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A heavy downpour overnight Wednesday ranging from 4 to 7 inches of rain caused flash flooding in parts of Lycoming and Clinton counties.
While there were no reports of injuries, two South Williamsport families on Hill Street -- one in the 300 block and another in the 500 block -- were displaced by floodwaters, according to borough Fire Chief Jeff Trammell.
"Both homes were damaged when water caused sections of basement walls to collapse," Trammell said. Codes officers will be inspecting the structural integrity of both properties, he said, adding that it was unknown when residents could again safely live in the houses.
High water from the Susquehanna River surrounded an apartment complex at 101 Phillips Park Drive in South Williamsport. One disabled resident was safely evacuated by a Loyalsock Township fire boat and taken to an ambulance. The resident was evacuated at the scene, Trammell confirmed.
Firefighters in both the borough and Williamsport each handled close to a dozen storm-related emergency calls.
Williamsport fire Platoon Chief Kevin Hurne said the calls ranged from flooded streets to basement homes (in the borough) being flooded. The city provided mutual aid to the borough on a number of calls.
Some streets in the borough may have sustained damage from storm water, and there were reports that some storm drain covers blew open.
Trammell said the borough's two fire boats were called late Wednesday night to Clinton County to assist with evaluations near Lock Haven.
"We went door-to-door to about 30 homes, advising residents they should leave," he said.
"When we got there, we saw creeks overflowing their banks and some houses surrounded by water," Trammell said. No rescues actually had to be made. "Most of the residents were able to get out on their own," he said.
The 911 center at Lycoming County reported Thursday morning handling scores of emergency calls related to flooding.
At the time of the water rescue on Phillips Park Drive, Williamsport's fire boats were handling another water rescue in Woodward Township, where a resident was reportedly trapped in their home. At the last minute, the resident opted to wait it out until the water had receded, Hurne said.
In Jersey Shore, Citizens Hose Company Fire Chief Ethan Goodbrod described the force of water flowing down the 800 block of Allegheny Street as something like "whitewater rafting. There was a lot of rain in a short period of time. The water just rushed down Allegheny Street."
Much of the area around the public pool area and baseball fields near Thompson Street was inundated with water, he said. "Numerous people had water in their basements," he said, adding that the fire company certainly did not have enough resources to handle all the flooded basements.
Near routes 44 and 973 in Watson Township, the water in normally-peaceful Tombs Run easily overran its banks, forcing the evacuation of a nearby mobile home park on Park Road. Waterville firefighters had to conduct the evacuation because Jersey Shore volunteers were busy handling flooding calls in the borough, and a large tree had fallen on Route 44 at Furnace Run Road, blocking both lanes of the road.
In an update for the Lycoming County commissioners at their weekly meeting on Thursday morning, Forest Rothchild, director of Public Safety, reported that there were a variety of foundation collapses that his department was evaluating. He noted the state's emergency management, PEMA, was coming to join them out in the field.
In the Jersey Shore area, Rothchild reported that there was minor residential flooding with some impact issues around the Lawshe Run area with additional field assessments to be conducted later Thursday.
Some areas above the Waterville restaurant along Route 44 were inaccessible as of early Thursday morning. There was also an unconfirmed report of an untethered propane tank with a possible leak at the trailer park near routes 44 and 973.
Some residents in the Waterville area who had been temporarily displaced Wednesday had begun returning home yesterday.
Countywide, general conditions include numerous minor landslides, roadway damage, basement flooding and drainage issues, Rothchild reported.
"No significant unmet needs have been identified at this time. Municipalities are beginning to direct residents to the 211 for damage reporting, helping establish centralized recorded residential impacts. Teams are assessing South Williamsport first, followed by Jersey Shore and Waterville, and we'll continue to monitor the waterways, weather infrastructure impacts, and the municipal resources needed," Rothchild said.