RIVER RUNS US OUT AS LEVEES PASS TEST (NE-PA flooding)

(my neck of the woods)

RIVER RUNS US OUT AS LEVEES PASS TEST
River hits 34.33 feet at first crestUnprotected areas take heavy damageUp to 175,000 residents are told to evacuate
Thu, Jun. 29, 2006
TIMES LEADER STAFF - Wilkes-Barre PA
http://www.timesleader.com/mld/timesleader/news/14926727.htm

Riverside neighborhoods emptied Wednesday as a swollen Susquehanna River threatened to reach its highest level since Tropical Storm Agnes devastated the region in 1972.

Between 100,000 and 175,000 people in 14 communities – perhaps up to half of Luzerne County’s population – were ordered to leave their homes Wednesday. National Guardsmen and police patrolled downtown Wilkes-Barre and other towns, enforcing a 9 p.m. curfew.

After an initial crest at 34.33 feet at about 6 p.m. Wednesday, the river was expected to rise to a second crest, between 35 and 37 feet, today.

That would still be several feet below the top of the levees that protect most riverside communities.

County engineer James Brozena said the “double crest” was due to heavy rains locally and upriver.

more photos can be seen here: http://www.citizensvoice.com/site/news.asp?brd=2259

though I live in Kansas now. I lived in Avoca and went to Pittston Area High School. Many of my family are still in Pittston and Wilkes-Barre and that area, though.

Also, my son works in Washington, D.C. The city was pretty much shut down by flooding on Monday. A normal 45-minute ride to work on the Metro took him 2 1/2 hours! Some workers were on the road for 4 hours before they finally called in and said they couldn't make it.

and risks horrendous damage if the levees breach. I heard it's not so much the height of the water as much as it is 48 hours of all that water weakening the levees. W-B has the potential of becoming NOLA North, downtown for certain. I can't imagine Boscov's with all that water . . .

More rain this morning here in upstate NY - it's a freaking MESS. :(

I kinda remember Agnes, and this is worse. :( :(

My sister has a place on the Delaware River between Penn. and NJ. This is the 3rd time in three years the river has crested about 30 feet (it's normally about 5). People who think global warming is a myth probably still also believe the earth is flat.

Fwiw, I'm thinking of you and hoping for the best for you. The hell of it is, we want the rain!

Hope they continue to hold and protect those that they do.

One of the side effects of global warming is people get their rain in a shorter period of time. Where I live monsoon type of rain is normal for this season, but I've noticed the intensity of our monsoon storms has been increasing in the last few years. Is there really people out there anymore that doubt global warming? I know it helps that I'm older and have experienced the climate changes, plus I have an in-law who is an expert on dendro-chronology & climate change, but monsoon weather in Pennsylvania has to make believers out of the nonbelievers, at least one would THINK it would.

that looked Vince from the WWF arguing with a Harvard professor about the massive and unusual storms in the northeast, THAT ARE NOT FUELED BY A HURRICANE.

Then the jackass went on confusing the audience, we don't know what's really happening, the data from 60 years ago was made with 30's technology, blah blah blah. the atom bomb was designed with a fricken pen and paper and an absicuss. we put a man on the moon in the 60's, I mean the guy was an utter jackass

that if the jet stream is is altered or slowed down, storms would or could linger longer over a given area, resulting in more flooding.

We just went through this here in Mass, Maine and New Hampshire at the beginning of June.
You all have my sympathies!

Here are some photo's from NY and the North East effected by this new flooding also.

Northeast U.S. Hit By Flooding
http://cbs4boston.com/slideshows/photoalbum_slideshow_179122226

These photo's are not allowed to be copied.
No 'gif' or 'jpg' available, so you have to click the link ABOVE to see the slideshow.
But the photo's are incredible!

A deadly deluge has forced evacuation of more than 2,200 people and washed out highways.

potentially devastating bullet. My dad grew up in the small town of Swoyerville and many of his family members were evacuated and suffered flood damage back in 72. Three of his nieces are still in the area on the flood plain, so a huge relief that the levees held.