From Flood to Drought in Four Months

4 April 2024, 7:26am ET: Monongahela Rivers floods Duck Hollow parking lot

11 November 2024

In late October all of Pennsylvania went into a Drought Watch. We are not alone.

Every US state except Alaska and Kentucky is facing drought, an unprecedented number.

More than 150 million people and 318 million acres of crops are affected by drought after a summer of record heat.

Guardian: Nearly all of US states are facing droughts, an unprecedented number

As of 5 November the drought is Severe to Extreme in Southeastern Ohio, West Virginia, western Maryland and the southwestern corner of Pennsylvania.

US Drought Monitor from UNL

The amazing thing is that it took only four months to get that way.

In April the Monongahela River flooded the Duck Hollow parking lot — twice — when we had two downpour days of more than 2.6 inches each.

Duck Hollow parking lot — A River Runs Through It — 4 April 2024, 7:19am ET

Then it stopped raining in June and the weather turned exceptionally hot. A drought began in July that became Severe that month in West Virginia and western Maryland.

By late August the boating season was over at Youghiogheny River Lake due to low water. On 1 November when Judy Stark took these pictures, the lake had dropped so far that an old bridge and the foundations of a submerged town were revealed above low water.

Drought reveals old bridge on Youghiogheny River Lake, 1 Nov 2024 (photo by Judy Stark)
Drought reveals remains of Old Somerfield in Youghiogheny River Lake, 1 Nov 2024 (photo by Judy Stark)

In just four months the Monongahela River switched from flood to drought. Since it flows from West Virginia to Pittsburgh, it’s useful to look at precipitation in Morgantown, WV to understand these extremes.

The graph below shows Morgantown’s 2024 monthly precipitation through yesterday, 10 November. Normal precipitation is in green, Actual is in blue. Notice it was at or above normal until July and severely below normal in September and October. (“Normal” precipitation in August came in two downpours that ran off rather than soaking in.)

Monthly Actual vs. Normal Precipitation in Morgantown WV, Jan 1 – Nov 10, 2024 (graph by Kate St. John using NWS data)

Yesterday it rained in the Monongahela watershed for the first time in weeks, a long soaking rain that lasted all day. In Morgantown it accumulated just over an inch (1.02″) and was enough to match their month-to-date “normal” for November.

We’re so thankful for yesterday’s soaking rain but we’ll need more than one day to end the drought.

Fingers crossed. Thursday looks good for rain.


p.s. Yes, Sunday’s rain was not enough. This evening KDKA TV News showed footage of brush fires over the weekend, including one that was burning while it was raining.

video embedded from CBS Pittsburgh on YouTube

The NWS meteorologist in this video, Colton Milcharek, says that it will take a rainy day like yesterday every week for 5 weeks for us to get out of this long term drought without mishaps.

2 thoughts on “From Flood to Drought in Four Months

  1. I did flood studies in my professional life. People don’t get that in drought conditions once it begins to rain, all or most of the water that falls runs off instead of being absorbed into the soil for quite a long time. The ground is as hard as a rock or a driveway so can’t absorb much at all. Once soaked though it also can’t absorb anything so you also get 100% runoff leading to flooding if it goes long or hard enough. That’s what happened in NC, VA and TN during the hurricane since they already had excess rainfall.

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