Flash flood watch to be in effect midweek in Centre County due to rainfall from Ida
Impacts of Hurricane Ida, which has been downgraded to a tropical storm, are expected to reach Centre County by midweek, prompting a flash flood watch to be in effect.
The National Weather Service at State College issued a flash flood watch for southern Centre County, which includes State College, for 8 a.m. Wednesday through 8 a.m. Thursday.
Steve Travis, meteorologist at NWS State College, said though Ida likely won’t be in the tropical system by the time it hits the area, it’s still going to bring heavy rain to parts of central Pennsylvania.
“Here in Centre County, we’re actually in a pretty interesting spot where we’re kind of on the edge of where some of the heavier rain will fall, then lighter rain to the north. So across the county from north to south, there could be quite a difference in rainfall amounts depending on exactly where Ida tracts,” Travis said.
Centre County could potentially end up with two to four inches of rain, he said. Up to six inches are possible across south-central Pennsylvania, according to the NWS flash flood watch summary.
It will impact the area early Wednesday morning through early Thursday morning, he said. As of Monday, Travis said it looked like the heaviest rain would be around Wednesday afternoon/evening, though the timing could change.
Any flooding that does occur would likely be around for the shorter term, Travis said. There will probably be some ponding along the roads and water across some roadways, things that are typically seen during heavy thunderstorms.
“Something that might last a little bit longer, is that there may be some rises on the area streams and creeks and things like that. That water might take a little bit longer to go down. ... If we do see some of those rises on area creeks and streams, things like that, that might linger into Thursday,” he said.
One thing people can do to prepare for the possibility of a flash flood is to make sure storm drains near them are clear and aren’t clogged with leaves or grass.
“Make sure that when the rain does fall, it has somewhere to go. That’s something kind of easy that anyone can do. If you know you live near somewhere the water usually goes, keep an eye on that, clear out the storm drain,” Travis said
There isn’t too much wind expected with the system, but Travis still suggests people secure outside items.
This story was originally published August 30, 2021 at 3:41 PM.
