Random Ramblings: Aerial Wildland Firefighting

I have blogged about aerial wildland firefighting since 2009. I am not a firefighter and am not a pilot, just an interested bystander who wants to learn more and share what I learn here. Join me here as I blog on the aircraft and the pilots who fight wildland fires from the air in support of crews on the ground. I also blog on concerns affecting fire crews on the ground as well as other aviation and meteorology issues. Learn what it takes to do jobs that are staffed by the best of the best.

Tuesday, July 13, 2021

Significant Flash Flooding near Delaware River in portions of NJ and PA

I occasionally take a time out to write about significant weather in my part of the world. I am over 50 miles from the areas that I am writing about. On, July 12th, severe thunderstorms went through portions of Southeastern Pennsylvania and New Jersey. I was fortunate and only had light drizzle. Not so in Bucks County in Pennsylvania and adjoining New Jersey. Towns where significant flooding occurred include Bensalem, Bristal, and Croyden in Bucks County, PA; and Florence, NJ in Burlington County. Note that these towns are in the upper right of the image below with Philadelphia in the lower Left for reference, click on the map for a larger image.

The NWS in Mt. Holly, New Jersey issued a Flash Flood Emergency late in the afternoon of July 12th. Some places received six to ten inches.

A significant flash flood occurred Monday afternoon and evening near the Delaware River in Bucks and Burlington Counties. The areas greatest impacted by this event received 6"-10" of rain in around 3-4 hours. This is estimated to be a 100 year flood. #PAwx #NJwx pic.twitter.com/BZZ9F1rOPk
— NWS Mount Holly (@NWS_MountHolly) July 13, 2021

Please, if you get alerted to a Flash Flood Warning on your smartphone, please heed the warning, go somewhere safe, preferably high groundFrom what I could tell the waters rose pretty quickly, cars got stuck in the flood waters and some were forces out of their apartments or houses due to the flood waters. Please do not drive through a flooded roadway, turn around don't drown. For more of Flood safety see this NWS page.

A special shout out to the National Weather Service Weather Forecast Office in Mt. Holly NJ for doing a great job with their warnings in what must have been a difficult and life threatening situation. In addition to these flash floods, there were other significant thunderstorms last night elsewhere in their forecast area. Thank-you, thank-you, thank-you NWS Mt Holly for a job well done.

Kudos to all the first responders who helped flood victims to safety. Nice job! Thanks so much for your service.

WHYY, the National Public Radio Station in Philadelphia has a July 13th report on the flooding. WABC6 in Philadelphia had an eight-minute report on the flooding on July 12th.