Scott Park after Hurricane Irene passed--note what is in this picture
that we do not have right now: sunshine to dry it up
Posted by: Noël Jones
According to this Express-Times article, there is a new flood watch and warning out for Northampton and Lehigh counties due to all this rain and Hurricane Katia brewing south of us. Keep in mind that the
threat, like with Irene, is not so much that we might be hit by a full-blown hurricane--the real danger is that we have had an extremely wet last half of the summer, and our flood plain has already absorbed as much water as it can hold, so anything extra makes the river rise quickly.
We have steady rain projected all the way through Saturday night, with the first sign of sun being on Sunday. That is a lot of water to try to absorb without flooding when we are already saturated.
If you live in low-lying areas of downtown Easton, or along the rivers, please HAVE A PLAN in place for any and all possible flood watches and warnings. Arrange to have somewhere to go if necessary, and if there is a warning of a major flood, drive out early, rather than waiting to see water on the road. It is extremely dangerous to drive on a road that has flood water on it. IT TAKES LESS THAN 12" TO WASH A CAR OFF THE ROAD. That's why the Nurture Nature Center has coined the phrase "Turn around, don't drown."
Here is a current list from The Morning Call of all the roads that are already flooded at this point. Be careful driving out there. Use maps and take the high road options--don't follow your GPSes--my GPS took me to a flooded road up north the other day...scary.
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8 comments:
I wonder how this is going to affect the Via races on Sunday. The course uses the bike and the tow path. I imagine it will be a mess.
I also wonder about the Genesis bike-to-brunch on the 11th...
if we have a flood,I will take a boat and save my favouritist AMY at Mercantile Home,cos I yuv AMY...I yuv noel marie 2.....tunsie
I'm scared now - I honest-to-God don't know how I'm going to get home tonight. Every road I take is either closed, or diverted to another road (which will probably be closed)
http://www.lehighvalleylive.com/warren-county/express-times/index.ssf/2011/09/officials_announces_extensive.html
I *could* take 80 - with everyone *else* who can't go home either.
(sigh)
I drove over the bridge from PBurg to Easton around 3pm and the river was not just really high, but really brown, and moving swiftly--so much faster than usual. There were a lot of people down there watching...
I have to drive back down there in a few minutes, so I'll see how it's progressed...
I'm worried that residents and even the press are not taking the flood threat seriously, because not much happened with Irene...but the floodplain has gotten that much wetter in the meantime, and rain is forecast through Sunday night now...it's a lot of water with nowhere to go...
Please everybody, have a back up plan if you live in the low-lying areas, and DO NOT DRIVE THROUGH WATER ON THE ROAD. It only takes 12" to sweep a car off the road, and water is deceptive visually and is often deeper than it looks.
The Nurture Nature web site has lots of info:
http://nurturenaturecenter.org/
I actually got on 80 at 206 in Morris County (near the Mt Olive Trade Zone). It was clear sailing - smooth as silk...unreal.
I got off @ 46/94; 46 East is barricaded from the Portland Bridge probably up by Gary Gray Trucking in Columbia.
At 5:30 today I drove past Riverside Park on Larry Holmes drive, and the river had already begun to flood the low part of the park on the north side of the ampitheater...
Genesis had to cancel their Bike to Brunch for 9/11...
Route 46 East @ the Portland Bridge was still barricaded @ 5:30AM this morning.
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