MANDATORY madhouse EVACUATION (NE-PA flood)

There's a mandatory evacuation going on in the Wilkes-Barre area - shutting everything down by 8pm tonight. River is expected to crest at midnight tonight.

Roads are a madhouse as people are trying to get to their homes and routes are limited due to the flooding that already has occured.

they are expecting the levee/dike system to hold the water - just barely. System is built for a crest of 40 feet, forcasts at the moment is for a cresting of 38-39 feet

so my partner, who works in Wilkes-Barre area calls me at my work and wants me to help move furniture/computers etc, up to the 2nd floor of her office

My day was already screwed, most of co-workers had already left to evacuate themselves or family - so my boss tells me to go ahead

309 North was bumper to bumper, so I get off and head for a circular route, get confused and end up on the highway in the wrong direction. Back around in a circle - I call my partner and tell her I'm stuck in traffic - she tells me nevermind just go home we're almost done.

Where we live we are not effected by the flooding (we're up on a mountain and nearest creek/pond/waterway is about 3 miles away DOWNHILL from us)

Our main concern is the Huntsville Dam. They evacuated people from that area this morning/late last night - they fear a breach. For us personally, we are about 8 miles ABOVE the dam.

The dam hold back the Huntsville water reservoir - picture a HUMONGOUS LAKE spilling over a 30 foot stretch of dam that has busted. And it's all DOWNHILL from there. One of the side roads near the dam has alread collapsed.

Scuttlebutt and comments overheard from co-workers is that no one is counting on any FEMA help should the worse happen.

:hug:

Keep us posted.

we're in pretty good shape if we get cut off from the rest of civilization - hopefully we won't lose power if really bad flooding happens near us.

between the gas grill and propane stove we can cook if power goes out.

the big problem is water - we have a well, but the pump is electric. So I've put up a few gallons for drinking.

for flushing, we have a neighbor with a pool. bucket brigade anyone?

I am in the same boat as you, on a well with electric pump. I added a hand pump and it works great. I only have a 35 gallon pressure tank but that's enough to take a shower. I just pump it up to 50psi in the tank and I have access to 35 gallons.

That sounds like pretty bad stuff.

I'm in Scranton near the Lackawanna river, but things seem to be getting better here. If anything happens, I hope at least your asshole neighbor gets washed away!

Take care of yourself! :hi:

:hug: I hope you stay safe.

To get to her home you drive along side a tributary for the Susquehanna then make a turn and drive up a hill to a small development. That road along the river is now totally blocked and hitting some of the homes at the base of the hill (they helped a neighbor rescue her chickens caught in the flooding). Fortunately they are on well water, but Harrisburg is requiring all citizens to boil all water first before drinking or washing dishes in it

minor flooding in the usual areas http://newweb.erh.noaa.gov/ahps2/hydrograph.php?wfo=bgm&gage=wbrp1

river crested at 34.14 feet and now going down, levees/dike system is built for 40 feet.

nothing new about huntsville dam, so I'm assuming it's ok. couple of areas of road near/around the dam have been washed out - no word on how extensive the damage and how long to repair, waiting for the water there to go back down so they can assess the damage

I did report possible gas gouging incident. When I went to work yesteday, two gas stations near each other were at $2.69. When I ran down to the store early evening, one of them was up to $2.75, the other was still at $2.69.

several other gas stations along that stretch were still at the same prices they were in the morning

not much of a response..just thank-you for reporting it... :eyes:

My co-worker is from Wilkes-Barre, and her brother couldn't go home last night because his house was in the mandatory evacuation area. They started to broadcast of "Nightline" from Wilkes-Barre last night (and Reading) and pronounced both correctly!

I took the day off since 1) sinus infection 2) main train route AND alternate are flooded and closed and it's a 90 minute ride into town on the Schuylkill and everything else is flooded.

It's sunny now - hope the t-storms bypass all of us today.

It's nice to know that Pennsylvania has a government that is more responsive than the federal government

Saw some pretty bad pictures in today's newspapers (over here in England).