‘It’s been horrible’: More downpours in the Philly region, and maybe more storms for the weekend
The reign of rains might continue Thursday, but storms aren't expected to be as severe.
Yet another round of downpours doused parts of the Philadelphia region on Thursday, and though the flood watches have expired, the National Weather Service says the region isn’t quite ready for the dry cycle.
”A prolonged period of unsettled weather [is] on tap,” it said in its forecast discussion, with thunderstorms possible Friday and again Saturday night, and likely on Sunday and Sunday night.
The deluges on Thursday weren’t as widespread as they have been, but over 3 inches of rain fell near Doylestown and 2-plus issues in Cape May County.
“It’s been horrible,” Joe Miketta, the warning coordination meteorologist at the weather service Mount Holly office, said of another wet and wild week.
On Wednesday, winds gusted to 60 mph, three or four inches of rain fell in torrents, trees and wires came down, roads were flooded and closed. In short, Wednesday was just another August day in Philadelphia in the summer of 2020.
The region remains encased in a steamy air mass and parked under a storm-agitating frontal boundary. “That’s the problem,” Miketta said. “It just doesn’t go anywhere.”
Wednesday’s heavy rains appeared to favor a corridor from Chester County into South Jersey, where the highest amounts were measured. Deptford Township, Gloucester County, weighed in with 4.33 inches, and Chatsworth, Burlington County, with 4.
Several water rescues were executed in Maple Shade, Burlington County, where flooding closed a portion of Route 73.
Across the river, the totals were less impressive, with the 2.53 inches measured near Rittenhouse Square the highest amount. Philadelphia was a tale of three cities, with a mere 0.01 of an inch reported at Northeast Philadelphia Airport and 1.44 inches officially at Philadelphia International Airport.
The strongest recorded wind gusts, 60 mph, were in Chester and Montgomery Counties, and the weather service reported numerous downed trees and wires on both sides of the river.
Just since Aug. 4, the day of Isaias, Philadelphia has had over seven inches of rain, and some places are in double figures.
Personally, Miketta said, he wouldn’t mind a little less of it. This time of the year, the mowers usually go on vacation. But this has been a bumper month for lawn growth, particularly the leafy crabgrass harvest.
“Now I can’t keep up with it,” he said. “I have to keep cutting it.”
We’ll see what today brings.
This story will be updated.