The sign by the miniature golf course that records levels of high water at Knoebels Amusement Resort over the past four decades tells the story.
Agnes, the granddaddy of all modern-day floods, the storm to which all subsequent deluges have been and will forever be compared, still holds its dubious place of honor atop the measurement board, but - no surprise - the "Lee" Flood of 2011 is just underneath, a mere few inches shy of the 1972 mark.
Anyone in the vicinity of Knoebels who was carefully eyeing the rapidly deteriorating situation along Roaring Creek the evening of Sept. 6 had cause to suspect that the stream would overflow its banks, but no one could predict the water's rampage would be anything close to Agnes' proportions.
"Best case scenario, the creek stays in the banks," said Joe Muscato, Knoebels public relations manager. Not yet knowing how Lee would play out, Muscato then commented on the importance of being prepared, no matter what. Employees had already begun the process of moving merchandise and other equipment to higher grounds.
Knoebels needed every bit of that added preparation, as heavy rain the following day, Wednesday, Sept. 7, raised water levels and brought back memories of Agnes. When the waters receded, a grim picture remained of ruined cabins, damaged rides and mud-soaked debris. The park posted photos of the devastation on its Facebook page, and Knoebels officials announced the park would be closed the weekend of Sept. 10 and 11.
Knoebels had been in this predicament before. The park, situated at the confluence of Mugser's Run and Roaring Creek, is always hard hit. In addition to Agnes in 1972, there was Eloise in 1975, a January 1996 blizzard followed by a quick thaw and heavy rains, and torrential downpours in 2004 and 2006. Over the past four decades, the park management and dedicated staff have been resolute in their commitment to helping the park recover as quickly as possible.
Within days of the Flood of 2011, the park was well on its way to recovery. On Tuesday, Sept. 13, U.S. Rep. Tom Marino, stopping by to observe the cleanup effort, lauded Knoebels officials and workers for the quick cleanup.
Dick Knoebel promised the park would be open as scheduled the weekend of Sept. 17 and 18, but warned that because of the flood damage, a few rides would be inoperable. If the park was not "100 percent functional," that weekend, it came close. Park-goers had to look hard to find evidence of the recent flood - except for the new date on the measurement board.