We've got a flood watch in effect for Northampton and Lehigh counties (as well as many others) due to heavy rain headed our way to begin tonight and through tomorrow night. Please note the portion in red at the bottom. Here is a link to the NOAA web site, where you can sign up for flood alerts. Below is the NOAA Flood Alert:
FLOOD WATCH
NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE MOUNT HOLLY NJ 1100 AM EST WED MAR 9 2011 NEW CASTLE-CECIL-SUSSEX-WARREN-MORRIS-HUNTERDON-SOMERSET- MIDDLESEX-WESTERN MONMOUTH-MERCER-GLOUCESTER-CAMDEN- NORTHWESTERN BURLINGTON-CARBON-MONROE-BERKS-LEHIGH-NORTHAMPTON- CHESTER-MONTGOMERY-BUCKS-DELAWARE-PHILADELPHIA- INCLUDING THE CITIES OF...WILMINGTON...ELKTON...NEWTON... WASHINGTON...MORRISTOWN...FLEMINGTON...SOMERVILLE... NEW BRUNSWICK...FREEHOLD...TRENTON...GLASSBORO...CAMDEN... CHERRY HILL...MOORESTOWN...MOUNT HOLLY...JIM THORPE... STROUDSBURG...READING...ALLENTOWN...BETHLEHEM...EASTON... WEST CHESTER...NORRISTOWN...DOYLESTOWN...MEDIA...PHILADELPHIA
1100 AM EST WED MAR 9 2011
...FLOOD WATCH REMAINS IN EFFECT FROM THURSDAY MORNING THROUGH
FRIDAY MORNING...
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...SOMERSET...
SUSSEX...WARREN AND WESTERN MONMOUTH. IN PENNSYLVANIA...
BERKS...BUCKS...CARBON...CHESTER...DELAWARE...LEHIGH...
MONROE...MONTGOMERY...NORTHAMPTON AND PHILADELPHIA.
* FROM THURSDAY MORNING THROUGH FRIDAY MORNING
* HEAVY RAIN IS EXPECTED AGAIN ACROSS THE WATCH AREA. RAIN
SHOULD BEGIN TONIGHT. HOWEVER...THE HEAVIEST RAINFALL IS
EXPECTED TO OCCUR DURING THE DAY THURSDAY INTO THURSDAY NIGHT.
STORM TOTAL AMOUNTS SHOULD AVERAGE TWO TO THREE AND A HALF
INCHES WITH LOCALIZED HIGHER AMOUNTS PROBABLE...ESPECIALLY IN
HIGHER TERRAIN LOCATIONS. THESE AMOUNTS WILL BE UPDATED AS THE
LATEST MODEL INFORMATION BECOMES AVAILABLE.
* THE ESTIMATED RAINFALL AMOUNTS WILL CAUSE FLOODING OF LOW
LYING AREAS...AS WELL AS CAUSE SMALLER STREAMS AND CREEKS TO
RISE OUT OF THEIR BANKS. THE RUNOFF SHOULD ALSO CAUSE FLOODING
ALONG MAIN STEM RIVERS. THE PASSAIC RIVER IS THE MOST
VULNERABLE DUE TO ONGOING FLOODING. THE RARITAN...DELAWARE AND
SCHUYLKILL RIVERS ALSO ARE VULNERABLE. MANY RIVERS AND STREAMS
REMAIN AT HIGHER THAN NORMAL LEVELS AND WILL NOT RETURN TO
NORMAL FLOW BEFORE THIS NEXT RAIN STORM.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
A FLOOD WATCH MEANS THERE IS A POTENTIAL FOR ADDITIONAL FLOODING
BASED ON CURRENT FORECASTS.
YOU SHOULD MONITOR LATER FORECASTS AND BE ALERT FOR FLOOD
WARNINGS. THOSE LIVING IN AREAS PRONE TO FLOODING SHOULD BE
PREPARED TO TAKE ACTION SHOULD FLOODING DEVELOP. PLEASE MAKE ALL
THE NECESSARY PREPARATIONS TODAY. IF YOU EXPERIENCED FLOODING
WITH THE LAST EVENT THE COURSE OF LEAST REGRET WOULD BE TO
PREPARE FOR IT AGAIN. BECAUSE OF THE RECENT HEAVY RAIN THE
LIKELIHOOD EXISTS FOR THIS UPCOMING EVENT TO AFFECT EVEN MORE
WATERWAYS AND CAUSE POSSIBLY HIGHER CRESTS.
Posts
16 comments:
I think this is a repeat of the last flood that hit Easton several years ago. Back to back heavy rains and we could expect water over Larry Holmes Drive and closing off downtown to South Side and College Hill.
I hope not, but it's best that everyone be prepared by moving precious things to a higher level in the house, and by arranging a place to stay in case you and your family need one.
The warning does say at the bottom that those who were flooded in the "the last event" are likely to be flooded in this one, the only thing is, I'm not sure what they mean by "the last event"--whether that means last major flood, or whether it also includes smaller floods as well...
Does anyone know?
The NOAA site that I posted the link to has tons of information--I encourage everyone to sign up for alerts--especially if you live downtown or along the rivers or Bushkill Creek.
The Nurture Nature Center in Easton maintains the website http://focusonfloods.org with lots of good up to the minute information on river conditions, also on the site is a film called The Day of the Flood by Maciek Albrecht which I believe it just won an ADDY award.
http://www.lehighvalleylive.com/breakingnews/index.ssf/2011/03/greater_lehigh_valley_ad_club.html
Link to film
http://focusonfloods.org/the-day-of-the-flood
Thanks, Sophia!
