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Hours of torrential rain in Pinellas County began to take its toll Friday afternoon. One canal along Ulmerton Road in Largo began spilling into the Mariner's Cove mobile home park, and when it did, the water rose quickly.
Largo Police and Fire issued mandatory evacuation orders for the community of nearly 150 people. By the time the last few residents made it out, the water had already risen waist-deep in some places. People filled backpacks, grocery bags, whatever they could find, to take a few valuables with them.
© Deanna WakefieldHeavy rainfall has caused high water levels in Slave Lake on July 8, 2011.
As of Friday afternoon, Highway 2 re-opened both east and west of Slave Lake, but the province says the following highways are still closed until further notice.
- Highway 88 remains closed four kilometres north of the junction with Highway 2 north of Slave Lake. A detour is available in the northeast corner of the Town of Slave Lake from 12th Avenue to Tamarack Road.
- Klondyke Ferry remains shut down, which carries Highway 661 traffic across the Athabasca River east of Fort Assiniboine.
- Highway 33 north of Swan Hills is now closed from the junction with Highway 32 to the junction with Highway 2.
Several parts of the city and NCR, notably east and west areas, received heavy showers on Friday morning. The remaining parts of the city had to make do with light drizzle but pleasant temperatures of 28-32 degrees made up for the lack of rain.
The Safdarjung observatory recorded 2.8mm of rainfall till 5.30pm on Friday. The past 24 hour rainfall recorded at 8.30am was 5.2mm. There were reports of heavy showers in Gurgaon and short spells of heavy rain in South Extension, Maharani Bagh, Ashram and Pragati Maidan. The Lodhi Road and Ridge observatories recorded 0.6mm and 0.3mm of rainfall respectively.
The maximum and minimum temperatures were 30.2 degrees, six degrees below normal, and 27.4 degrees Celsius respectively. Humidity ranged between 75% and 87%. "The coming two days are expected to see widespread rain and isolated heavy showers. Monsoon showers need not be experienced similarly, with identical intensity over all parts of the city, so it is perfectly normal that some areas are getting heavier showers than the others," said the duty officer at the Met office.
The Safdarjung observatory recorded 2.8mm of rainfall till 5.30pm on Friday. The past 24 hour rainfall recorded at 8.30am was 5.2mm. There were reports of heavy showers in Gurgaon and short spells of heavy rain in South Extension, Maharani Bagh, Ashram and Pragati Maidan. The Lodhi Road and Ridge observatories recorded 0.6mm and 0.3mm of rainfall respectively.
The maximum and minimum temperatures were 30.2 degrees, six degrees below normal, and 27.4 degrees Celsius respectively. Humidity ranged between 75% and 87%. "The coming two days are expected to see widespread rain and isolated heavy showers. Monsoon showers need not be experienced similarly, with identical intensity over all parts of the city, so it is perfectly normal that some areas are getting heavier showers than the others," said the duty officer at the Met office.
© Cherie DiezTeri Bowden of St. Petersburg leaves the Target store at St. Petersburg’s Gateway Mall in the rain with her five children, from left, Chloe, 8: Jonah, 6; Jayda, 9; Layla (in the cart), 8 months; and Sydney, 2. “I was out of diapers,” Bowden explained.
Pinellas County got 3 to 5 inches falling by late Friday afternoon, said Bay News 9 meteorologist Diane Kacmarik. In Hillsborough, Tampa International Airport likely broke a record 3.8 inches of rain, Kacmarik said. MacDill logged more than 6 inches at 5 p.m.
Some afternoon storms could form today, especially along the coast, Kacmarik said, but the worst is likely over.
"I don't think the rain will last as long or get as high as it did Friday," she said.
The downpour canceled events or closed them early, and brought troublesome flooding to low-lying areas.
Heavy rain fell throughout Salem County Friday.
A flash flood watch issued for Salem County by the National Weather Service was later upgraded to a flash flood warning as the rains came. The warnings were to remain in effect through the night.
A severe thunderstorm watch was in effect for the area most of the afternoon and into the evening.
As of 8 p.m. Friday, the storms had dropped 2.67 inches of rain in the county, according to official readings from the National Weather Service as recorded at the New Castle, Del., Airport, the closest NWS recording station to Salem.
A mid afternoon storm that brought heavy rain was followed later by another line that brought more rain that fell in torrents at times and thunder and lightning.
Tornadoes were reported across western North Dakota on Friday night, along with heavy rain and large hail.
One tornado was spotted on the ground a mile north of Underwood and others were seen about three miles northwest of Cannonball near the Cannon Ball River, a mile west of Beulah and reported 10 miles east of Halliday, National Weather Service meteorologist Tony Merriman said. Some of the sightings were of the same storm, he said.
