Bucks County couldexperience major flooding along the Delaware River and Neshaminy Creek through Friday as the remnants of Hurricane Ida relentlessly dumpwater on our region and communities throughout Pennsylvania.
The National Weather Service Advanced Hydrological Service maintains water gauges on the Delaware River near Reigelsville, Solebury, New Hope, Washington Crossing, and Morrisville.
Flooding is now predicted at each of those locations.
For live coverage::Tropical Depression Ida reaches Bucks, now under tornado and flood threat
The river, which does not flood easily or often as it runs through Bucks,is forecast to reach the flood stage by noon Thursday, and the waters will rise overnight. The Delaware could crest between Thursday night and Friday morning.
The first communities to face high water could be along the Neshaminy Creek. The Neshaminy floods at 9 feet and was forecast to reach 16 feet by midnight Thursday. The creek was forecast to reach its highest point —20.6 feet —by 6 a.m. Thursday.
Yardley officials issued at public notice at noon Wednesday, urging residents to prepare for a high-water event as the Delaware is expected to reach 22.7 feet there and up into Washington Crossing. Flood stage is 16 feet there.
Residents were told to prepare for a possible one- or two-day evacuation. Homeowners were asked to move vehicles to higher ground, secure trash cans and propane tanks, and to move valued items to the second floor.
Yardley Emergency Management Coordinator Wes Foraker said Wednesday afternoon that he was concerned about homes and apartments along River Road. The borough was not telling residents to evacuate, though officials weren’t ruling that out as a possibility for Thursday.
Ida, which is now a tropical depression after making landfall in Louisiana earlier this week as a powerful category 4 hurricane,made it to Bucks and eastern Montgomery counties early Wednesday morning. Steady rain fell,but then cleared.
But as the skies looked less than threatening, the forecast worsened and the National Weather Service and emergency management officials urgedthe regionto be prepared for the impacts of the wet weather over the next 24 hours.
The region was under a tornado watch much of Wednesday and it wasn't due to expire until 10 p.m. But, the water seemed to be the biggest concern.
"Widespread river flooding is likely to occur if storm total rainfall forecasts are realized," the National Weather Service alerted in its Wednesday morning briefing. "Roads and structures along particularly susceptible rivers, creeks, and streams may be impacted."
Damagingwind gusts and isolated tornadoes also are possible as severe thunderstorms reachour region, according to the agency.The region could also see wind gusts of up to 75 mph.
In Bucks, the most vulnerable waterway in Ida's path is the Neshaminy Creek.
Meteorologists expecttheNeshaminy Creek in Lower Bucks to rise from1.44 feet on Wednesdayto 20.6 feet byThursday afternoon. That's 6feet aboveflood stage and a waterlevelnot since 1999. In Hurricane Irene in 2011, the creek reached 19.56 feet,and in 1999 it was recorded at 21.9 feet.
Major flooding is considered 14 feet on the Neshaminy Creek. The record sits at 22.8 feet in 1955.
For 20 years, the DeVicaris family has operated the Adventureland Day Camp in Bensalem along the Neshaminy Creek. With Hurricane Irene, the campgrounds, facilities and pools flooded and the water remained high for days, said Linda DeVicaris.
“If they’re saying it’s going to be 20 feet, that’s going to be really bad for us. I’ve got to start making some calls,” she said Wednesday morning.
More:As Tropical Storm Ida nears Bucks, NWS expects moderate to major flooding in Philadelphia region
More:Remnants of Tropical Storm Ida forecast to flood Neshaminy Creek, tornadoes possible with in Bucks
“Some of those storms can bring down a lot of rainfall," said Jason Franklin, meteorologist in charge for the National Weather Service in Mount Holly, New Jersey of the potential rainfall.
Localized power outages are possible.
On Wednesday, the weather service was anticipating about 3 inches of rainfall in the Lower Bucks area, with the possibility of 6 inches of rain in the Upper Bucks area, according to Franklin.
“The heaviest rainfall looks like it’ll end right after midnight," Franklin said.
Bucks County emergency management officials have been monitoring the storm's track and potential impacts here, said Audrey Kenny, director of county emergency services. She said there is "extreme risk for flash flooding" and that county officials would meet with municipal officials later Wednesday afternoon.
Kenny said the county hadalready been in contact with fire departments to ensure their boats were ready in case water rescues were necessary. The county also has an "in-house crew" that can assist, she said.
On Tuesday night, Gov. Tom Wolf signed a disaster emergency proclamation, freeing up state resources in the event of significant flooding or other impacts.
During a Wednesday morning news conference, Wolf and other state officials urged residents to avoid travel while western parts of the state started seeing flooding and rainfall.
“The best thing all of us can do is stay home and stay safe,” he said.
Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency Director Randy Padfield said members of the Pennsylvania National Guard are pre-staged at areas that are forecast to receive the highest impacts for the storms.
Jeff Jumper, meteorologist for PEMA, said the state is at a rare, level four risk for flash flooding. “Imagine about a month to two month’s worth of rain falling in less than 24 hours,” he said.
Since 2010, there have been only 13 level four flash flooding risks issued, he said.
Padfield said the next 12 to 18 hours will be the most critical time for the storm. He urged residents to use caution if they have to drive. He encouraged residents to have a backup plan for travel.
“Stay away from moving water and flooded areas, and avoid wading in floodwaters due to the contaminants they contain,” he said.
In Middletown on Wednesday, public works crews were monitoring the areas that are typically hit hard during storms, as well as checking storm grates ahead of Ida's arrival, according to Township Manager Stephanie Teoli Kuhls.
