This Special River Statement was issued by the National Weather Service in Philadelphia earlier today. It looks like minor flooding is forecast for the Delaware River in Easton.
HYDROLOGIC STATEMENT
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MT HOLLY NJ
1133 AM EST FRI MAR 07 2008
...SPECIAL RIVER STATEMENT FOR THE DELAWARE RIVER AND LEHIGH RIVERS...
AN AREA OF LOW PRESSURE ORGANIZING NEAR THE GULF COAST IS EXPECTED TO PRODUCE TWO DISTINCT PERIODS OF RAIN FOR THE REGION AS IT MOVES NORTHEAST. THE FIRST PERIOD OF PRECIPITATION HAS THE POTENTIAL TO PRODUCE OVER ONE INCH OF RAIN BETWEEN 3 PM AND MIDNIGHT TONIGHT. THE SECOND PERIOD HAS THE POTENTIAL TO PRODUCE BETWEEN ONE AND TWO
INCHES OF RAIN OVER THE SAME AREA BETWEEN 7 AM AND 7 PM ON SATURDAY. SOME OF THE HEAVIEST RAIN ON SATURDAY COULD BE ASSOCIATED WITH THUNDERSTORM ACTIVITY. BY THE TIME ALL THE RAIN ENDS BY LATE SATURDAY AFTERNOON, 2.0 TO 2.75 INCHES OF RAIN CAN BE EXPECTED.
BOTH THE LEHIGH AND DELAWARE RIVERS ARE RUNNING HIGH AS A RESULT OF HEAVY RAIN THAT FELL EARLIER IN THE WEEK. THE GROUND ALSO REMAINS NEARLY SATURATED IN SOME PLACES. AS A RESULT, THE HEAVY RAIN THAT FALLS LATER TODAY THROUGH SATURDAY WILL CAUSE RIVER AND STREAM LEVELS TO RISE QUICKLY, PERHAPS REACHING FLOOD LEVELS BY MID DAY SATURDAY ON THE SMALLER STREAMS AND ON A LITTLE LATER ON THE LARGER STREAMS AND RIVERS. BASED ON A FORECAST OF 2.0 TO 2.75 INCHES OF RAIN THROUGH SATURDAY EVENING, THE LEHIGH AND DELAWARE RIVERS ARE EXPECTED TO CREST BETWEEN ONE AND TWO FEET ABOVE FLOOD STAGE IN MANY LOCATIONS. THESE CRESTS WOULD MOST LIKELY OCCUR SATURDAY AFTERNOON IN THE FASTER RESPONDING AREAS, TO LATE SUNDAY IN TRENTON. A FLOOD WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FOR THE ENTIRE REGION.
FOR THE DELAWARE RIVER NEAR TOCKS ISLAND, THE LATEST STAGE WAS 14.7 FEET AT 10 AM FRIDAY. A CREST OF BETWEEN 21 AND 23 FEET IS FORECAST FOR SUNDAY. FLOOD STAGE AT TOCKS ISLAND IS 21 FEET.
FOR THE DELAWARE RIVER AT BELVIDERE, THE LATEST STAGE WAS 13.4 FEET AT 10 AM FRIDAY. A CREST OF BETWEEN 17.5 AND 19.5 FEET IS FORECAST FOR SUNDAY. FLOOD STAGE AT BELVIDERE IS 22 FEET.
FOR THE DELAWARE RIVER AT EASTON-PHILLIPSBURG BRIDGE, THE LATEST STAGE WAS 16.4 FEET AT 10 AM FRIDAY. A CREST OF BETWEEN 22.5 AND 24.5 FEET IS FORECAST FOR SUNDAY. FLOOD STAGE AT EASTON-PHILLIPSBURG IS 22 FEET.
FOR THE DELAWARE RIVER AT RIEGELSVILLE, THE LATEST STAGE WAS 16.9 FEET AT 10 AM FRIDAY. A FORECAST CREST OF BETWEEN 23 AND 25 FEET IS EXPECTED SUNDAY. FLOOD STAGE AT RIEGELSVILLE IS 22 FEET.
FOR THE DELAWARE RIVER AT FRENCHTOWN, THE LATEST STAGE WAS 11.1 FEET AT 7 AM FRIDAY. A CREST AROUND THE FLOOD STAGE OF 16 FEET IS EXPECTED SUNDAY. FLOOD STAGE AT FRENCHTOWN IS 16 FEET.
FOR THE DELAWARE RIVER AT TRENTON, THE LATEST STAGE WAS 16.5 FEET AT 10 AM FRIDAY. A CREST OF BETWEEN 20 AND 22 FEET IS EXPECTED LATE SUNDAY. FLOOD STAGE AT TRENTON IS 20 FEET.
FOR THE LEHIGH RIVER AT WALNUTPORT, THE LATEST STAGE WAS 5.7 FEET AT 9 AM FRIDAY. A CREST OF BETWEEN 8 AND 10 FEET IS EXPECTED SATURDAY NIGHT. FLOOD STAGE AT WALNUTPORT IS 8 FEET.
FOR THE LEHIGH RIVER AT BETHLEHEM, THE LATEST STAGE WAS 6.1 FEET AT 9 AM FRIDAY. A CREST OF BETWEEN 11 AND 13 FEET IS EXPECTED AT BETHLEHEM SATURDAY NIGHT. FLOOD STAGE AT BETHLEHEM IS 16 FEET.
THESE FORECASTS ASSUME A CONTINUATION OF PRESENT RESERVOIR RELEASES.
THESE FORECASTS ARE BASED ON EXPECTED RAIN OF BETWEEN 2.0 AND 2.75 INCHES THROUGH SATURDAY. IF LESS RAIN FALLS, CRESTS WILL BE LOWER. IF MORE RAIN FALLS, CRESTS WILL BE HIGHER.
STAY TUNED TO DEVELOPMENTS BY LISTENING TO NOAA WEATHER RADIO...YOUR LOCAL RADIO OR TELEVISION STATIONS...OR YOUR CABLE TELEVISION OUTLET.
ONE WAY TO CHECK EXISTING AND FORECAST CONDITIONS ON WATERWAYS THROUGHOUT OUR REGION IS TO MONITOR THE ADVANCED HYDROLOGIC PREDICTION SERVICE /AHPS/ AVAILABLE ON OUR HOMEPAGE AT WWW.WEATHER.GOV/PHI. JUST CLICK THE AHPS ICON ON THE LEFT HAND MENU.
Please make sure that you make whatever preparations you have to make for heavy rain and potential flooding are completed today.
One word of advice - NEVER EVER drive across flooded roadways - "Turn Around - Don't Drown". Be careful out there this weekend!
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