Storm Report for Hurricane Floyd

POST STORM REPORT...HURRICANE FLOYD 

NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MT HOLLY NJ 
p>FLOYD POSSESSED CATEGORY ONE HURRICANE CHARACTERISTICS AS HE APPROACHED SOUTHERN DELAWARE AT 15Z ON THURSDAY SEPTEMBER 16, BUT WAS DOWNGRADED TO A TROPICAL STORM AS HE GRAZED THE SOUTHERN NEW JERSEY COAST BETWEEN 20Z SEPTEMBER 16 AND 01Z SEPTEMBER 17 ON A NORTHEASTERLY PATH TOWARD NEW ENGLAND. FLOYD'S FORWARD SPEED INCREASED STEADILY AS HE MOVED INTO HIGHER LATITUDES; OFF THE DELAWARE COAST HIS FORWARD SPEED WAS 29 MPH, WHILE ALONG THE NEW JERSEY COAST HIS FORWARD SPEED HAD INCREASED TO 34 MPH. THIS TRACK PROVIDED A NORTHERLY COMPONENT TO WINDS WELL IN ADVANCE OF THE EYE, AND SO COASTAL FLOODING ALONG THE SHORES OF THE CHESAPEAKE AND DELAWARE BAYS, AND ALONG THE OCEAN FRONT, WAS REDUCED. IN FACT...NORTHERLY WINDS IN THE UPPER END OF THE CHESAPEAKE BAY PRODUCED BLOWOUT TIDES OF ONE-HALF FOOT BELOW NORMAL IN THE CECIL AND KENT COUNTY AREAS ON MARYLAND'S EASTERN SHORE.

FLOYD WILL BE BEST REMEMBERED FOR THE RAIN HE PRODUCED THROUGHOUT THE MID ATLANTIC REGION. A STALLED FRONTAL SYSTEM ORIENTED FROM SOUTHWEST TO NORTHEAST FROM THE NORTHERN DELMARVA INTO CENTRAL NEW JERSEY PROVIDED A FOCUSING MECHANISM FOR HEAVY RAIN AS FLOYD MOVED NORTH. NEW RECORDS WERE SET IN PHILADELPHIA FOR THE MOST AMOUNT OF RAIN IN A CALENDAR DAY (6.63 INCHES), AND 14 INCHES WAS REPORTED IN KENT COUNTY MARYLAND. RECORD FLOODING OCCURRED AT 12 RIVER GAGE LOCATIONS, AND RECORD FLASH FLOODING WAS REPORTED IN NUMEROUS OTHER AREAS OF THE CWFA THURSDAY AFTERNOON AND EVENING. A STATE OF EMERGENCY WAS DECLARED IN DELAWARE, NEW JERSEY, AND EASTERN PENNSYLVANIA.

A. PEAK WINDS...

LOCATION               SUSTAINED    TIME        PEAK        TIME

ATLANTIC CITY NJ        290/23KT    16/2345Z    110/34KT    16/1914Z
(POMONA) 
PHILADELPHIA PA         350/32KT    16/2136Z    350/42KT    16/2116Z
(INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT)
WILMINGTON DE           030/32KT    16/1238Z    310/40KT    16/2214Z

SANDY HOOK NJ           330/34KT    17/0024Z    330/45KT    17/0024Z

BUOY 44009              120/39KT    16/1800Z    120/52KT    16/1800Z

CAPE HENLOPEN DE                                    56KT    16TH PM
PILOT TOWER


B. LOWEST PRESSURE...

LOCATION                PRESSURE                 TIME

ATLANTIC CITY NJ        980.2 MB (28.95 INCHES)  16/2054Z
PHILADELPHIA PA         985.0 MB (29.09 INCHES)  16/2136Z
WILMINGTON DE           986.0 MB (29.12 INCHES)  16/2106Z
SANDY HOOK NJ           981.0 MB                 16/2306Z
BUOY 44009              976.0 MB                 16/1900Z


