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Montgomery County flash flooding submerges cars, closes roads
Severe weather impacted Montgomery County, unleashing heavy rain, leading to flash flooding, which submerged cars and caught motorists off guard.
CONSHOHOCKEN, Pa. - The Delaware Valley and Lehigh Valley have seen a lot of rain in the last week and Sunday brought more of a deluge, creating widespread flash flooding issues in a few counties.
By late Sunday afternoon, Berks County was inundated with between two and a half to four inches of rain since the late morning and officials said more was on the way. The National Weather Service said trained spotters had seen fast moving water and impassable roads in Oley, just one among many areas throughout the county underwater.
The United Methodist Church in Wayne, Delaware County, Pennsylvania experienced flash flooding in the late morning. Several cars were seen in the parking lot with water reaching the grills of the vehicles, making them inoperable.
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Penn Ave flooded cars stuck Wyomissing, Pa.
Penn Ave flooded cars stuck Wyomissing, Pa. Courtesy Bill Seiders
Officials said Crum Creek in Newtown Square was at minor flood stage by 1 p.m. Streets in Wayne were overwhelmed by rainfall, and many streets were seen as creeks and rivers with fast-moving water rushing down.
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Flooded Gulph Hills Road, Wayne Pa.
Flooded Gulph Hills Road, Wayne Pa. Courtesy Albert Estrada
State Hill Road near Penn Avenue in Wyomissing saw so much rain, it collected in that area like a swimming pool and local law enforcement were out closing off that portion of roadway after several vehicles became stuck in the water. Throughout the county, many roads were closed.
By 2 p.m., law enforcement said they were taking calls for water rescues near Quakertown and reported flooded roads.
At close to 4:30, a trained weather spotter witnessed a water rescue in Douglass Township, Montgomery County.
Across the Schuylkill River in Conshohocken, heavy rain led to the blocking of Conshohocken Road and folks could be seen picking up debris thrown about by the storm.
Steve McMonigle and his family said their apartment building often turns into a hazardous situation when flash floods hit the area.
"It was rushing everywhere! Where we live in an apartment and we have a waterfall that happens from the fence and place up the street," McMonigle explained.
He says due to the way Mother Nature has acted in 2023, nothing surprises him anymore. "We get used to it, especially now. We’ve had some crazy weather this whole year, so this is just icing on the cake, I guess."
Resident Brian Lyons said he got caught in floods on the highway Saturday.
"It was right under an overpass. The water came up to here in the car. Front radiator was done. My brother was behind me and he had a tiny Mazda and I was afraid he was going to get stuck," Lyons said.
He said he got caught in it and had no way out, something he says is not a situation anyone wants to be in. "I couldn’t see. We were going, like, five miles per hour and everyone had their flashers on. It was, like, 15 minutes, maybe, but it was terrifying. It was scary. Worst I’d ever seen."
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Air tavel was also affected by Sunday's weather, creating up to two and a half hour delays with flights taking off at Philadelphia International Airport.
In a 12-hour time frame Sunday, an area in Montgomery County south of the turnpike near the Gulph Mills Golf Club and south to East Lancaster Avenue, near Cabrini University received anywhere from 6.09 inches to 4.13 inches of rain, officials said.
The National Service issued Flash Flood Warnings for much of the northern tier suburbs outside Philadelphia, as well as a Severe Thunderstorm Watch for the entire region.