The National Weather Service has issued a Flash Flood Watch for Cape May County from Midnight Monday night, July 4th through Tuesday morning, July 5th. The Flash Flood Watch has been issued in advance of a line of rain that will move through our region this evening and during the overnight hours. This line of rain could bring thunderstorms and the potential for an inch or more of rain in a very short period. Please exercise caution while driving tonight. Never attempt to drive on any flooded street or through any flooded intersection. The heaviest rain during this storm event may be on Tuesday after 3:00am, according to the National Weather Service.
Here is the text of the Flash Flood Watch posted for Cape May County:
Flash Flood Watch
Issued: 3:16 PM EDT Jul. 4, 2016 – National Weather Service
… Flash Flood Watch remains in effect from midnight EDT tonight
through Tuesday morning…
The Flash Flood Watch continues for
* portions of Delaware… northeast Maryland… New Jersey and
Pennsylvania… including the following areas… in Delaware…
Kent and New Castle. In northeast Maryland… Cecil… Kent MD
and Queen Annes. In New Jersey… Atlantic… Atlantic coastal
Cape May… Camden… Cape May… coastal Atlantic… Cumberland…
eastern Monmouth… Gloucester… Mercer… Middlesex…
northwestern Burlington… ocean… Salem… southeastern
Burlington and western Monmouth. In Pennsylvania… Berks…
Delaware… eastern Chester… eastern Montgomery… lower
Bucks… Philadelphia… upper Bucks… western Chester and
western Montgomery.
* From midnight EDT tonight through Tuesday morning
* bands of heavy showers and thunderstorms may produce narrow
swaths of very heavy rainfall in a short period of time. This
could lead to excessive short term runoff and flash flooding.
Urban areas and those locations that had flooding last Friday
are more vulnerable to flooding.
* Heaviest rain and associated thunderstorms will most likely
occur between 3 am and 8 am Tuesday.
* There is uncertainty where the heaviest rain will occur later
tonight. For now it appears the region from Coatesville and
Philadelphia Pennsylvania, Wilmington and Dover Delaware
through Atlantic City and Cape May New Jersey will see
widespread 1 inch amounts with potential for 3 hour rainfall of
3 to 4 inches in a few locations.
* Impacts… Road closures due to localized excessive short term
rainfall are possible late tonight or early Tuesday morning as
well as a few instances of small stream flooding.
Precautionary/preparedness actions…
A Flash Flood Watch means that conditions may develop that lead
to flash flooding. Flash flooding is a very dangerous situation.
You should monitor later forecasts and be prepared to take action
should flash flood warnings be issued.
Basement flooding is possible due to heavy rain falling on soils
already saturated from previous storms. If your home has a
history of basement flooding… monitor your sump pump for proper
operation and if possible… direct outside water flow away from
your house
