Thousands Evacuated in Second Round of Flooding
More rain said to come for regions already hit hard by Irene.
Sept. 8, 2011— -- More than 100,000 residents living along the Susquehanna River in Pennsylvania are being forced to evacuate today after officials said they expected even more rain to fall on the water-logged tristate area.
Frank Lasiewicki, an official with the Luzerne County Management Agency, told The Associated Press that the river was projected to crest at 41 feet between 4 p.m. and 8 p.m. today.
Residents of Wilkes-Barre and Kingston were ordered to leave by 4 p.m.
"I'm moving out of my first floor because if [the river] goes 38 feet, I'm going to have five feet on my first floor," Plainsville resident Beverly Sabol told ABC News affiliate WNEP-TV as her family emptied her house. "Thirty-eight projection? ... Where am I going to go?"
After the Northeast was inundated with rain as Hurricane Irene made its way northward a few weeks ago, Tropical Storm Lee dumped more heavy rain and caused floods today. The Associated Press reported three rain-related deaths.
10 States Under Flood Watch
Forty river gauges are in for major or record flooding, and historic flooding is expected in eight rivers throughout the region, including the Delaware and Passaic Rivers. Ten states are under flood watches, with warnings from Virginia to New Hampshire.
In Binghamton, N.Y., the Susquehanna broke a flood record and flowed over retaining walls. Emergency responders worked quickly to get residents who had not evacuated to leave their homes.
"We're still trying to get everybody out to a safe spot. Life is more important than people's properties as far as I'm concerned," firefighter Jason Delanoy said.
"It's a little scary but I do know that the emergency crews have been taking good care of everybody so far," resident Charlie Pritchett told ABC News affiliate WSYR-TV. "At least where we're at, they're ready to evacuate. They're ready to take care of everybody. Our parents live at the top of the hill so we're moving to the top of the hill with the kids and the dog."
