Heavy Rainfall Causes Flooding Across Region

Heavy rainfall caused irritation and spurred flooding across the area.

Flash Flood Watches were issued Monday for all Philadelphia region counties in Pennsylvania and Delaware as well as South Jersey counties including Burlington, Camden, Gloucester and Salem Counties.

The forecast became more severe to the north as Flash Flood Warnings were issued for parts of Bucks, Lehigh, Montgomery and Northampton Counties as heavy rain was expected to fall on already saturated ground, according to the National Weather Service.

And, in Chester County a Flood Warning was issued until late tonight for the east branch of the Brandywine Creek below Downingtown as the creek was expected to rise half a foot above the 7 foot flood stage, according to the weather service. The Rancocas Creek in Pemberton, Burlington County, is also expected to go above the 2.5-foot flood stage.

Many of the Watches and Warnings are in effect through the evening.

Flooding already hit other parts of Pennsylvania. In Hawley, Pa. – about 30 miles east of Scranton -- officials reported flash flooding throughout the borough on Sunday. A Flash Flood Watch is in effect in that region through at least Tuesday.

Heavy rains and thunderstorms are predicted across much of the state Monday and Tuesday.

“It's generally a nasty day,” said Walter Drag of the National Weather Service. Drag said there's been between 1 and 2-1/2 inches of rain so far in the region west of the Delaware Valley. He added that the Philadelphia region received a record-breaking amount of rain in June, between 10-1/2 and 14 inches, which has left the ground saturated with water. This could create a dangerous situation for people in low-lying areas, Drag said.

In Northeast Philadelphia, two brothers, ages 13 and 11, were playing in the fast-moving water of Pennypack Creek near Winchester and the Roosevelt Boulevard just before 2 p.m.  The kids were jumping off a nearby footbridge into the water when the two brothers got swept by the powerful current, over a water fall before they could get safely to the banks of the creek.

Crews pulled the younger brother from the water and treated him at the scene. The older brother is still missing however and feared dead.

Flights were arriving up to an hour late Monday evening at Philadelphia International Airport, where the rain earlier had delayed planes by nearly two hours.

PPL Electric Utilities reported about 260 power outages in eastern and central Pennsylvania on Monday evening, down from over 1,000 in the morning. Peco reported nearly 300 customers without power in the southeast, and West Penn Power reported about 670 outages in the southwest.

The Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency was keeping an eye on the storm.

Last week, heavy rains pelted parts of central and western Pennsylvania, causing severe flooding. Dubois, about 80 miles northeast of Pittsburgh, was among the hardest-hit areas. Residents in that area are still cleaning up from those storms.
 

Copyright AP - Associated Press
Contact Us