President Obama Signs Emergency Declaration For Pennsylvania

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The POTUS signed an emergency declaration for Pennsylvania due to conditions from Tropical Storm Lee.  The following counties were listed: Adams, Bedford, Berks, Blair, Bradford, Bucks, Cambria, Carbon, Centre, Chester, Clinton, Columbia, Cumberland, Dauphin, Delaware, Franklin, Fulton, Huntingdon, Juniata, Lackawanna, Lancaster, Lebanon, Lehigh, Luzerne, Lycoming, Mifflin, Monroe, Montgomery, Montour, Northampton, Northumberland, Perry, Philadelphia, Schuylkill, Snyder, Somerset, Sullivan, Susquehanna, Tioga, Union, Wyoming, and York.

FEMA will begin working with state and local officials to provide federal assistance to flood victims.  The start date of the emergency declaration is September 3, 2011.

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.

Pennsylvania Turnpike Closed Between Harrisburg East And Reading Interchanges

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The Pennsylvania Turnpike Commission has closed a 39-mile section of the toll road due to a bridge in Dauphin County being threatened by rising flood waters from the Swatara Creek.

To find out the suggested detour routes, click here: http://www.pennlive.com/midstate/index.ssf/2011/09/pennsylvania_turnpike_closes_a.html

More Wilkes-Barre/Wyoming Valley Hurricane Lee News

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PPL Electric cut power to the Wilkes-Barre City flood zone at 5 pm today.  This was done to avoid a major power failure.  Water and electricity do not exactly mix well.

The Pierce Street Bridge between Wilkes-Barre and Kingston is closed to traffic along with the 8^th Street Bridge, Water Street Bridge, Stone Bridge, and the West Nanticoke Bridge.  The South Cross Valley Bridge has water near the Plymouth Township exit but it open.  The North Cross Valley Bridge is open.  Pictures on the Times Leader website show water getting close to the bottom of the Market Street Bridge at 11 am this morning.  The Market Street bridge also closed last night. To see their pictorial from around Wilkes-Barre, click here: http://www.timesleader.com/news/Images_from_evacuations.html

Kingston has set an 8 pm curfew until further notice.  No vehicular or pedestrian traffic will be permitted after 8 pm.  West Pittston has set an 8 pm curfew until further notice and Edwardsville has set a 9 pm curfew as well.

Another evacuation site is opening at Hanover Senior High School with a capacity of 500. The GAR shelter has reached capacity.  The Solomon Plains shelter may still have room.

Shickshinny evacuated 200 residents.  70 percent of buildings in the borough will be flooded if the river hits 38 feet.

Students at Wilkes University and Kings College were evacuated and the schools closed.

Wilkes-Barre General is open, safe and in emergency mode.  Other WVHCS facilities may be evacuated and/or closed.

Luzerne County has called for the evacuation of 50,000 residents in unprotected areas.

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.

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!