Hotel Sterling Demo Could Change More Than Just The Landscape

English: Hotel Sterling, Wilkes-Barre (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

WILKES-BARRE, PA — Ali Kazimi’s arrival at work was memorable Tuesday because the seven-story Hotel Sterling next door was almost entirely demolished.

“It was strange. You can see the eagles on the Market Street Bridge from our property.  We have a riverfront view,” said Kazimi, the third-generation owner of M. Abraham Importer on West Market, which opened by the once bustling Sterling in 1927.

Kazimi looks forward to losing that view to new development on the 4-acre Sterling parcel.  City officials condemned and demolished the former hotel and plan to seize the cleared lot from its nonprofit owner, CityVest, so the site can be marketed and sold to a private developer.

Read more:   http://www.timesleader.com/news/local-news/715688/View-from-River-and-Market-is-optimistic

Four Bridges Remain Closed In Wilkes-Barre Area

Image via Wikipedia

Four major bridges remain closed after last week’s heavy flooding in the Wyoming Valley.  The Market Street Bridge, Eighth Street Bridge, Water Street Bridge and the Stone Bridge are all closed to traffic.  This has created congestion problems on the North Cross Valley Expressway.  If you are traveling in the Wilkes-Barre area, you may want to allow yourself extra time to reach your destination.

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

Susquehanna Crests Higher In Wilkes-Barre Than Orginally Reported Due To Gauge Malfunction

The Susquehanna River crested nearly four feet higher in Wilkes-Barre than originally announced.  A gauge malfunctioned that measures the river level.  The river actually crested at a level higher than Hurricane Agnes in 1972 (40.91 feet) and set a record of 42.66 feet Friday morning.

This high level of water is straining the levee system to its maximum.  Water is leaking into downtown Wilkes-Barre through the flood gates on the Market Street Bridge.

The levee at Forty Fort is also compromised and in danger of collapse.  Governor Corbett has strongly urged Wyoming Valley residents to head evacuation warnings.

Evidently it is not uncommon for gauges to malfunction during high water events.

More Wilkes-Barre/Wyoming Valley Hurricane Lee News

Image via Wikipedia

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.