At least four people have been killed and a dozen more are missing after flash flooding and several inches of rain shook southeastern Pennsylvania just outside Philadelphia on Saturday night.
About four inches of rain per hour fell in Bucks County during the heart of the storm around 5:30 p.m., officials said. Dean Iovino of the National Weather Service said more rain fell in two hours than the city of Las Vegas received in a year.
The flooding was so bad that cars with people already in them were flooded, causing their deaths and the disappearance of another family, according to county officials. At least one bridge was visibly in disrepair.
Two women and a man were found dead in the Washington Crossing area of Upper Makefield Township. The identity of the fourth dead has not been made public.
Upper Makefield officials said the remaining missing are a family of four, with a two-year-old and a nine-month-old.
At least four people have been killed and a dozen others are missing following flash flooding and several inches of rain in southeastern Pennsylvania just outside Philadelphia on Saturday night.
Bucks County Coroner Meredith Buck said the number is likely to get higher.
“The number of fatalities could rise,” she told the Philadelphia investigator. “It’s just the beginning, unfortunately.”
“A lot of water rescues are taking place at the moment. There’s a lot going on,” she added, with Iovino saying there may be a dozen missing.
He noted that the county’s proximity to the Delaware River made it “a problematic area” for flooding and that flash flooding focused closely on it.
At the height of the storm, neighboring police departments announced they were assisting with a search and rescue operation for flood victims.
Police in Upper Makefield said in a Facebook post that much of the city had fallen victim to the flooding.
“We apologize for not keeping you updated,” they wrote. “We have been dealing with search and rescue missions. There are countless places in the municipality that have been flooded.’
When we can, we’ll keep you posted. Until then, keep the families in your thoughts and prayers.”
About four inches of rain per hour fell in Bucks County during the heart of the storm around 5:30 p.m., officials said. Dean Iovino of the National Weather Service said more rain fell in two hours than the city of Las Vegas received in a year
The flooding was so bad that cars with people already in them were flooded, causing their deaths and the disappearance of another family, according to county officials. At least one bridge was visibly in disrepair
Two women and a man were found dead in the Washington Crossing area of Upper Makefield Township. The identity of the fourth dead has not been made public
Upper Makefield officials said the remaining missing include a family of four, with a two-year-old and a nine-month-old
At the height of the storm, neighboring police departments announced they were assisting with a search and rescue operation for flood victims
According to the Department of Transportation, four state highways in Bucks County were closed due to the flooding.
So said a local resident, Nick Primola abc6 that he saw cars swept away and upside down driving along the roads.
“I think it was just lucky timing because the people who were probably just 10 minutes early weren’t so lucky. They really didn’t have any warning and they were caught up in it,” he said.
“I’ve never seen anything so fast. I mean, this is an area where there are a lot of waterways, so people are used to flooding, but I think that’s why it snuck up on these people who were driving,” Primola added.
officials said fox29 that the roads are likely to be closed for an extended period of time.
According to the Department of Transportation, four state highways in Bucks County were closed due to the flooding
Officials told reporters the roads are likely to be closed for an extended period of time
Police in Upper Makefield said in a Facebook post that much of the city had fallen victim to the flooding
One expert noted that the county’s proximity to the Delaware River made it “a problematic area” for flooding and that the flash flood focused closely on it
Motorists are told to avoid the closed areas until they can clear and repair the roads.
The National Weather Service warns things could get worse, with a 24-hour flood watch for the entire region on Sunday.
“With all this humidity, there’s nothing to clean it up,” Iovino said.