Month's Worth Of Rain Fell In 3 Hours, More Storms On Way

PHILADELPHIA, PA — A month's worth of rain fell in just a matter of hours Thursday in Philadelphia, where residents across the region are grappling with days worth of storms and flooding.

More severe weather is possible Thursday as the region continues to wrestle with lingering problems after a messy night of flooding, road closures and other issues. Forecasters say 70-mph winds are possible later in the day, and more storms are likely.

Philadelphia received more than four inches of rain over a three-hour span early Thursday, forecasters with the NWS in Mount Holly said. That's more than the normal rainfall for the entire month of June, which is 3.43 inches.

The National Weather Service has issued a hazardous weather outlook and a flash flood watch for the Philadelphia region, saying another round of showers and thunderstorms will develop Thursday afternoon and tonight, mostly after 4 p.m.

The flash flood watch expires at 1 a.m., so afternoon and morning commuters could be plagued with the same flooding issues that impacted the region overnight and on Thursday morning.

According to forecasters, heavy rainfall will develop once again with as much as an additional 1 to 3 inches of rain in a short time, according to the NWS. Flash flooding is likely once again, and it will not take much additional rainfall to result in problems such as fallen trees.

Wednesday's heavy rains caused travel issues around the region, and the weather caused a roof collapse at a Montgomery County Acme store. The roof at the Flourtown Acme collapsed in the early morning hours Thursday. It could have been due to a lightning strike, CBS Philly reported.

This week's stormy weather pattern in the northeastern United States is coming to an end, but not before severe thunderstorms and also possible isolated tornadoes threaten on Thursday, according to AccuWeather.

The same system that unleashed damaging winds and large hail across the Central states at midweek is on the move toward more heavily populated areas along the Atlantic coast, according to AccuWeather.

"On Thursday, the entire corridor from Atlanta and Charlotte, North Carolina, to Washington, D.C., Philadelphia and perhaps part of the New York City metro area may be at risk for dangerous and damaging storms," AccuWeather Senior Meteorologist Alex Sosnowski said in an AccuWeather release.

Drivers should be mindful to avoid standing water. "Standing water can be deceiving and motorists should avoid it. No matter how shallow it may appear, water may be concealing downed power lines, be deeper than it appears, or have significant force from flooding," according to AAA.

Here is the forecast:

Today: Showers and thunderstorms likely, mainly after 5pm. Areas of fog before 11am. Otherwise, cloudy, with a high near 86. Southwest wind 3 to 8 mph. Chance of precipitation is 60%. New rainfall amounts between a tenth and quarter of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms.

Tonight: Showers and thunderstorms, mainly before 2am. Some of the storms could produce gusty winds, heavy rain, and frequent lightning. Patchy fog after 9pm. Low around 68. West wind 6 to 8 mph. Chance of precipitation is 80%. New rainfall amounts between a quarter and half of an inch possible.

Friday: A chance of showers and thunderstorms before 9am, then a chance of showers between 9am and 3pm. Patchy fog before 9am. Otherwise, partly sunny, with a high near 80. Northwest wind 10 to 17 mph. Chance of precipitation is 30%. New precipitation amounts of less than a tenth of an inch, except higher amounts possible in thunderstorms.

Friday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 61. Northwest wind 10 to 13 mph.

Saturday: Sunny, with a high near 81. Northwest wind 10 to 13 mph.

Saturday Night: Mostly clear, with a low around 60.

Sunday: Sunny, with a high near 84.

Sunday Night: Partly cloudy, with a low around 67.

Monday: A chance of showers and thunderstorms after 9am. Partly sunny, with a high near 89. Chance of precipitation is 40%.

Monday Night: A chance of showers and thunderstorms. Mostly cloudy, with a low around 72. Chance of precipitation is 40%.

With reporting by Tom Davis