My Poor Pennsylvania...

Wild fires are raging in Texas.

Human error caused power outages in California.

Craziness.

But here in North and South Central Pennsylvania, we've been ravaged by rain, flash floods and river flooding.

While Wilkes-Barre and Pittston are getting the bulk of the national news coverage, the damage is more widespread.

from a farm at the bottom of our hill

Locally, we were pretty lucky. York mostly dealt with flash flooding from small creeks and streams, albeit the most extensive flash flooding I have ever seen in the is area. The damage and debris from the flash floods is still overwhelming as I drive through areas I see daily.

Here's Emig Park (photos from a previous visit are here), at the bottom of our hill that the Jelly Bean and I were just at on Friday and spend a lot of time at:

Bridge Before

Bridge After

Playground Before

Playground After

Two miles from our house, down the hill, right alongside a very small branch of Kreutz Creek (and by small, I mean it's usually a trickle), sits a small Mobile Home Park. With heavy rains they experience slight swelling from the creek, that usually fills a small field in front.

As I drove by the other day, I was saddened to see that over half the park is gone.  Gone, as in, their mobile homes were completely destroyed and all that was left behind was the foundations.

The road is narrow as was filled with vehicles and people standing and staring in disbelief. I cried for them. It's a very sad situation. I refuse to photograph situations like these, although there was a photographer that did, I will not post those photos nor a link to them.

Points along the Susquehanna River are flooded now. Front Street and low lying sections of Harrisburg are full of water. It's very sad.

The river here is a mere 15 minute drive from our house, yesterday the Jelly Bean and I visited Sam Lewis park to get a high view of the swelling river.

click for larger view

It was muddy and churning and moving fast, but too far for my little camera to photograph well.

As sad as I am for my local community, upstate is in far worse condition. My two sisters, stepbrother and wife, and many, many friends are dealing with collapsed bridges and roads, houses and cabins that were completely destroyed, as well as homes with significant losses and damage.

It's heartbreaking to see the photos they are posting.

My sister, who lives in S. Williamsport, whose job had her out assessing roads and bridge conditions at the height of the flooding sent these photos.

SR 180 Westbound by On Ramp, yes that is a ramp

Slabtown Bridge

sagging bridge, up near Williamsport

collapsed roadway, up near Williamsport

up near Williamsport

My other sister sent these photos of my nieces paternal grandfather's house and nearby road. Heartbreakingly, everything washed out of the house, but miraculously, his son's ashes, were found still within the house.

Orangeville, PA

R487 over Fishing Creek in Orangeville

Standing on the Bridge… what's left of the road

Sullivan County has been hit just as hard, which is where I lived from age 10. I'm waiting on some photos to post from that area. Travel up there is difficult with so many damaged roads and bridges.

Keep in mind, that I am posting these photos so that people can be aware of the damage and hardship that is being faced upstate.

Even locally, the damage in areas along creeks and the river is extensive, and sadly, there has been loss of life from the flash floods.

This has been a very difficult blow to many Pennsylvanians. The clean and up and recovery is going to be long and extensive.

Please keep them in your thoughts.