At least four people are dead and a dozen others are missing after flash flooding and several inches of rain in southeastern Pennsylvania just outside Philadelphia on Saturday night.
About four inches of rain fell in Bucks County at the center of the storm at about 5:30 p.m., officials said. Dean Iovino of the National Weather Service said Las Vegas received more rain in two hours than it has in a year.
The flooding was so bad that it inundated cars with people already inside them, which county officials said led to their deaths and another family missing. At least one bridge was seen in visible disrepair.
Two women and a man were found dead in the Washington Crossing area of Upper Makefield Township. The identity of the fourth person killed has not been released.
Officials in Upper Makefield said the remaining missing include a family of four, including a two-year-old and a nine-month-old.
At least four people were killed and a dozen others are missing after flash flooding and several inches of rain fell on southeastern Pennsylvania just outside of Philadelphia Saturday night.
Bucks County Coroner Meredith Buck said the number is likely to be higher.
“The death toll could rise,” he told the Philadelphia Inquirer. ‘This is just the beginning, sadly.’
“A lot of water rescue work is going on right now. There’s a lot going on,’ he added, adding that Iovino said there could be as many as a dozen missing.
He noted that the county’s proximity to the Delaware River made it ‘a problem area’ for flooding and that the flash floods were narrowly focused on it.
At the peak of the storm, neighboring police departments announced they were assisting with search and rescue operations for those lost in the flood.
Police in Upper Makefield said in a Facebook post that much of the town was affected by flooding.
‘We apologize for not keeping you updated,’ they wrote. “We are conducting a search and rescue operation. Many places in the township have been flooded.’
‘When we can, we will update you. Until then keep the family in your thoughts and prayers.’
About four inches of rain fell in Bucks County at the center of the storm at about 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 has in a year.
The flooding was so bad that it inundated cars with people already inside them, which county officials said led to their deaths and another family missing. At least one bridge was seen in visible disrepair
Two women and a man were found dead in the Washington Crossing area of Upper Makefield Township. The identity of the fourth person killed has not been released
Officials in Upper Makefield said the remaining missing include a family of four, including a two-year-old and a nine-month-old.
At the peak of the storm, neighboring police departments announced they were assisting in search and rescue operations for those lost in the flood.
Four state highways in Bucks County are closed due to flooding, according to the state Department of Transportation.
A local resident, Nick Primola, told abc6 he saw cars drifting off the side of the road.
‘I guess it was just lucky timing because maybe those who were there 10 minutes ago weren’t as lucky. They really had no warning and got caught up in it,’ he said.
‘I’ve never seen anything like it so quickly. I mean it’s an area with a lot of waterways, so people are used to flooding, but I think that’s why it hit these people who were driving,’ Primola added.
Officials told Fox29 that roads are likely to be closed for an extended period of time.
Four state highways in Bucks County are closed due to flooding, according to the state Department of Transportation
Officials told reporters that roads are likely to remain closed for a long time
Police in Upper Makefield said in a Facebook post that much of the town was affected by flooding
One expert noted that the county’s proximity to the Delaware River made it ‘a problem area’ for flooding, and that flash flooding was narrowly focused on it.
Motorists are being told to avoid the closed areas until the roads are cleared and repaired.
The National Weather Service is warning that conditions could worsen, with the entire region under a 24-hour flood watch Sunday.
“With all that moisture, there’s nothing to clean it,” Iovino said.
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