Forensic Weather Reconstruction: An Ambulance’s Encounter With Severe Weather on Interstate 95
The analysis determined that rainfall reached at least one inch per hour at some point during the journey.
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People inspect a car and truck partly submerged in floodwaters in Darby, Pa., Monday, Aug. 13, 2018.
Executive Summary
AccuWeather’s Forensic Services team reconstructed the severe weather an ambulance encountered while transporting a patient between two medical facilities on Interstate 95 in southeastern Pennsylvania. For a personal injury case, meteorologists combined Doppler radar, surface observations, medical transport records, and other evidence to determine the rainfall intensity and wind conditions along the route. The investigation provided counsel with a scientifically supported weather reconstruction; the litigation outcome is not known.
Key Takeaways
-- Forensic meteorology can reconstruct weather conditions along a vehicle’s route, extending analysis beyond a single fixed location.
-- The ambulance encountered very heavy rainfall and rapidly shifting winds, with gusts of 40 to 45 mph and possibly as high as 50 mph.
-- Radar imagery and transport records helped establish the storm encounter, although the vehicle’s exact position at every moment could not be determined.
Reconstructing Severe Weather Along the Ambulance Route
Cloudy skies and strong, gusty winds affected the region before the thunderstorms arrived. Southerly winds gusted between 40 and 45 mph during the afternoon, and National Weather Service storm information documented wind damage and widespread power outages across eastern Pennsylvania. A line of thunderstorms later brought very heavy rainfall and stronger, shifting winds to the ambulance’s travel corridor.
To reconstruct the encounter, AccuWeather meteorologists analyzed observations from numerous weather stations, National Weather Service storm information, Doppler radar data, maps, medical transport records, and other case materials. Sequential radar images tracked the thunderstorms across Interstate 95 during the trip. Unknown vehicle speeds and traffic conditions limited precise positioning, but the evidence established that the ambulance encountered the storm between the two hospitals.
Findings: Heavy Rainfall and Rapidly Shifting Winds
The analysis determined that rainfall reached at least one inch per hour at some point during the journey. Winds shifted from southerly to westerly or southwesterly, gusting between 40 and 45 mph and possibly reaching 50 mph. After the most intense weather passed, lighter rain continued, and the highway remained generally wet during the return trip.
How Forensic Meteorology Supports Personal Injury Cases
This investigation illustrates how forensic weather analysis can establish the environmental conditions surrounding an incident involving a moving vehicle. By aligning storm progression with available travel records, AccuWeather’s forensic meteorologists provided counsel with a detailed reconstruction that identified both the supported findings and the limits of the evidence. For attorneys evaluating weather-related personal injury cases, this approach helps clarify conditions at the relevant time and along the route.
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