In The Lead: Carnegie / The Comeback Continues

Hans and Virginia Gruenert wanted to start a theater company when they lived in New York City. That’s where you’d do something like that.

But Off the Wall Theater Co. was destined to be born in Western Pennsylvania when Mr. Gruenert’s work brought the couple here in 2007. And after five years in Washington, Pa., they found a better fit in Carnegie.

Their decision happened to mesh with the borough’s trajectory of late.

The economic doldrums that gripped the region for years didn’t miss Carnegie. Then in 2004, when Chartiers Creek overran the business district as a remnant of Hurricane Ivan, dozens of businesses were damaged and many did not return.

Read more:

http://www.post-gazette.com/in-the-lead-2015/reports/2015/05/14/In-The-Lead-Carnegie-The-comeback-continues

Widespread Flooding Submerges Cars, Causes Major Commute Problems

The logo of the United States National Weather Service. The source page states that is not an “official” version but it looks very close to the version used on NWS’s website. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Rain that pounded the Philadelphia region last night and into this morning left widespread flooding that stranded motorists and caused the shutdown of major routes from the western suburbs to South Jersey.

The National Weather Service said around 5 inches fell in most parts of the area, with some places seeing a bit more, such as the 6.56 inches recorded in Spring City, Chester County.

A weather service flood warning is in effect until 12:45 p.m. Authorities are warning that the flood situation is dangerous in many areas as motorists continued to underestimate the severity. Rescue crews were busy throughout the night rescuing stranded drivers.

Even though the flooding had started to recede, crews were still busy rescuing people this morning.

Read more at http://www.philly.com/philly/news/Widespread_flooding_submerges_cars_causes_major_commute_problems.html#mqwogWXh5swhAXoc.99

Storm Causes Big Problems; 1 Dead In Crash

English: This is my own work, Public Domain Photograph, not copyrighted Ed Yakovich http://www.flickr.com/photos/10396190@N04 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

The large storm that blew through overnight – churning up high winds and causing local flooding – is causing major traffic problems early on throughout the Philadelphia regions on one of the busiest travel days of the year.

A string of crashes, one deadly, were reported through the night and into the early morning. Airports have also begun reporting delays and canceling flights due to the weather.

One person was killed in a crash shortly before 5 a.m. on the Schuylkill Expressway (I-76) at West Girard Ave., severely impacting traffic. It was not clear if weather was the main factor, but flooding was reported on the roadway prior to the crash.

Indeed, the expressway was closed eastbound and westbound at Montgomery Drive because of flooding. Police were being asked to prevent motorists from getting on at the nearby entrance ramps.

Read more at http://www.philly.com/philly/news/Noreasters_winds_rain_impacting_commute.html#mBMC5O16HHDpHVKp.99

Some Roads Reopen As DuBois, Nearby Locations, Begin Flood Recovery

Map of Pennsylvania highlighting Clearfield County (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Water receded in some areas overnight and main thoroughfares have reopened in DuBois, Clearfield County, emergency officials said today.

Clearfield and Jefferson counties declared disaster emergencies after about 6 inches of rain fell by 3 p.m. Thursday, leaving as much as 4 feet of water on some streets and forcing the closure of all roads going into DuBois.

Between 7 and 8 inches of rain fell in some parts of Jefferson County, Department of Emergency Services director Tracy W. Zents said at a press conference this morning.

“Right now, we’re getting out of the response mode, and into the recovery mode,” Mr. Zents said.

Read more: http://www.post-gazette.com/stories/local/state/some-roads-reopen-as-dubois-nearby-locations-begin-flood-recovery-693507/#ixzz2XWzWozWL

More flood coverage: http://www.post-gazette.com/stories/local/state/4-feet-of-water-close-all-roads-into-clearfield-county-city-693413/

Bloomsburg Fairgrounds Ready To Reopen 1 Year After Flood

Map of Pennsylvania highlighting Columbia County (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

BLOOMSBURG – Lt. Gov. Jim Cawley reached to a sign posted at the high water mark of the wall of a restroom at the Bloomsburg Fairgrounds.

“I can barely touch it,” Cawley said.

The last time he toured the fairgrounds, the water dumped during the twin storms of Hurricane Irene and Tropical Storm Lee had just receded from the high point on Sept. 9, 2011.

Mud smeared the grounds, and the board of directors canceled the fair for the first time in 157 years.

On Thursday, Cawley returned to rebuilt grounds as vendors set up stands and owners parked collectible cars inside buildings for an automobile show that starts Friday.

