The scorching heat and stifling humidity that has blanketed the Philadelphia region this week is expected to finally abate Friday. But that relief comes at a price.
Namely, storms that hit area Thursday afternoon, bringing downpours, gusty winds, and some flooding. Along with the unsettled weather came severe thunderstorm and flash flood warnings in some areas, and the entire region was slated to remain under a flood watch through Friday morning issued by the National Weather Service.
Storm activity arrived in the Philadelphia area just after 2 p.m., and it was expected to stick around potentially through midnight, said Nick Guzzo, a meteorologist in the weather service’s Mount Holly office. Much of the region was under a severe thunderstorm watch Thursday afternoon and evening.
“It’s going to be a long period” of storm activity, Guzzo said.
The weather service had expected a slight chance of scattered severe thunderstorms for much of the Philadelphia area, with the main threat coming from wind. The region, however, was under a moderate flash flood risk, meaning numerous flash floods are likely — the second-highest risk level on the weather service’s scale.
Just over a half inch of rain had fallen at Philadelphia International Airport by about 6 p.m., according to the weather service. Additional bouts of rain were possible Thursday night.
In general, weather service meteorologists expected 1 to 3 inches of rain to fall in the region, though more was expected to come down in some spots, and rainfall rates were forecast to reach 2 inches an hour. Such high rainfall amounts, the weather service noted in a forecast Thursday, could lead to flooding in areas with poor drainage, as well as in urbanized areas and small streaks and creeks.
However, localized rain amounts of 5 to 7 inches were possible in some areas, Guzzo said. It was not immediately clear where higher rainfall totals could occur, so Guzzo suggested keeping an eye out for warnings and alerts.
“Flooding is the big concern today,” Guzzo said.
Some flooding did come to the area Thursday, with most incidents reported to the weather service occurring north of the city in areas including Somerton, Southampton, and Lower Moreland Township. Philadelphia also experienced some flooding in SEPTA train and subway stations, though no significant issues were reported as of Thursday evening.
Amtrak, meanwhile, announced on Thursday evening that service between Philadelphia and Wilmington was temporarily stopped due to flooding on its tracks. Residual delays were expected, the company said on social media.
In New Jersey, acting Gov. Tahesha Way declared a state of emergency in all 21 counties, warning residents that such extreme weather could have dire impacts like landslides and flooded roadways. A tornado warning was also issued for parts of South Jersey, including Glassboro, Mullica Hill, and Clayton.
“Residents should remain off the roads and indoors unless absolutely necessary,” Way said in a statement.
Guzzo made a similar recommendation, advising that motorists, if they have to be on the road, should never attempt to drive through flooded roadways — advice that the weather service summarizes as “turn around, don’t drown.”
The storms and flooding came amid a slow-moving cold front traveling into the region, which is also expected to have the effect of putting at least a temporary stop to the high heat and humidity that has plagued the Philadelphia area in recent days. The change in temperature is forecast to be a drastic one, dropping us into the sub-80-degree range Friday — a far cry from Tuesday’s high of 98. Showers are possible, with chances standing at about 40%, Guzzo said.
That cooler weather is expected to last through the weekend, with highs in the low 80s Saturday and Sunday. Conditions, the weather service said in a forecast, are likely to be “pleasant and dry.”
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