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PHILADELPHIA (KYW Newsradio) — Heavy rain is causing a lot of flooding on roads across Philadelphia and the adjacent suburbs Monday morning.
A flood warning is in effect through the evening. According to the National Weather Service in Mount Holly, 2 to 5 inches of rain have been reported so far.
NWS says we could see up to 6 inches of rain above ground level in some low-lying areas.
Do not drive through flooded roadways or enter areas where roads are closed. You never know how deep the water is, so it’s best to turn around.
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Flooding in different parts of Philadelphia created a headache for drivers during the morning rush. PennDOT warned drivers on the Schuylkill Expressway as they approached Belmont Avenue. The drain was clogged and the right lane was flooded.
Columbus Boulevard/Delaware Avenue turned into a lake between Spring Garden and Christian streets when high tide hit. Some drivers tried to get through it, but the rising water was too much. A bunch of cars stalled out and had to be towed away.
There are a lot of detours and road closures near Darby Creek in Delaware County as well. Police are diverting traffic and making sure businesses are taking proper precautions.
Several small streets nearby are also ponding at a rapid pace. Some residents were evacuated.
In the last year, funds have been diverted so the county could fix some of the flood-related issues in this area, but that clearly hasn’t come soon enough.
In Bucks County, officials reported 10 water rescues early Monday morning — four in Bensalem, one in Tullytown, one in Northampton, one in Warrington, one in New Britain, and two in Upper Bucks. There were no major injuries or deaths.
In Montgomery County, there were more than a dozen water rescues — in Bryn Athyn, Hatfield, Lower Moreland, Salford, Upper Salford, Schwenksville, Upper Frederick, two in Whitemarsh, and five in Upper Moreland.
Jenn Lomas’ Honda Civic stalled out in the water on Plank Road in Perkiomen Township. She said it was about knee-high.
“The car in front of me made it through, and so I went and I got stuck. The two cars behind me made it through after me,” she said. “I got stranded and the police came and the fire department came, and my dad came and saved me from the police station.”
The Perkiomen Creek, located along Route 113 near Route 29 in Perkiomen Township, crested at about 14 feet around 11 a.m., according to the U.S. Geological Survey — that’s about 3 feet over flood stage.
For comparison, back in September 2021 when there was historic flooding across the region, the Perkiomen Creek rose to 24 feet, about 10 feet higher than what it is right now.
Route 113, a major access road, is still open. That is one of only a couple of options to get across the Perkiomen Creek, as several other bridges are currently closed.
Meanwhile, flooding in South Jersey has brought traffic on Route 73 in Moorestown almost to a standstill, as Route 73 heading toward Philadelphia is shut down.
In Southampton, North Main Street and Brace Road are also closed due to flooding.