The New Salem area had three-quarter-inch hail while a flash flood warning was issued for the Pingree area after more than 4 inches of rain fell there.
More than 4 inches of rain fell in several other places in short periods of time.
One tornado was spotted on the ground a mile north of Underwood and others were seen about three miles northwest of Cannonball near the Cannon Ball River, a mile west of Beulah and reported 10 miles east of Halliday, National Weather Service meteorologist Tony Merriman said. Some of the sightings were of the same storm, he said.
The New Salem area had three-quarter-inch hail while a flash flood warning was issued for the Pingree area after more than 4 inches of rain fell there.
More than 4 inches of rain fell in several other places in short periods of time.
Heavy rains have been wreaking havoc in the Mid-Atlantic region, flooding streets, stalling cars, delaying rail and air travel and canceling outdoor events.
Flash flood warnings were in effect Friday evening was Washington and much of Maryland. Firefighters in Washington rescued at least two people from vehicles stalled in water in Southeast.
ABC7News reported delays of at least an hour at the area's three airports. CSX and Norfolk Southern trains were ordered to reduce speeds.
In Frederick, sections of several streets were closed because of flooding.
In Maryland and Washington, utilities, already slammed by power outages caused by late Thursday's storms, worked to restore power as Friday's weather battered the area.
Flash flood warnings were in effect Friday evening was Washington and much of Maryland. Firefighters in Washington rescued at least two people from vehicles stalled in water in Southeast.
ABC7News reported delays of at least an hour at the area's three airports. CSX and Norfolk Southern trains were ordered to reduce speeds.
In Frederick, sections of several streets were closed because of flooding.
In Maryland and Washington, utilities, already slammed by power outages caused by late Thursday's storms, worked to restore power as Friday's weather battered the area.
© Sam JamesA tornado and high winds north of Wellington have blown vehicles off roads and injured several people.
The twister hit 1.5km north of Waikanae on the Kapiti Coast about 4pm, police central communications Inspector Paul Jermy said.
Several people were believed to have been injured, including a woman who was taken to Wellington Hospital after an uprooted tree crushed the caravan she was in.
Another person had to be rescued from their home after a tree fell on it, trapping them inside.
Mr Jermy said a man suffered minor injuries to one hand after the tornado toppled a van on State Highway 1.
It also lifted a roof or shed of a nearby property and blew debris onto the road, he said.
Traffic on the Badulla- Welimada road came to a complete halt for about four hours yesterday due to an earth slip that had obstructed the road at Mirahalgamuwa in Attampitiya.
A worker attached to the road widening project taking place in the area had been buried under the mound of earth along with two bulldozers. Thankfully, the worker had been rescued by other workers who had witnessed their colleague getting buried under the huge mountain of earth. The man was taken immediately to the Attampitiya hospital for medical attention. Police said the two bulldozers had also been badly damaged but that the drivers had escaped unhurt.
OIC Attampitiya police SI U.M. Chandrasena advised the drivers to use the Badulla- Bandarawela through Hali- Ela to reach Welimada until the main road was cleared of debris. Police however warned that progress was slow as mounds of earth were still coming down.
A worker attached to the road widening project taking place in the area had been buried under the mound of earth along with two bulldozers. Thankfully, the worker had been rescued by other workers who had witnessed their colleague getting buried under the huge mountain of earth. The man was taken immediately to the Attampitiya hospital for medical attention. Police said the two bulldozers had also been badly damaged but that the drivers had escaped unhurt.
OIC Attampitiya police SI U.M. Chandrasena advised the drivers to use the Badulla- Bandarawela through Hali- Ela to reach Welimada until the main road was cleared of debris. Police however warned that progress was slow as mounds of earth were still coming down.
© Bill Green/Frederick News-PostTwo girls brave the rushing floodwaters Friday afternoon to walk along the path and through the covered bridge in Baker Park. Much of the park was covered by the heavy rain.
The brunt of the rain, 1.2 inches, fell between 3 and 3:30 p.m., said Paul Walker, senior meteorologist with AccuWeather.
The sudden rainfall overloaded the city's drainage system and flooded streets, said Chip Stitley, superintendent of stormwater and sanitary sewer for the city's Department of Public Works.
The floods were concentrated in the City of Frederick, said Steve Leatherman, technical services bureau chief for the Frederick County Division of Fire and Rescue Services. Parts of Highland, East Church, Patrick and Market streets, among other roads, were closed for short periods, he said.
"It was a situation where water flooded the roads and then receded," Leatherman said.