Read more: http://www.lockhaven.com/page/content.detail/id/540390/Bloomsburg-fairgrounds-ready-to-reopen-1-year-after-flood.html?nav=5009

Vast Defenses Now Shielding New Orleans

English: Landsat 7 image of New Orleans sitting between Lake Pontchartrain and the Mississippi River. The city appears a pinkish shade in the April 26, 2000 image. The image uses the ETM+ bands 7, 4, and 2. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

NEW ORLEANS — Finally, there is a wall around this city.

Nearly seven years after flood waters from Hurricane Katrina gushed over New Orleans, $14.5 billion worth of civil works designed to block such surges is now in place — a 133-mile chain of levees, flood walls, gates and pumps too vast to take in at once, except perhaps from space.

Individual components of the system can be appreciated from a less celestial elevation. At the new Seabrook floodgate complex, climb up three steep ladders, open a trap door, and step out into the blazing sunlight atop a 54-foot tower that was not here just two years ago. From there one looks out over a $165 million barrier across the shipping canal that links Lake Pontchartrain, the Mississippi River and the Gulf Intracoastal Waterway.

Read more: http://www.nytimes.com/2012/06/15/us/vast-defenses-now-shielding-new-orleans.html?pagewanted=all

Flooded West Pittston Business Reopens Temporarily.

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Editor’s note:  Another reminder that for many NEPA residents and small business owners, life has not returned to normal after the September 2011 flooding!

WEST PITTSTON, Pa. – In September Kimberly Burnham’s business, Miss Kim’s Coffee 2 Go, lay on its side, lapped by Susquehanna River floodwaters.

An entanglement with a power line attached to a nearby business is the only thing that kept it from being swept down river.

This week Burnham reopened her business, located at 200 Wyoming Avenue, and customers – both old and new – were eager to get their fill of caffeine and pastries.

But her stay will be temporary.  She has been notified the rented lot her business is located on will be leased to another tenant and she’ll be forced to find a new location.

Read more: http://www.timesleader.com/news/Coffee_2_Go_open_but_must_go_02-25-2012.html#ixzz1nPp9nB6e

Shut By September Flooding, Redner’s Won’t Reopen In Edwardsville

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People have forgotten about the devastation caused by September’s flooding in various parts of Pennsylvania.  Here is a good example of the where things are five months later!

Redner’s Warehouse Market will not reopen in the Mark Plaza, Edwardsville, Pa., a spokesman said Tuesday.

The store was under water in September when the Susquehanna River crested at 42.66 feet and has been closed since the flooding.

“Due to it being in a known flood zone, it was cost prohibitive for us to reopen the store,” said Redner’s spokesman Eric White. “The lease has been terminated for that location and we will not be rebuilding or relocating our store in the Mark Plaza.”

The store had been in the Mark Plaza for more than 10 years. Mr. White said Redner’s has not chosen a new location, but customers who have suggestions can send them through its website at http://www.Rednersmarkets.com

Read more: http://thetimes-tribune.com/news/business/shut-by-flooding-redner-s-won-t-reopen-in-mark-plaza-1.1268723#ixzz1m6KBmoF9

Athens, PA Flood Recovery Slow But Steady

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2011 has been a year of disasters.  As we recover from the freak snow storm on Saturday, many still without power, let us look back on the flooding which devastated parts of Pennsylvania and follow-up on the recovery efforts being made.

Athens, Pa. — On Maple Street in Athens Borough on Saturday, residents were making progress: some were spackling, some were insulating, some were putting up drywall, and one was ready for a break.

The street was inside a zone so devastated by the flood of nearly two months ago that, in the days just after the flood, people had to pass a Pennsylvania Army National Guard checkpoint to enter.

Read more: http://www.stargazette.com/article/20111030/NEWS01/110300350/Flood-recovery-slow-steady?odyssey=tab|topnews|text|FRONTPAGE

Bloomsburg Fair CANCELLED!!!!!

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The Bloomsburg Fair Grounds were completely inundated by flood waters from Tropical Storm Lee.  As of today, September 12th, the fair’s board of directors have cancelled this year’s fair.

A statement was released via Twitter saying after careful consideration the board of directors has decided not to have the fair this year.

If you click on the fair’s website, it says FAIR CANCELLED, Please check back tomorrow for further information.

Here is a link to their website: http://bloomsburgfair.com/

Harrisburg Area Starting Massive Cleanup And Return Of Services

The Harrisburg area is starting to clean up and services are coming back online after the Great Flood of 2011.  The Susquehanna River is back under flood stage along with the Swatara Creek. 

Capital Area Transit services will resume on Monday.

