Heavy rains led to swollen creeks, flash flooding and mudslides in parts of Northeast and Northcentral Pennsylvania Monday, leading to evacuations in Luzerne and Lycoming counties and wider worries about the days ahead.
The region remains under a National Weather Service flash flood watch from noon until at least the evening hours, the agency said, and more rain is expected through the week. More on that below.
This story will be updated as more information becomes available.
Glen Mawr evacuation
About 25 people were evacuated from their homes in Glen Mawr, Shrewsbury Twp., overnight due to flash flooding.
Stacey Folk, Lycoming County’s Emergency Management Coordinator, said reports started pouring in at around midnight that the area was at risk of flooding due to heavy rainfall. By 2 a.m. the public safety department evacuated over 20 people in Glen Mawr. Residents were able to return to their homes around 6 a.m. this morning.
Folk said she couldn’t comment on the severity of the damages at this time.
“There haven't been assessments done, because … (Route) 220 flooded out,” Folk said.
Public safety and transportation staff will only be able to assess damages once the storm passes through.
Folk added that Muncy Creek, which runs through several townships and boroughs in Lycoming and Sullivan counties, is at its “threshold.”
“With impending storms throughout the day, we don't want to risk anybody's safety … so we're going to wait until that storm has cleared,” Folk said.
Officials were able to assess the Beaver Lake Dam in Penn Twp., which some residents feared had been compromised by the storm, and found that it was stable but overflowing due to the sheer excess of water in Beaver Lake.
Lycoming County fair closes
Monday's weather led to the closure of the Lycoming County Fair in Hughesville, according to a post on the fair's Facebook page.
This year's fair runs from July 9 to 19.
"Due to the heavy rain and localized flooding in our area, we have made the difficult decision to cancel the Lycoming County Fair today," the post read. "Our thoughts and prayers are with those in our community who are dealing with the impacts of the storm, and we send our best wishes for everyone’s safety during this time."
As of Monday afternoon fair officials said they expected to reopen on Tuesday.
Luzerne County issues
Charles Krommes, training and operations officer for Luzerne County Emergency Management Division of Emergency Services, said there were flash flooding issues in several areas of the county on Monday, including:
- Twenty-two people were safely evacuated from a campground in Fairmount Twp. with no injuries.
- There also was flash flooding along Route 11 near the Garden Drive-In in Hunlock Creek; Route 118 in the Back Mountain; and in Pringle near the North Cross Valley Expressway.
Creeks in many parts of the region, including Kitchen Creek in northwestern Luzerne County, were swollen and running fast on Monday.
"There could be more rain coming. How heavy? Don't know," Krommes said.
Shortly after Krommes spoke to WVIA, another storm began to roll through northern Luzerne County, just before 1:30 p.m.
National Weather Service forecast
Mitchell Gaines, National Weather Service Lead Meteorologist in Binghamton, New York, said on Monday that the flash flooding likely made parts of the region more vulnerable to flooding over the next few days.
“There already are additional showers and thunderstorms that are developing,” said Gaines. “These will continue to ramp up through the early and mid-afternoon hours, and really hit their peak toward the late afternoon … Unlike yesterday, where it took three to four inches for flooding to occur, it may only take half as much for certain spots today.”
Below is a video of the Beaver Lake Dam in Lycoming County overflowing. Public safety workers reviewed the dam earlier this morning and found it was stable but overflowing from excess water.
According to NWS' predictions for the coming days:
- A cold front slowly moving through the area from the northwest will help generate slow moving and back building storms. These storms could drop 1 to 2 inches of rain, with isolated areas possibly seeing 3 to 4 inches or more. Flash flooding is more likely due to the heavy rain across the area Sunday and Monday.
- Some of the storms that develop over this same region could become severe, with damaging winds as the main threat.
- Heat returns Tuesday and Wednesday with muggy conditions and temperatures in the mid 80s to low 90s.
- But that's not the end of the rain. Wednesday is expected to start out dry, but scattered showers and storms could develop in the afternoon and evening, possibly accompanied by strong winds and heavy rainfall. Gusty storms are also possible on Thursday and Friday.
There are a few reasons why we’re experiencing such heavy rainfall right now.
Gaines explained the weather is in “a very moist pattern.” Hot air from the Gulf of Mexico and the Atlantic Ocean is mixing with a cold front from the northern part of the country, he said. That movement is creating a lot of high pressure, which is culminating in heavy thunderstorms and flooding in the U.S. Northeast.
PEMA is preparing
The Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency has been engaged with the counties since the overnight hours in response to the flooding, spokesman Jeff Jumper said.
PEMA "will continue to coordinate any resources requested by counties, with an enhanced watch activation for the greatest threat period this evening," he added.
The agency also has issued an awareness notice to its statewide swift water rescue teams for the potential of response to counties that may need additional support.
"PEMA has placed a staffed crew on standby for the Pennsylvania Helicopter Aquatic Rescue Team (PA-HART), stationed between bases at Johnstown and Fort Indiantown Gap should aerial water rescue resources be needed," Jumper said.
Staying safe amid flood risks
NWS' Gaines shared three tips to staying safe during flooding:
- Have a plan of action: Know where to go to find higher elevation, make sure family members and those in your household stay in contact.
- Make an emergency kit: Pack water, important documents, anything that you might need in case of an evacuation.
- “Turn Around, Don’t Drown”: If you’re caught driving during a heavy storm or possible flooding, turn around if the road seems unsafe. Gaines stressed that it’s not worth the risk. “That’s a motto of the Weather Service…cars can get swept up by less than a foot of water.”
For more information on heavy storms and possible flooding, Gaines recommends people tune into National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Radio for updates and check their phones for safety alerts. The National Weather Service also sends out alerts of flood watches and other safety information a few days before the actual storm hits.
“When you hear that watch [alert] … that's the time to really start thinking [and preparing] about the possibility of flooding,” Gaines said.
