Flood-Ravaged Delaware Valley Communities Get More Rain
WILKES-BARRE, Pa. (AP) -- Water spilling over a northeastern Pennsylvania dam prompted evacuation of some residents as areas already devastated by massive flooding from two big storms were hit by even more rain, flooding local streams and roadways.
The (Wilkes-Barre) Citizens Voice (http://bit.ly/p3gjfD) says some Harveys Lake residents were evacuated Wednesday night after water topped the Twin Lakes Dam along Bowman's Creek in Luzerne County. An evacuation center was being set up in the municipal building.
"This was frightening," Susan Edwards, who lives uphill on Carpenter Road, told the paper. "It was really scary. It was just like oceans and waves."
Wyoming County emergency officials reported road flooding and stuck vehicles but no evacuations or rescues.
On Tuesday, roadways in Luzerne, Lackawanna and Wyoming counties were closed by rising waters. Three of four flood gates along Solomon Creek in Wilkes-Barre were closed Tuesday night because of threats from flash flooding after nearly 2 inches of rain fell.
More than a dozen people near Hazleton, which received 4 1/2 inches of rain Tuesday, were rescued overnight by boat after the Nescopek Creek overflowed its banks -- the same area flooded last month by Tropical Storm Irene. Flash floods also caused damage at the Edgewood in the Pines Golf Course.
Storms flooded basements and roads in West Pittston and other nearby communities. That's where hundreds of homes and business were inundated by floodwaters earlier this month from the remnants of Tropical Storm Lee.
Schuylkill County officials said more than 20 homes were evacuated in Pine Grove when the Swatara Creek overflowed its banks Tuesday evening. The flood-weary community received 5.1 inches of rain with more likely to come, the National Weather Service said.
Forecasters' prediction of more rain prompted the National Weather Service to issue a flash flood warning through at least Wednesday night for much of eastern Pennsylvania. Rainfall amounts of 1 to 3 inches were possible.
Thousands of buildings were damaged or destroyed in the flooding earlier this month, which surpassed the record floods wrought by Hurricane Agnes in 1972.
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