MEDIA – The National Weather Service in Mount Holly issued a flood watch for much of the Philadelphia area, including Delaware County, Wednesday morning.
Additionally, a flood warning was issued for communities along the Brandywine Creek at Chadds Ford, expected to affect parts of Delaware County.
The flood watch is scheduled to continue through Thursday afternoon. Between noon Tuesday and Wednesday, the area experienced four to five inches of rain.
A significant amount of rain is expected over the next few days, as bands of storms moving up from Maryland are expected to pour on the area.
“It depends whether we get thunderstorms,” said the meteorologist-on-duty at the NWS in Mount Holly, N.J. Wednesday. “We’re expecting, over the next 24 to 48 hours, possibly one or two inches of rain.”
With the ground already saturated by August’s deluge, most of the rain will run off into small streams and possibly cause them to flood.
PennDOT spokesman Gene Blaum said that there were no road closures or blockages in Delaware County Wednesday afternoon, but that there were “8 to 10 roads closed in other parts of the region.”
“At this point and time, we don’t have any closed in Delaware County, but it’s obviously a major concern as we go through (Wednesday),” he said.
Brandywine and Darby Creeks were problem areas he mentioned that PennDOT was keeping an eye on.
Ed Truitt, the Director of Delaware County Emergency Services, wasn’t concerned about either creek flooding, saying that residential areas are not close to either site. Still, he’s keeping tabs on both areas.
“I’ve notified the people that need to be notified,” he said. “They know when to be proactive and when not to. They’re not rookies out there. If they have to pull the trigger (on an emergency situation), they’ll pull it.”
Blaum also said that crews were being readied “for this latest round of rain.” Crews have been kept busy since Hurricane Irene moved through the area.
“It matters where the creeks and rivers crest,” he said. “When water does overtake the roadways, we’re mobilizing crews to get barriers (on them).”
Truitt that any action would cost money, which is short now.
“Local municipalities just frankly don’t have (funds) this time of year,” said Truitt. He cited the operations during Hurricane Irene and actions during last winter’s snowstorms as the reason why many towns are hurting for cash for this situation.
Truitt emphasized that the flood watch is just a speculative measure.
“I deal with what is, not what they say is going to happen four days from now,” he said.
HARRISBURG, Pa. (AP) — Flash flooding from the aftermath of Tropical Storm Lee has caused the closure of dozens of highways and secondary roads in central Pennsylvania.
The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation was urging motorists Wednesday not to travel if possible because of the widespread closings.
In the meantime, the National Weather Service issued a flood watch for much of the region.
Here is their official release:
THE FLOOD WATCH CONTINUES FOR
* PORTIONS OF NORTHERN DELAWARE...NORTHEAST MARYLAND...NEW
JERSEY AND PENNSYLVANIA...INCLUDING THE FOLLOWING AREAS...IN
NORTHERN DELAWARE...NEW CASTLE. IN NORTHEAST MARYLAND...CECIL.
IN NEW JERSEY...CAMDEN...GLOUCESTER...HUNTERDON...MERCER...
MIDDLESEX...MORRIS...NORTHWESTERN BURLINGTON...SALEM...
SOMERSET...SUSSEX...WARREN AND WESTERN MONMOUTH. IN
PENNSYLVANIA...BERKS...BUCKS...CARBON...CHESTER...DELAWARE...
LEHIGH...MONROE...MONTGOMERY...NORTHAMPTON AND PHILADELPHIA.
* THROUGH THURSDAY AFTERNOON
* HEAVY SHOWERS TODAY WITH ISOLATED THUNDERSTORMS WILL BE
CONCENTRATED MAINLY FROM EASTERN MARYLAND NORTHWARD THROUGH
EASTERN PENNSYLVANIA INTO NORTHWESTERN NEW JERSEY INTO WEDNESDAY
EVENING. THESE SHOWERS MAY TEND TO BE ORGANIZED IN BANDS FROM
SOUTH TO NORTH. IF THESE BANDS MOVE OVER THE SAME PLACES...
FLASH FLOOD WARNINGS IN ADDITION TO FLOOD WARNINGS MAY BECOME
NECESSARY.
* BANDS OF HEAVIER RAIN ARE ALSO LIKELY TO DEVELOP AND MOVE OVER
THE NORTHERN PART OF THE WATCH AREA LATER TONIGHT INTO THURSDAY
MORNING.
* FROM WEDNESDAY AFTERNOON INTO THURSDAY AFTERNOON ADDITIONAL
RAINFALL AMOUNTS OF 1.5 TO 4.0 INCHES ARE POSSIBLE IN THE WATCH
AREA WITH THE HIGHEST AMOUNTS IN THE WESTERN PART OF THE WATCH
AREA.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
A FLOOD WATCH MEANS THAT THERE IS THE POTENTIAL FOR MORE FLOODING
BASED ON CURRENT FORECASTS.
YOU SHOULD MONITOR SUBSEQUENT FORECASTS AND BE ALERT FOR POSSIBLE
RENEWED FLOOD WARNINGS OR UPGRADES TO HIGHER CATEGORY RISKS. IF
YOU LIVE IN A LOCATION THAT IS PRONE TO FLOODING... BE PREPARED
TO TAKE ACTION AND MOVE TO HIGHER GROUND SHOULD FLOODING DEVELOP.
DON'T WALK OR PLAY ALONG STREAM BANKS WHICH ARE EXCEEDINGLY
SLIPPERY.
The closures affect portions of most of the interstate highways and a much larger number of secondary state roads throughout the region.
As PennDOT spokesman Steve Chizmar put it — quote — "It's bad out there."
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