BETHLEHEM, Pa. — Schools are closing early and a large swath of the region is under a flood warning until at least 3:15 p.m. as the storm system that inundated the area overnight moves north.
Parkland Schools Superintendent Mark Madson said schools would dismiss early due to road closures and conditions from flooding concerns. All secondary schools will dismiss at 12:15 p.m. and elementary schools at 1 p.m., Madson said.
In Allentown, Union Terrace Elementary School was also dismissing early, according to a social media post from the district.
In Easton, a river gauge predicted minor flooding of the Delaware River Tuesday once the river crests. The gauge showed the river was running under 6 feet when the storm began, and was expected to crest at 23 feet around or after mid-day Tuesday.
Some parts of the Lehigh Valley saw more than four inches of rain and residents were warned to expect a dangerous commute on Monday morning because of the flooding of rivers, creeks, streams and other low-lying and flood-prone locations, forecasters said.
County radio continually dispatched crews for road closures and pump details early Monday as the rain continued to fall. Water rescues were reported in dozens of locations.
In Upper Saucon Township, Route 309 was closed in both directions because of flooding.
Southbound, flooding was reported at the Route 309/Center Valley Parkway jughandle, the township reported on social media. There was also flooding in both directions at Route 309 and Huckleberry Drive.
The township said local police and fire departments had the roadway shut down and PennDOT had been requested to close the exit ramps from Interstate 78. There was initially at least one vehicle disabled in floodwaters, according to a Facebook post.
In North Whitehall Township, Route 145 northbound reportedly was closed at Second Street just before 6 a.m., dispatches said.
In the Wescosville area, PennDOT reported flooding at Schantz Road/Minesite Road and all lanes were closed between Hamilton Boulevard and Cetronia Road.
Flooding also was reported on Broadway in Fountain Hill, and on Saucon Valley Road between Limeport Pike and Lanark Road.
In Allentown, police reported flooding at St. Elmo and Union streets and Walnut and Union streets and said barricades were put up in those areas.
In East Allentown, 3.5 inches of rain was measured in one location.
The storm surged north Sunday
The weather service had issued a flood watch across more than a dozen states, affecting 60 million people as the intense storm crawled up the coast on Sunday.
According to the Associated Press, authorities rescued dozens of motorists stranded by floodwaters in South Carolina’s waterfront community of Georgetown, and more than 9 inches of rain fell in the area between Charleston and Myrtle Beach.
The tide in Charleston Harbor hit its fourth-highest level on record and was “well above the highest tide for a non-tropical system,” according to the weather service.
The storm gained strength as it tracked along the Georgia and Carolina coasts, producing heavy rain and gusty winds, the weather service said. Wind gusts of 35 mph to 45 mph pulled down trees on saturated grounds.
The latest storm track
According to the weather service, the center of the primary storm was over North Carolina early Monday, while a secondary area of low pressure had started to develop over the Eastern Shore of Maryland along a front aligned from north to south from Mount Pocono to Reading and into the Delmarva.
“To the east of this low/boundary is where the heaviest rainfall and gustiest winds have occurred so far, with rainfall totals ranging from 1.5-3.5 inches and wind gusts up to 40-50 mph,” the forecast discussion said.
“On the western side, heavy rainfall has occurred as well, but the winds are much lighter.”
The Lehigh Valley was spared the brunt of the winds overnight, with top gusts around 29 mph just after midnight at Lehigh Valley International Airport.
