Daily Archives: August 27, 2011

Aug 27 2011

Wilkes-Barre Closes Flood Gates In Preparation For High Water

The Wilkes-Barre Department of Public Works has closed flood gates to bridges over Solomon’s Creek on South Franklin Street, Regent Street, Waller Street and Barney Street, in preparation for the arrival of Hurricane Irene.  Those bridges will be closed to traffic for at least 24 hours.

Aug 27 2011

Harrisburg Area Hotels Reach Capacity – Irene Drives People West

Harrisburg area hotels are filled this weekend.  Many guests are checking in from NY, NJ and DE.  They are fleeing Hurricane Irene.

Area hotels are diverting business to Carlisle as they have reached capacity.  One local hotel manager contacted 20 other Harrisburg area hotels looking for anyone with a vacancy, but they were all full.

If you are looking to head inland to escape Irene, you will have to look somewhere else!  Harrisburg is booked!

Aug 27 2011

King Of Prussia Mall Closing At 5pm Today!

King of Prussia Mall

King of Prussia Mall (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Due to the anticipated impact of Hurricane Irene, King of Prussia Mall will be closing at 5 p.m. as a precautionary measure to help ensure the safety of shoppers, retailers and mall employees. The mall expects to re-open tomorrow at 11 a.m. for regular business hours. Should that change, more information will be posted as soon as it becomes available.
Aug 27 2011

SEPTA TO HALT SERVICE DURING HURRICANE IRENE

SEPTA logo with text

Image via Wikipedia

All SEPTA Services To Be Suspended During Hurricane Irene. Operations to Halt at 12:30 a.m. Sunday; Services to Resume Mid-Day Sunday, As Conditions Permit.

PHILADELPHIA, PA (August 26, 2011)

In the interest of public safety, with a hurricane of historic proportions approaching the region, SEPTA will cease all transportation operations at12:30 a.m. Sunday.

All trips scheduled after 12:30 a.m. Sunday will be cancelled.  Service is not expected to resume until at least mid-day Sunday, following damage assessments and repairs. Service will resume on a route-by-route basis, based on conditions.

SEPTA strongly urges all customers who normally ride the system during this time period to make arrangements to go to your destination well in advance of the storm and be prepared to remain safely at that location until the storm has passed and service has resumed.

Announcements regarding the resumption of service will be announced through the Office of the Mayor of Philadelphia and SEPTA’s Website, www.septa.org.

All SEPTA employees normally assigned to work during the period of the shutdown or who are assigned to emergency duty are required to report to work at their assigned locations.

Aug 27 2011

Pottstown Borough Staff Have Taken Proactive Measures To Deal With Irene

Jason Bobst, Pottstown Borough Manager, reported that the Borough of Pottstown has taken a number of steps to make sure residents have the services they need once the hurricane hits; and in the case of a worst possible scenario, a place to go!

The water and sewer plants have enough diesel fuel to run on until Tuesday, in the event electricity is lost.

A temporary shelter is being set up at Pottstown High School in the event that anyone in Western Montgomery County is forced from their home and needs shelter.

Jason is also asking residents to please not drive through barricaded areas where there is high water.  Someone always does this and has to be rescued.  FYI… if you do this and get caught you will get a summary violation and fined.  This typically happens on Industrial Hwy or College Drive.

Borough employees are also ready to deal with fallen trees in the Hylton State Forest.  They have the equipment in place to handle any trees that are toppled by the storm and dispose of them.

Pottstown will wait a while longer before deciding to declare a state of emergency.  If this happens the borough will work with local fire departments to alert residents in the evacuation areas.

Two Roy’s Rants thumbs up to the borough for being proactive!