Water punishes Philly area: Floods, damage, traffic

In the 42 years that Amy Smith has lived in the Washington Crossing area, Thursday marked the first time that she had to leave her house by boat.

In a scene that has become disturbingly common throughout the region during a seemingly interminable spell of rain, Smith was one of several residents near the Delaware River rescued with Zodiac boats in Upper Makefield Township, Bucks County.

"The flooding happened quicker than we expected," Smith said.

The latest assault from nature set off a mud slide that closed the Schuylkill Expressway; turned Downingtown, Chester County, into a borough divided; inundated the Ambler area in Montgomery County with five feet of water, causing two building collapses; and turned normally busy roads into clogged waterways. No deaths or serious injuries were reported in the immediate Philadelphia area, however.

And although the rains are expected to show some restraint Friday, forecasters warned that flooding will continue - and perhaps even worsen - along the Delaware and the Schuylkill.

The Delaware at Trenton is predicted to crest three feet above flood stage Friday morning. The Schuylkill is expected to creep to about 2.5 feet above at Norristown on Friday, and remain a foot above flood stage in Philadelphia into Saturday.

Thursday afternoon, New Hope declared a limited state of emergency, empowering the borough to order evacuations. Bridges to New Jersey were closed.

"The rivers are swollen, and they're coming our way," said Tom Cinaglia, public works director in flood-prone West Norriton Township, along the Schuylkill in Montgomery County.

Along with other rivers and streams from Washington to Upstate New York, the Delaware and Schuylkill have been filled way beyond their banks by the tremendous rains from the remnants of an amorphous mass of moisture named Tropical Storm Lee.

"It's never been as bad as this," said Marco Derrow, who lives with his brothers across the street from the collapsed structures in Ambler. More than 100 water rescues were reported in Montgomery County alone.

Lee, which exceeded Hurricane Irene's rainfall totals in many areas, threatened to outdo even Hurricane Agnes, the legendary 1972 storm that devastated eastern Pennsylvania. Lee already has forced the evacuations of more than 100,000 people in northeastern Pennsylvania and hundreds around here.