C. RAINFALL...(STORM TOTAL FOR 9/15 TO 9/17)

LOCATION                COUNTY                  TOTAL

CHESTERTOWN             KENT MD                  14.00 INCHES
SOMERVILLE              SOMERSET                 13.34 
WHITE HOUSE             HUNTERDON                12.98 
VERNON                  KENT DE                  12.36
FEDERALSBURG            CAROLINE                 11.20
PEQUANNOCK              MORRIS                   11.04
GREENWOOD               SUSSEX DE                10.58
AMERICAN CORNERS        CAROLINE                 10.20
DOYLESTOWN              BUCKS                    10.07
NESHANIC                SOMERSET                 10.05



D. STORM TIDES...

LOCATION                TIDE        DEPARTURE   TIME
SANDY HOOK NJ           6.57 MLLW   +1.91 FT    16/1748Z
ATLANTIC CITY NJ        6.22 MLLW   +2.02 FT    16/1612Z
CAPE MAY NJ             7.36 MLLW   +2.60 FT    16/1818Z
LEWES DE                6.76 MLLW   +2.55 FT    16/1900Z
PHILADELPHIA PA         9.34 MLLW   +2.82 FT    16/2236Z

E. BEACH EROSION

ONLY MINOR TO LOCALLY MODERATE BEACH EROSION OCCURRED. NO SIGNIFICANT PROBLEMS WITH BEACH EROSION WERE REPORTED BY ANY COASTAL JURISDICTIONS.

F. FLOODING...

ALL RIVER BASINS IN THE PHI CWFA EXPERIENCED RAPID RISES AS A RESULT OF PRECIPITATION FROM FLOYD. FLASH FLOODING AND FLOODING OF POOR DRAINAGE AREAS WAS WIDESPREAD THROUGHOUT THE REGION. RECORD FLOODING OCCURRED ON THE RARITAN RIVER IN CENTRAL NEW JERSEY AND ON TRIBUTARY STREAMS TO THE DELAWARE RIVER IN SOUTHEAST PENNSYLVANIA AND NORTHERN DELAWARE. RECORD CRESTS ARE LISTED BELOW:

RIVER/STREAM                LOCATION            CREST STAGE     FLOOD STAGE

BRANDYWINE                  CHADDS FORD PA        17.15 FT         9 FT
BRANDYWINE                  DOWNINGTOWN           14.74            7
CHRISTINA                   COOCHS BRIDGE         13.92            9
RIDLEY                      MEDIA                 14.98            N/A
CRUM                        NEWTOWN SQUARE        11.89            N/A
VALLEY CREEK                VALLEY FORGE          14.48            7
WISSAHICKON                 PHILADELPHIA          10.69            5
TOHICKON                    PIPERSVILLE           11.84            N/A
RARITAN                     BLACKWELLS MILLS      20.97            9
RARITAN                     RARITAN               18.87           10
RARITAN                     MANVILLE              25.70           14
RARITAN                     BOUND BROOK           42.13           28

NESHAMINY (record 22.84)    LANGHORNE             21.91            9
       

G. TORNADOES...

NO TORNADOES HAVE BEEN CONFIRMED.

H. STORM EFFECTS

THERE WERE 14 FATALITIES REPORTED IN THE MT. HOLLY SERVICE AREA... MOST DUE TO FLOODING. EIGHT DEATHS WERE REPORTED IN SOUTHEAST PENNSYLVANIA...FOUR IN NEW JERSEY...AND TWO IN DELAWARE. SEVERAL INDIVIDUALS ARE STILL REPORTED AS MISSING...AND THE DEATH TOLL MAY INCREASE.

DOLLAR DAMAGES WERE CAUSED PRIMARILY BY INLAND STREAM AND RIVER FLOODING. DAMAGE ESTIMATES ARE STILL PRELIMINARY AS WATER IS STILL RECEDING IN SOME LOCATIONS...BUT THEY WILL BE IN THE HUNDREDS OF MILLIONS OF DOLLARS. NUMBER OF PEOPLE EVACUATED IS ROUGHLY 10000...AGAIN MAINLY CAUSED BY RIVER FLOODING. MOST HAVE BEEN ABLE TO RETURN TO THEIR HOMES.

SZATKOWSKI/MIKETTA/NICKELSBERG

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