Today's NOAA floodwatch alert:
THE ESTIMATED RAINFALL AMOUNTS WILL CAUSE FLOODING OF LOW LYING
AREAS...AS WELL AS CAUSE SMALLER STREAMS AND CREEKS TO RISE OUT
OF THEIR BANKS. THE RUNOFF SHOULD ALSO CAUSE FLOODING ALONG MAIN
STEM RIVERS. THE PASSAIC RIVER IS THE MOST VULNERABLE DUE TO
ONGOING FLOODING. THE RARITAN...DELAWARE AND SCHUYLKILL RIVERS
ALSO ARE VULNERABLE. MANY RIVERS AND STREAMS REMAIN AT HIGHER
THAN NORMAL LEVELS AND WILL NOT RETURN TO NORMAL FLOW BEFORE
THIS NEXT ROUND OF HEAVY RAIN.
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
A FLOOD WATCH MEANS THERE IS A POTENTIAL FOR ADDITIONAL FLOODING
BASED ON CURRENT FORECASTS.
YOU SHOULD MONITOR LATER FORECASTS AND BE ALERT FOR FLOOD
WARNINGS. THOSE LIVING IN AREAS PRONE TO FLOODING SHOULD BE
PREPARED TO TAKE ACTION SHOULD FLOODING DEVELOP. PLEASE MAKE ALL
THE NECESSARY PREPARATIONS TODAY. IF YOU EXPERIENCED FLOODING
WITH THE LAST EVENT THE COURSE OF LEAST REGRET WOULD BE TO
PREPARE FOR IT AGAIN. BECAUSE OF THE RECENT HEAVY RAIN THE
LIKELIHOOD EXISTS FOR THIS UPCOMING EVENT TO AFFECT EVEN MORE
WATERWAYS AND CAUSE POSSIBLY HIGHER CRESTS.
&&
And this note on flood preparedness and driving:
PRECAUTIONARY/PREPAREDNESS ACTIONS...
MOST FLOOD DEATHS OCCUR IN AUTOMOBILES. NEVER DRIVE YOUR VEHICLE INTO
AREAS WHERE THE WATER COVERS THE ROADWAY. FLOOD WATERS ARE USUALLY
DEEPER THAN THEY APPEAR. JUST ONE FOOT OF FLOWING WATER IS POWERFUL
ENOUGH TO SWEEP VEHICLES OFF THE ROAD. WHEN ENCOUNTERING FLOODED
ROADS MAKE THE SMART CHOICE...TURN AROUND...DONT DROWN.
A FLOOD ADVISORY MEANS RIVER OR STREAM FLOWS ARE ELEVATED OR PONDING
OF WATER IN URBAN OR OTHER AREAS IS OCCURRING OR IS IMMINENT.
&&
I was down by the river a couple of hours ago, and it's getting really high. Supposedly the worst rain is yet to come. The Lehigh and Delaware are almost even at the dam, and the Lehigh along the flats is getting very close to coming over the bank to the road...
we lucked out again. Things are going well for Easton as a whole and a flood had now been averted. New height is less than 28 feet which is great. Still, lots of people down by the rivers......fun to watch as long at it stays where it belongs.
looks like Allentown got some street flooding, but we lucked out. hopefully "April showers" will just bring us flowers next month...
The Express-Times is reporting road closings today to be safe:
The following roads were closed as of 10:30 this morning, according to a news release from the Pennsylvania Department of Transportation:
Northampton County
Route 611 is closed between Cedarville Road and Nesquehoning Street in Easton.
Lehigh Drive is closed between Hugh Moore Park Road in West Easton and Adamson Street in Easton.
Lehigh County
Spring Creek Road is close between Laurel Lane and Mill Creek Road in Lower Macungie Township.
Eberhart Road is closed between Range Road and Pine Street in Whitehall Township.
Mertztown Road is closed between Ash Lane and Hill Top Road in Lower Macungie Township.
Cetronia Road is closed between Trexlertown and Grange roads in Upper Macungie Township.
Best Station Road is restricted to one lane in Heidelberg Township.
North Dauphin/Lehigh Street is closed between Irving Street in Hanover Township and Race Street in Catasauqua Borough.
Warren County
Route 182 (Mountain Avenue) North is down to one lane between Mall Drive and East Avenue
Route 665 (Bilby Road) is closed at Route 604 (Willow Grove Street).
The good news is the rain is moving out of the area. Today's temperature will climb into the mid-50s, with sun expected through Tuesday.
there was flooding in Jersey today--saw it on the news on TV but they didn't say where in Jersey...does anyone know?
Noel:
I'm one of those NJ interlopers the mouth-frothers on the MC & ET comments section like to rant about (grin).
The "usual suspects" flooded in NJ:
Parts of Fairfield
Parts of Routes 23 & 46
Bloomfield Avenue
Willowbrook Mall parking lot
Wayne Town Center parking lot
Part of Pequannock
UT
Both CNN and Fox are showing pictures of the Willowbrook Mall parking lot this morning.
A friend who works in Pequannock was told to stay home tomorrow.
Why do people live within 25 miles of the Passaic River?
Thanks for the info, UT--glad you're behaving here!
Tachitup--we seem to have an historic fascination with riverfront properties (and trying to build businesses in floodplains, even though they are meant to soak up flood water to help avoid floods).
And who wouldn't want to live on a river...pretty pretty...but a real mess when Nature comes rising through...
tachiup:
As a native of Florida, I could ask "why do people live in beachfront homes"
Noel:
I always do behave on comment sections, although I apparently offended the powers that be on the ET site this AM with a comment - though I noticed a similar posting was allowed to remain.
C'est la guerre!
UT
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