Linda Thompson, Harrisburg‘s Mayor, is ending the curfew and state of emergency tonight at 9 p.m.  The mayor said she was pleased with Harriburg’s overall condition.

Amtrak service between Harrisburg and Lancaster is still out of commission today.  Still no word on train travel between the two cities for Monday.

There are still about 500 PPL customers in Shipoke, Midtown and Uptown without power.

City Island Parking is closed on Monday.

Metal Flood Gates Saved Kingston

KINGSTON – Mayor James Haggerty said portable metal flood gates installed at the Market Street Bridge saved the municipality from the swollen Susquehanna River.  Kingston officials spray painted a white high-water mark on the side of the wall near the Market Street Bridge.

Kingston Mayor James Haggerty and Kingston Emergency Management Coordinator Tom McTague look over the dirt and rock that Kingston dumped near the flood gates to help stop leaks at their base.  But not before a few tense hours late Thursday night into Friday morning.   

“The river at its worse was 8 or 9 feet up on those gates for us,” Haggerty said. “The pressure from the river was gushing out under, almost shooting straight out under the gates.”
Read more: http://www.timesleader.com/news/Mayor__Portable_flood_gates_saved_Kingston_09-11-2011.html#ixzz1XfCdEA00

Central PA Flooding Claims Five Lives

Flood waters have claims five lives in the midstate and two people are missing.  Dauphin, York, Lancaster and Lebanon counties all reported deaths related to flooding.

Front Street in Harrisburg has flooded.  The Shipoke section of Harrisburg was evacuated along with the Governor’s Mansion.  Several blocks in Midtown had power shut off to force residents to evacuate.  An 8 p.m. to 6 a.m. curfew has been issued by the mayor’s office.

The Susquehanna River at Harrisburg is predicted to crest at 26.5 feet at around 8 p.m. this evening.

Schuylkill River Crests In Pottstown

According to Advanced Hydrologic Prediction Services, the Schuylkill River appears to have crested at 18.27 feet earlier this morning at Pottstown. 18 feet is moderate flood stage.

The most recent reading at 9:31 a.m. shows the river has gone down slightly to 18.21 feet.  Flood stage is 12.5 feet.  The current prediction is that the river will be back under flood stage at 2 am Sunday morning.

I did a quick check and observed the following:

the Hanover Street Bridge is closed, South Pottstown is closed and traffic is being forced to turn left and the bottom of the exit ramp at Hanover Street, Industrial Hwy is closed, a section of High Street near Pottsgrove Manor is under water and closed (observed from the Route 100 bridge), Memorial Park was closed yesterday, a number of streets leading to Industrial Hwy are closed a few blocks from the highway and the list goes on.  Riverside Drive in North Coventry is only accessible by boat!  Best to avoid those areas of Pottstown and North Coventry.

Lycoming County Declared Disaster Area As A Result Of Flooding

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Record-breaking flooding is occurring in parts of Lycoming County.  Hughesville, Picture Rocks and Glen Mawr were evacuated due to rising waters from Muncy Creek.

Loyalsock Creek is flooding at record levels and causing major problems.  Many roads are closed as a result of flooding.

Muncy police are requesting that people only travel if necessary in the borough.

Harrisburg Under State of Emergency – Susquehanna To Crest At 26.2 Feet

Unlike Wilkes-Barre, Harrisburg has no dike system in place.  The Susquehanna River is projected to crest at 26.2 feet or 9.2 feet above flood stage.  This will involve the evacuation of residential sections of the city (Shipoke, Front, Second, Green and Vaughn Streets).

Along with the City of Harrisburg, the Dauphin County Commissioners have declared a state of emergency.

Susquehanna River At Wilkes-Barre To Approach Agnes Levels

If the projection for the Susquehanna River at Wilkes-Barre to crest at 38.5 feet comes to pass, it will be the highest river level since Hurricane Agnes which crested at 40.91 feet in 1972.

Fortunately, since Hurricane Agnes, most the area is protected by a dike system that keeps water out of a significant portion of the flood plain.  The dike is good up to 41 feet for most of the Wyoming Valley.  However, a number of low-lying areas are already being evacuated.  The flood gates on the Market Street bridge are being installed tonight.

Schuylkill River At Pottstown Rising Fast

The Schuylkill River at Pottstown is above flood stage and rising fast.  Advanced Hydrologic Prediction Services just raised their predicted crest to 20.5 feet or 8 feet about flood stage.  Major flood stage is 22 feet and above.

This afternoon’s major thunderstorm made the river rise almost two feet with in a matter of hours.  The crest is predicted to occur September 8th at 8 pm.

We will continue to update as things unfold.  Stay safe out there!