“They are also deploying barricades to those areas where we typically would have to close a roadway,” she said.
The barricadeswill be ready should police need to close a road.
Eric Gartenmayer, superintendent for the township’s public works department, said his crews were keeping an eye on different areas in the township that typically experience flooding. That included Periwinkle Avenue and Bridle Drive, and Route 413 near Bridgetown Pike, which are near Neshaminy Creek.
In addition to barricades, the township has trucks loaded with saws should crews need to cut down trees that might fall during the storm. Gartenmayer said there is a backhoe in the lower end and upper end of the township.
Additionally, they have generators at traffic signals in the township in case the power goes out.
Crews in other areas expected to see flooding, or have seen flooding recently, were preparing for the storm Wednesday as well.
In New Hope, where flooding is possible because of its proximity to the Delaware River, emergency management was expected to meet to see what the outlook of the storm may be for the borough.
Borough Police Chief Mike Cummings said the borough hadcontacted new businesses to let them know what they might expect with flooding.
He urged residents to sign up for ReadyBucks, which is a system that will provide emergency alerts to residents.
Robert Kay Sr., emergency management coordinator for Upper Makefield, which could also see flooding because of the Delaware River, said residents will be alerted through ReadyBucks as well. He said fire crews and police are ready to close down any roads if necessary.
In Bristol Township and Bensalem, which were hit by devastating flooding less than two months ago, public works crews are preparing for the storm. Some 50 residents still remain out of their homes from the July 12 storm that stalled over Lower Bucks and dumped 6 to 10 inches of rain, officials said Wednesday.
Bensalem Public Safety Director Fred Harran said public works crews were clearing out debris from any storm drains ahead of Ida. He urged residents to clear their storm drains if possible.
Police, fire and EMS in the township will be fully staffed, he said.
“We’re taking all the necessary precautions,” he said.
Bristol Township Emergency Management Coordinator Kevin Dippolito said the township’s public works department had been clearing storm drains since the week before, and checked all head walls for obstructions to make sure there is free flow of all streams.
High water capable vehicles will be staged at different areas in the township in case they are needed, he said.
All fire, EMS and police are ready for the storm, he said.
Newportville Fire Co. Chief John Doster said the fire company, which covers Bristol Township, has a marine unit ready in case it is needed.
“I’ll have my station manned overnight tonight,” he said.
The whole region remained under a flash flooding watch through Thursday morning. Low-lying areas and those along creeks and stream are especially susceptible to flooding.
"Numerous instances of flash flooding are likely through predawn Thursday, with some events possibly significant, since the ground is saturated from recent heavy rain events," according to the NWS.
“Over the last two weeks, most of eastern Pennsylvania has averaged four to eight inches of rain,” said meteorologist Jonathan O’Brien on Monday. “We have twice the normal amount of rain, give or take.”
Ida made landfall in Louisiana and parts of the Gulf Coast states earlier this week as a Category 4 hurricane, resulting in at least four dead after a highway collapsed in Mississippi and millions without power. The damage from the storm was so severe that officials warned it could take days, possibly even weeks before power is restored.
After having a direct impact on the Gulf Coast near Port Fourchon, Louisianaon Sunday with 150-mph winds, Ida has significantly weakened back to tropical depression status as she makes her way north.
“This dangerous storm continues to have devastating impacts across the South and as it heads toward Pennsylvania, we are expecting significant rainfall across the state. This proclamation will allow for our emergency preparedness teams to provide any support needed throughout the storm and its aftermath,” Wolf said Tuesday night. “I urge Pennsylvanians to monitor local weather and traffic conditions before making any plans and prepare for potential flooding.”
In low-lying neighborhoods near the Neshaminy, some had bags packed to evacuate. Others said they planned to stay in homes designed to handle flooding.
On Bridle Drive in Middletown, residents were braced for the worst. They’ve seen it before.
Following repeated storms, the government bought and demolished many of the homes along Bridle, leaving behind open fields. The homes that remain are elevated 20 feet above the ground. Visitors must climb two flights of steps to reach the front door.
Residents were also prepared for the worst on Sixth Avenue in Croydon where the Neshaminy Creek approaches their rear yard. The homes here also are elevated two or, sometimes, three stories above the ground.
Neighbors said they believe they would be OK.
Back in Yardley,Michele Mohollen, general manager of the Yardley Inn, was busy Wednesday afternoon politely asking customers in the restaurant's outdoor tent to go inside or opt for take-out as a work crew from Sherute Landscaping was there to take down the tent in preparation for flooding along the adjacent Delaware River.
She's got flood readiness down to a science."I've been through this many times, thank you," Mohollen said with a smile.
"We're all hands on deck. First we have to take down the electric, then take down the tent, rip up the floor and move the furniture."
That's just for the outdoor seating due to the COVID pandemic.
Inside the restaurant, dry goods in the basem*nt and liquorhave been moved to the first and second floors. The restaurant planned to be open for dinner Wednesday night but closed Thursday.
The last things they will do before closing will be to shut off the electric, gas and make sure the sewer line won't back up.
In Bensalem, Mayor Joseph DiGirolamo preached preparedness and caution.
"We've been prepared for a few days. We had a full-court press," he said.
He was most concerned about people driving through flooded roadways and the possibility of trees coming down if the winds pick up when the storm passes by because of the ground being so soggy from the other recent storms.
And he urged residents to "call 911 right away" if they run into an emergency, as well as for help if they need to get to a dialysis or other necessary medical appointment and are having difficulty driving.
"We'll find a way," he said.
