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Flood watch, tornado warning for Philly area threaten France-Iraq World Cup game
Inquirer.com • • science
Key Points:
- After 10 months of drought, the Philadelphia region experienced intense thunderstorms on Monday, causing tornado and severe-storm warnings, flooding, and multiple water rescues, especially during the peak commute and a World Cup match in South Philly.
- The National Weather Service issued multiple flood and tornado warnings, with significant flooding reported on the Schuylkill Expressway and Frankford Creek, and numerous trees uprooted across the region.
- Despite about 1.2 inches of rain in Philadelphia, which nearly matched the normal June total, experts caution that the downpours may not significantly alleviate drought conditions since heavy rains often run off without soaking into the soil.
- Most of the area remains in moderate drought, with some parts of New Jersey and Delaware in extreme drought, and drought emergencies declared in New Jersey and Chester County.
- Additional heavy showers were forecast for Tuesday, but sustained rainfall over several days would be necessary to provide meaningful drought relief.
