The storm certainly lived up to the hype. Rain from Tropical Depression Ida deluged Schuylkill County all day Wednesday, dumping at least 5 inches in much of the area. Some locations got even more before the rain spigot finally shut off late Wednesday night.
In the Pine Grove area, a place that’s seen its share of flooding in recent years, Ida’s rain caused all sorts of problems.
At 6 p.m., fire sirens rang loud in the borough to warn residents that the Swatara Creek had risen above its banks in some locations and was causing flooding throughout the borough.
Pine Grove Police were forced to shut down the main drag through town, Tulpehocken St., due to flooded out roads and even buckling in one area near Route 645. Check out this photo from Pine Grove PD showing the buckle in the middle of S. Tulpehocken St.:
Outside the borough, flood waters ravaged the townships surrounding Pine Grove.
One of our readers from Washington Township reported in some major flooding in the area of Brown’s Rd. and Wild Cherry Rd.
Check out this video sent to us showing the flooding at Wild Cherry:
Here’s a photo our brave reader took at Covered Bridge Rd. near Rock, debris littering the path:
Numerous residents in that area have requested fire department help in pumping water from their basements.
It was a similar situation in another often-flooded part of Schuylkill County, Tremont.
We were on scene Wednesday afternoon shortly after emergency officials issued a voluntary evacuation order to about 30 homes on Spring St. That part of Tremont gets flooded at the thought of rain so the near 4-5 inches that fell by the time the evacuation order was issued proved to be a challenge.
It’s unclear how many residents of Spring St. which was later closed to traffic due to severe flooding, actually left after the evacuation order.
Here’s a blurry photo of water gushing out of a manhole cover on Spring St. in Tremont. (Apologies for the blurriness … forgot to switch to Auto-focus.)
Flooding reports continued to come in to emergency dispatchers in Pottsville through Wednesday night.
Tropical Depression Ida Rainfall, Flooding in Schuylkill County – LIVE UPDATES
We monitored emergency radio through the day Wednesday to track much of what was happening in Schuylkill County resulting from the heavy rainfall. Here are some more updates from around Schuylkill County from Ida’s heavy rainfall:
Power Outages Cap a Wet Day
Early Thursday morning, PPL Electric reported more than 1,000 customers in Schuylkill County were without power after a day of heavy rain.
Main St. in Landingville Closed Due to Flooding
At about 6:06 p.m., officials from Landingville report they’ve shut down Green Tree Dr. and Main St. in the borough due to flooding.
Tulpehocken St. in Pine Grove Closed Due to Buckling, Flooding; Swatara Creek Up Over Bank
S. Tulpehocken St. in Pine Grove has been closed due to buckling in the roadway caused by rising flood waters.
The buckling is happening at the intersection of Tulpehocken and Route 645.
The street is also closed at N. Tulpehocken St. and Oak Grove Rd. due to flooding.
Our sources inside Pine Grove inform us that Spruce St. is also closed as the Swatara Creek there has risen above its bank.
This is a photo from Pine Grove PD showing Tulpehocken St. damage:
Water Rescue at Summit Station – Pickup Stuck
Fire officials near Summit Station were dispatched to the area of Schuylkill County Fairgrounds at about 4:45 p.m. Wednesday for a “still water rescue” of a pickup truck stuck in water. Dispatches indicate the water was as high as the rocker panels on the pickup.
Fair Rd. in Summit Station has since been closed due to flooding.
Similar water rescue efforts are being needed in other areas of the county, including a call for one near Rock.
Crash on I-81 Near Frackville
A rollover crash on Interstate 81, near Mile Marker 126 and Frackville, was called in to emergency dispatchers at about 2:45 p.m. The crash is in the southbound lane of the highway.
Trees Down Across the Area
Emergency dispatchers have been receiving calls all day from across Schuylkill County of trees down blocking roadways.
Crash Temporarily Closing I-81 in Schuylkill County
At about 2:05 p.m., emergency radio dispatched a fire crew to Interstate 81 in Schuylkill County, near Mile Marker 100 (between Pine Grove and Tremont townships) for a crash. A temporary closing of the highway was ordered.
Speed Reduced on Interstate 81 in Schuylkill County
Just before 2 p.m., PennDOT announced it’s lowering the speed limit on Interstate 81 in Schuylkill County to 55 mph. This applies to all vehicles on the highway.
Speed limits were already reduced on Interstate 80 in Carbon and Monroe counties.
Flash Flood Warning for Schuylkill County
National Weather Service issued a Flash Flood Warning for Schuylkill County until 6 p.m.
Flash Flood Warning Issued for Schuylkill County until 6 pm
Mount Carbon Arch Closed Outside Pottsville
This morning, in Mount Carbon just outside Pottsville, we noticed the end of S. Centre St. under the arch was already flooded and closed. It was closed by 10:30 a.m.
Crash Closes I-81
Earlier today, crashes on Interstate 81 just south of the Schuylkill County line were reported and southbound lanes of the highway were closed.
I 81 SB Lebanon County is closed with traffic diverting off exit 90 due to a rollover truck crash. Multiple crashes between MM 85-90 both NB & SB. Crashes are due to the heavy rainfall. Please drive carefully pic.twitter.com/WLmTA1iLW4
— Trooper Beohm (@PSPTroopLPIO) September 1, 2021
First responders are likely to have their hands full all day, all night, and into Thursday across Schuylkill County. We’ll be monitoring developments through Thursday and reporting on this page with updates.
Developing …
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