Powerful storms set off floods and 4 tornado warnings in the Philly region
More strong storms are possible later in the week.
Rounds of violent storms that arrived during the peak afternoon commuting period Tuesday set off four tornado warnings, took down trees, and flooded roadways across the region — with a sequel possible later in the week.
Another flood watch is in effect from 5 p.m. Wednesday to 2 a.m. Thursday, with another round of potent thunderstorms expected later Thursday.
“It’s going to be an unsettled pattern,” said Zack Cooper, meteorologist with the National Weather Service Office in Mount Holly, as the steamy air that has made of mockery of sweat evidently likes it around here.
On Tuesday, the air mass showed its dangerous side. A gust of 68 mph was measured in Pottstown as trees and wires came down throughout the region.
Across the Delaware River, a downed tree knocked out service to SEPTA’s West Trenton line, and another one blocked traffic on I-295 southbound in Florence Township.
Flooding closed portion of major roads including I-95, U.S. Route 1, and the Schuylkill Expressway.
The storms were ignited by a slow-motion front that mined the moisture and energy in the steamy air.
All four of the tornado warnings were radar-indicated, and it was not yet known whether any had touched down.
The weather service said radar had detected potentially tornado-spawning thunderstorms in King of Prussia, Bryn Athyn, and Spring Mount, all in Montgomery County, and one near Toms River, Ocean County.
At different times warnings were issued for parts of Philly and for Bucks, Burlington, Chester, Delaware, and Montgomery Counties.
The weather service likely will wait until Wednesday to decide whether to dispatch investigators to determine whether any twisters had touched down, said Cooper, adding that the people in the Mount Holly office were a bit preoccupied Tuesday night.
For all the reports of downed trees and wires, this was not a major power-outage event for Peco. At the peak, about 21,000 customers lost power, and that number had dropped to about 8,000 by 8 p.m.
Flooding problems, however, persisted into the night.
Downpours flooded roadways in Nottingham Township and Oxford, Chester County, where up to 3 inches of rain was reported in an area that had been doused by up to 4 inches on Monday, the weather service said.
The ponderous front behind the storminess has been moving with all the speed of a sunning turtle, and forecasters say it looks to pester the region the rest of the week.
As the front sags to the south, the region might experience “a little bit of relief” Wednesday, but the air is still going to be plenty moist, said Alan Reppert, senior meteorologist with AccuWeather Inc.
“Spotty” storms are possible Wednesday, Reppert said.
The weather service said those storms could generate downpours of up to 3 inches atop already saturated ground; thus, the flood watch.
And come Thursday, Reppert said, “heavier thunderstorms” can develop.
“Unfortunately,” he said Tuesday, “another day like we saw today.”
Staff writer Robert Moran contributed to this article.