Creeks and small streams overflowed their banks Wednesday throughout Northumberland County, causing massive flooding that prompted rescues and evacuations, shut down roads, closed schools and businesses and led to a countywide emergency declaration.
The National Guard was called in to assist county emergency management officials.
The flooding was a result of a fourth straight day of rain, delivered by remnants of Tropical Storm Lee and a stalled cold front. As of late Wednesday, the National Weather Service (NWS) said parts of Northumberland County had received 10 inches of rain since Sunday night, much of it falling in downpours overnight Tuesday into Wednesday morning.
Concern remains high today, as more rain is forecast and the Susquehanna River is expected to exceed flood levels in Sunbury and elsewhere.
'Biggest in a while'
This week's storm is shaping up to be top 10 material, NWS Weather Service meteorologist Rob Radzanowski said Wednesday evening.
"It's one of the biggest floods we've seen in a while, but until the rivers actually crest in a day or two, we won't be able to compare those numbers to other crests," he said.
While river levels won't reach 1972 proportions - considered the worst local flood in history - it will be comparable to some of the floods the area experienced in 2004 and 2006, he said.
"This is far into the moderate category, and we're approaching major flood stages," Radzanowski said.
Over a 36-hour period that started Wednesday night, another 1 to 3 inches of rain was forecast, Radzanowski said.
Wednesday night was expected to mark the end of the heavy rains, he said, but there will be scattered showers until Saturday morning.
"It will then be clearing out and getting back to normal weather," he said.
Radzanowski said rainfall amounts across Northumberland County ranged from 6 to 10 inches over the four-day period. Those numbers were reflected in what was recorded at the NWS station in Selinsgrove, the closest to the Shamokin area. It showed a total of 7.74 inches of rain had fallen from 8 p.m. Sunday through 9 p.m. Wednesday. That included 1.23 inches Sunday, .92 Monday, 2.13 Tuesday and 3.46 up until 9 p.m. Wednesday.
No injuries
Steve Reiner, acting director of public safety for the county, said late Wednesday he was not aware of any injuries.
"We had several evacuations and rescues in Upper Augusta Township," he said, including at Sunbury Animal Hospital and several residences east of Sunbury.
"There were numerous areas that are typically not prone to flooding, so that was one obstacle," he said. "We are working with the National Guard right now. I just put evacuation notices on Packer's Island (between Sunbury and Northumberland) and a campground near Milton," he said after 9 p.m. Wednesday.
Flash floods hit
Although the weather service was predicting much less than 10 inches of rain only days ago, Radzanowski said the heavier rains lingered for a longer periods of time.
NWS on Tuesday had posted flash flood watches and warnings for much of central and eastern Pennsylvania, but conditions by late Wednesday morning were as serious as anyone expected.
Northumberland County was covered by a narrow swath of "red" on the NWS website Wednesday afternoon showing areas in flash-flood warning status. The warning area stretched from Pennsylvania's southern border to the northern tier.
As the rain came down hard Wednesday morning, dangerous situations developed simultaneously across the county. Emergency personnel were taxed with multiple calls for assistance, from flooded basements and water logged roads to water rescues in Trevorton and the Sunbury area. Runoff and erosion from the Cameron Bank threatened homes in Coal Township near the Bunker Hill section of Shamokin.
Part of as many as 11 state highways were closed in the county at one time Wednesday afternoon, and some remained closed into the evening. Included were main arteries in the eastern part of the county, including Routes 61 and 487. Some people couldn't get home from work because of flooded roads east, west, north and south in Northumberland County.
"In 36 years, I've never seen anything like this," county Commissioner Vinny Clausi said, noting his long ride from work in Sunbury to his home in Coal Township Wednesday afternoon. He said the parking lot at the Anthra Plaza near Ranshaw, the site of his Two Guys from Italy restaurant and a number of other businesses, was flooded Wednesday afternoon.
Taking shelter
With evacuations ordered in parts of Shamokin, Northumberland County Career and Arts Center was established as a shelter. As of 10 p.m., the Red Cross, which was manning the shelter, said one Shamokin resident was there, as were two travelers who had been headed for Toledo.
The local person, Kenneth Trockel, 60, of 338 W. Arch St., Shamokin, said firefighters who went into his basement early Wednesday to check on flooding received a minor "shock," prompting his decision to stay elsewhere.
Also, according to a press release from the county public safety department, evacuations took place near Knoebels Amusement Resort and surrounding portions of Ralpho Township; Routes 61 and 487 near Paxinos, where both highways were flooded; Route 61 near the Hamilton underpass and nearby Edison Heights at Sunbury's east end, and at areas along Route 54 between Riverside and Natalie.
Route 125 south of Shamokin was among the highways that remain impassible Wednesday evening.
There were reports of flooding first thing Wednesday morning in the area of water main construction on Third Street in Mount Carmel, but the borough otherwise seemed to be spared any significant damage from the rain until later Wednesday evening. Mike Wonsik, of 216 E. Center St., reported at 10 p.m. Wednesday that a nearby creek had overflowed and deposited 6 to 10 inches of rain in his basement.
River still rising
In Sunbury, where the flood stage is 24 feet, the Susquehanna River is expected to crest at 32 feet by Friday. The top of the flood wall is 35 feet.
In Milton, where the flood stage is 19 feet, the river was expected to rise above that Wednesday night as well, and crest at 25 feet by this afternoon.
In Lewisburg, where the flood stage is 18 feet, the river was expected to rise above that Wednesday night, and crest at 23 feet by this afternoon.
In Danville, where the flood stage is 20 feet, the river was expected to rise above that Wednesday night, and crest at 30 feet by Friday.
Disaster declared
The county e-mailed its "declaration of disaster emergency" to media at 10:39 a.m. It provided direction for the county emergency management agency to "coordinate the activities of the emergency response, to take all appropriate action needed to alleviate the effects of this disaster, to aide in the restoration of essential public services, and to take any other emergency response action deemed necessary to respond to this emergency."
Southern Columbia Area School District closed before the school day even started because of flooding along Route 487. Other schools would follow, with Line Mountain, Lourdes Regional and Shamokin Area dismissing students by late morning and Mount Carmel Area by early afternoon.
Other developments
- Thunder and lighting were part of the mix. Momentary power loss occurred at 2:05 p.m. in Shamokin.
- At 12:30 p.m., all Shamokin Fire Department Personnel were ordered to man their stations.
- At 1 p.m., a call went out for "multiple water rescues" at the area of the Sunoco A-Plus along Route 890 near Route 61 east of Sunbury. This followed calls in the hour previous for a woman stranded in her vehicle at that location.
- Cell phone outages impeded communication between family and friends during the tense hours. Some were able to communicate only through Facebook.
- Northumberland County government, which shut down at approximately 10:30 a.m. Wednesday because of flooding conditions, announced later in the day that all non-essential county employees are excused from work today. The county courthouse, administration center and human services complexes will all be closed for business, Gary L. Steffen, chief clerk, announced in a press release. County employees are asked to check local news outlets for further details.
- Recorded messages went out Wednesday night that Shamokin Area schools would be closed today.An ill-informed driver attempts to drive across the 11th Street bridge in Trevorton with water from Zerbe Run flooding the roadway Wednesday afternoon.
Richard Schetroma talks about the damage done to his home at 71-73 E. Dewart St., Coal Township, Wednesday morning.