Portions of Kelly Drive remain closed due to flooding; Lincoln Drive, MLK Drive reopen in Philadelphia
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) -- Stretches of Kelly Drive are closed, but Martin Luther King Drive and Lincoln Drive reopened Wednesday after a powerful storm dumped rain across the region and forced the roads to temporarily close.
A spokesperson from the Philadelphia Office of Emergency Management said Kelly Drive will be closed until at least Thursday morning. The Streets Department will work to remove mud and debris from the road before reopening.
Kelly Drive is closed from Fountain Green Drive to Reservoir Drive and from Calumet Street to Hunting Park Avenue due to flooding along the Schuylkill River.
MLK Drive was closed because of two downed trees, the Philadelphia Office of Emergency Management said on X. It reopened just before 5 p.m. — except for the intersection at Montgomery Drive.
Lincoln Drive reopened after a portion from Harvey Street to Gypsy Lane was closed because of flooding along Wissahickon Creek.
READ MORE: Streams, creeks forecasted to reach flood stage Wednesday after heavy rain storm
Wednesday's closure marks the third time since mid-December that a stretch of Kelly Drive has closed due to flooding.
The Schuylkill is forecast to reach a moderate flood stage above 12 feet near the Philadelphia Museum of Art later Wednesday, above previous forecasts of about 11 and a half feet, according to the an online tool from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
RELATED: Heavy rains, flooding disrupt travel around the Philadelphia region
Based on the river gauge forecast, it's supposed to be at its peak around 7 a.m. But the river will stay at roughly that level through midafternoon. It doesn't peak and then drop quickly like smaller streams do, our Meteorologist Kate Bilo says.
Farther upriver in Norristown, the river was forecasted to reach the moderate flood stage at 18 feet — close to the level for "major" flooding at 19 feet.
Main Street in Manayunk has previously flooded when the Schuylkill reached 12 feet.
Stay with CBS News Philadelphia for updates on the aftermath of this storm.
