex county during the afternoon of October 31st into the early morning hours of November 1st. These rains fell across previously saturated soils. Between 830 pm and 130 am, three convective rounds of heavy rain showers with observed rainfall of 1/2 to 1 inch per hour, traversed the same areas. Flooding developed quickly as the second round of heavy rain moved across between 1030 pm and Midnight. It was exacerbated with the final round just after midnight creating widespread flash flooding during the early morning hours of November 1st. In addition during the early morning hours of November 1st, the Au Sable River and it's watershed had considerable flooding. More than 5 dozen roads were flooded and closed to traffic with several dozen partially or completely washed out along the eastern foothills of the Adirondacks east toward Lake Champlain from Schroon Lake north to Elizabethtown. Several major roads including Routes 30,8,9N and 73 were impacted. several homes and businesses flooded and damaged as a result of this event.

Wider weather episode

A developing area of low pressure moved from the Gulf of Mexico on during the night of the 30th and moved north into the eastern Great Lakes as it intensified during the evening of October 31st. As the surface low moved across Ontario during the night of October 31st, its associated cold front slowly edged across New York.

The upper level pattern was very strong and dynamic with a direct moisture feed from the Gulf of Mexico, thus delivering copious amounts of moisture into the northeast and NY.

Steady rain developed during the late afternoon of October 31st and became heavy at times until just after midnight of November 1st. Rainfall amounts 1.5 to 2 inches were common but a swath of 2 1/2 to 3 1/2 inches moved across Essex county.

Numerous flooded streams, flooded and several washed out roads were reported in Essex county, beginning just before Midnight and continuing through the early morning hours of November 1st.

In addition strong, damaging winds gusted in excess of 60 mph in portions of St. Lawrence, Franklin and Clinton counties with gusts in excess of 50 mph elsewhere. These strong winds combined with over-saturated soils led to numerous downed trees and more than 10,000 power outages. Estimated public infrastructure damage in excess of $5 million.

View location on OpenStreetMap → (43.8162, -73.4684)

Source: NOAA Storm Events Database, event_id 858988. Narrative written by the NWS forecast office that issued the report.