FFMP Worked Well in Pennsylvania and Delaware, September 15, 2003

Intense rain across southeast Pennsylvania and northern Delaware on September 15, 2003, put Flash Flood Monitoring and Prediction (FFMP) through its paces, but FFMP proved its value again according to Walt Nickelsburg, Service Hydrologist at the National Weather Service Froecast Office located in Mount Holly, NJ. Here are a few facts:

Hardest hit basin was the Red Clay Creek in Chester City, PA & New Castle, DE. There are 3 stream gages on the creek...2 hit the flood of record..exceeding the old record of Floyd. The 3^rd went under 4 feet of water.

E. Branch Brandywine below Downingtown was 2nd highest on record (Floyd highest) cresting at 13.56ft (flood is 7ft). Heaviest reported rainfall 8.75 at Downingtown. Fell roughly from 3AM to Noon.

Many homes and roads were flooded. At least 59 water rescues were reported as cars were stranded in the flood water.

FFMP was used and worked well. Also used was the Site Specific from WHFS. Most points that flooded are non-RFC forecast points.