Ida To Reach Eastern PA Wednesday: Latest Forecast

PHILADELPHIA, PA — The remnants of Hurricane Ida, fresh off a destructive sweep across Louisiana and the south that has left one million without power, are making their way to the greater Philadelphia area. Forecasters are continuing to call for a significant impact as the region braces.

Ida has now weakened to a tropical depression but is expected to be powerful enough by the time it reaches the Delaware Valley to dump 3 to 4 inches of rain. The peak of the storm for the Philadelphia suburbs will be Wednesday afternoon through Thursday morning.

The potential for flooding is high, with the National Weather Service's river forecast predicting "moderate" flooding in several local waterways, including Perkiomen Creek, Brandywine Creek, and the Schuylkill River.

The highest amounts are expected northwest of the I-95 corridor, the National Weather Service said. Berks County and the Allentown area could see up to six inches of rain.

Along with the rain, thunderstorms and damaging wind gusts capable of downing trees and powerlines are possible. There’s also a slight risk of isolated tornadoes, according to forecasters.

Hurricane Ida made landfall in Port Fourchon, Louisiana, Sunday morning as a Category 4 hurricane with winds of up to 150 miles per hour. It was one of the strongest storms to ever make landfall in Louisiana. The storm has since left scores without power in the late-summer Louisiana heat, as well as caused the flow of the Mississippi River to reverse.

[7:50 PM] A period of heavy rain is expected across the region Wednesday into Thursday as the remnants of Ida moves through. The threat for flooding is high. Our latest briefing is available at: https://t.co/JiD09By93X #pawx #njwx #dewx #mdwx pic.twitter.com/8kLghkYQli
— NWS Mount Holly (@NWS_MountHolly) August 30, 2021

The National Weather Service has issued flood watches for the area, starting at 8 a.m. Wednesday through 2 p.m. Thursday.

Here’s the forecast for the next several days:

Tuesday: Mostly cloudy, with a high near 85. North wind around 5 mph becoming west in the afternoon.

Tuesday Night: Showers likely, mainly after 4 a.m. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 69. West wind around 5 mph. Chance of precipitation is 60 percent. New precipitation amounts of less than a tenth of an inch possible.

Wednesday: Showers and possibly a thunderstorm. Some of the storms could produce heavy rain. High near 75. Northeast wind 5 to 10 mph. Chance of precipitation is 80 percent. New rainfall amounts between a half and three-quarters of an inch possible.

Wednesday Night: Showers and possibly a thunderstorm. Some of the storms could produce heavy rainfall. Low around 65. Northeast wind 10 to 15 mph. Chance of precipitation is 90 percent. New rainfall amounts between 2 and 3 inches possible.

Thursday: A chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a high near 74. North wind 10 to 15 mph. Chance of precipitation is 50 percent. New rainfall amounts between a half and three quarters of an inch possible.

Thursday Night: A slight chance of showers before 2 a.m. Mostly clear, with a low around 60. Chance of precipitation is 20 percent.