Heavy Rain Causes Major Flooding, Damage Across Region

Heavy rain caused major damage and wide spread flooding around the region Friday.

Delaware, hit hardest by the storm, got up to 7 inches of rain in Kent and Sussex counties making driving conditions dangerous.

The area got pounded so hard that the parking lot of Kent General Hospital in Dover flooded. Hospital officials say no patients were affected but some visitors did have to take an alternate route into the hospital for a short period of time.

“It’s all part of a stalled front with an area of low pressure that developed along it, initiating heavy rain,” said NBC10 meteorologist Sheena Parveen. “The rain has now moved out, but it caused a lot of flash flooding, making many roads in Delaware dangerous to drive through.”

Further north, a large tree fell on top of a monkey house at the Brandywine Zoo around 2 p.m., crushing the roof and displacing two dozen monkeys. Volunteers went in despite dangerous condition and rounded up the animals. There were no reports of injuries. Officials tell NBC10 that the zoo will be closed tomorrow due to the incident.

DelDOT asked motorists to avoid driving on roads in Kent and Sussex Counties until the rainstorm subsided. DART Bus Services in both counties operated on major delays due to heavy rains and flooding.

Reports of flooding came in from the Philadelphia suburbs in extreme southern Chester County and in Delaware County, where there was a water rescue Friday morning. Route 54, in Sussex County, near Sand Cove Road, was also damaged by flooding. Two people were pulled from the roof of their car as the water rose quickly around them in Upper Providence.

Graham Wicas and his passenger got stuck in the water at Sandy Bank and Rose Tree Roads. The water was rising so quickly, Wicas and his passenger climbed onto the roof of his Ford Focus.
"Water had come up almost to the door handles of the car," Wicas said. "We started to panic, rolled down the windows and got on top of the car."

Wicas said at one point his car was floating in the water. "It became like a raft," he said. "Thankfully some gentleman threw us a rope and we were able to tie the car to this signpost," Wicas said.

Flash Flood Watches are out for Philadelphia and several surrounding suburban counties until either late tonight or early Saturday morning. You can view the details county-by-county on the NBC10 Severe Weather Alerts page.

A Flash Flood Watch means that "flash flooding is going to be possible and we get a lot of rain in a short amount of time and it's just too much for the streets to drain all that water," said NBC10 Meteorologist Brittney Shipp.

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Take a look at this video posted on Vine of a group of people "kayaking" on Ashwood Street in Bethany Beach Friday afternoon.