NATIONAL STORM SUMMARY

SEPTEMBER 2011

1st-10th…The low pressure system, Post Tropical Cyclone Lee, over the
Southeast, slowly moved northeast Tuesday and kept widespread
precipitation going from the Ohio and Tennessee valleys eastward
across the East Coast. Very heavy rains and flash flooding occurred
over the Appalachians, Mid-Atlantic and southern New England.
Moreover, severe thunderstorms developed over portions of the Mid-
Atlantic and Florida. A tornado was spotted in Glen Raven, North
Carolina and high winds knocked many trees and power lines.

11th-17th…Uncharacteristically heavy showers dotted the Four Corners
States and occasionally expanded to cover much of the West. On
September 12, daily-record rainfall totals included 0.10 inch in Yuma,
AZ, and 0.07 inch in Redding, CA. The following day, rainfall records
for September 13 reached 1.10 inches in Kingman, AZ, and 0.99 inch in
Needles, CA. For
Kingman, it was the wettest day since February 19, when 1.50 inches
fell. For Needles, it was the wettest day since December 22, 2010,
when 1.01 inches fell. In Colorado Springs, CO, a 4.50-inch total on
September 14 represented not only the wettest September day on record,
but also the
wettest day for any month. In both instances, Colorado Springs’
previous record had been 4.29 inches on September 11, 2008. On
September 15, Tucson, AZ, was pelted by 2.84 inches of rain, marking
its wettest day since October 1, 1983 (2.96 inches). Tucson also set a
September record with 5.57 inches of rain, eclipsing its 1964 standard
of 5.11 inches.
Showers lingered through week’s end in the West; daily record amounts
for September 16 included 1.03 inches in Ely, NV, and 0.20 inch in
Idaho Falls, ID. By September 17, heavy showers erupted across the Mid-
South, where daily record amounts reached 3.02 inches in Joplin, MO,
and 1.98 inches in Harrison, AR. Pockets of heavy rain also developed
along the Mid-Atlantic Coast, where Cape Hatteras, NC (6.96 inches),
collected a daily-record total for September 17.

18th-24th…Meanwhile, significant rain with weekly totals of 2 inches
or more shifted into the Mid-South, Ohio Valley, and Southeast. A few
totals in excess of 4 inches were reported, mostly in the southern
Appalachians. Heavy rain (at least 2 inches) fell in parts of the mid-
Atlantic coastal plain and southern New England, triggering a new
round of flooding. Farther west, cool, damp weather hampered early-
season harvest efforts in the Midwest. Some of the heaviest rain with
locally 2 inches or more) fell across the southern and eastern Plains.
Early in the week, locally heavy showers lingered on the southern
Plains. Before the rain ended, Waco, TX (2.13 inches on September 18),
experienced its wettest calendar day since January 9, when 2.44 inches
fell. Elsewhere on September 18, daily-record amounts included 2.20
inches in Daytona Beach, FL; 1.39 inches in Batesville, AR; and 1.07
inches in Longview, TX. Heavy showers continued for several days in
the Southeast, where daily-record amounts reached 3.49 inches (on
September 20) in Birmingham, AL, and 2.88 inches (on September 21) in
Greenville-Spartanburg (GSP), SC. GSP’s 3-day (September 21-23)
rainfall totaled 5.84 inches. Meanwhile, a slow-moving storm arrived
in North Dakota, resulting in daily-record totals for September 20 in
Minot (1.17 inches) and Grand Forks (1.13 inches). Late in the week,
heavy rain returned to the waterlogged Mid-Atlantic and Northeastern
States. Daily-record amounts for September 23 included 3.19 inches in
Baltimore, MD; 3.06 inches in Mt. Pocono, PA; and 2.97 inches in
Greensboro, NC. In Harrisburg, PA, where 1.76 inches fell on September
23, both the annual (59.90 inches) and September totals (16.51 inches)
set records. Harrisburg’s previous marks had been set in 1972 (59.27
inches) and September 1975 (14.97 inches), respectively.

25th-30th…A slow-moving storm resulted in a prolonged period of cool
weather across the mid-South and the Midwest. The storm also produced
widespread showers from the Mississippi River to the East Coast.
Significant rain (2 inches or more) also soaked the Ohio Valley and
much of the Great Lakes region. Toward week’s end, cool air settled
across the Midwest, resulting in widespread frost. During the early-
to mid-week period, soaking rains affected the Midwestern and mid-
Atlantic States. September 25 featured a daily-record rainfall (2.17
inches) in Indianapolis, IN. The following day, record-setting amounts
for September 26 included 3.93 inches in Rockford, IL, and 3.76 inches
in Cincinnati, OH. In Rockford, the only higher total during a
September day occurred on September 9, 1941, when 5.45 inches fell.
Dayton, OH, noted its wettest September on record (10.84 inches),
bolstered by a daily-record total of 3.10 inches on September 26. In
Michigan, Marquette’s weekly rainfall reached 4.58 inches, aided by
daily-record amounts on September 27 and 29 (1.19 and 2.90 inches,
respectively). Farther south, locally heavy showers in the Southeast
produced 5.20 inches in Key West, FL, from September 25-27. Meanwhile
in New York, Binghamton’s weekly total of 4.50 inches boosted its
record-high annual precipitation to 57.85 inches (previously, 49.78
inches in 2006). Several Mid-Atlantic locations, including Baltimore,
MD, and Philadelphia, PA, completed their wettest August-September
periods on record. With 23.70 inches, Baltimore broke its August-
September 1934 mark of 19.04 inches. Philadelphia’s August-
September sum of 29.58 inches demolished its 1882 standard of 18.49
inches. September rainfall records were also broken in several
communities, including Binghamton (16.58 inches); Williamsport, PA
(15.97 inches); Baltimore (13.32 inches); and Allentown, PA (12.99
inches). Both Binghamton and Allentown had also established rainfall
records for August. In stark contrast, Texas locations such as
Victoria (11.89 inches) and Laredo (4.76 inches) completed their
driest October-September periods on record.
Previous records had been 14.64 inches in 1955-56 in Victoria, and
6.03 inches in 1964-65 in Laredo.