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Torrential rain wreaks havoc in eastern US

Small planes are clustered together after being towed to the only remaining dry land at Bloomsburg Airport, Pennsylvania, as floodwaters from the Susquehanna River continued to encroach on the airstrip on Wednesday. PHOTO: AP

Days of torrential rain followed by floods had killed at least 16 people in the eastern US by late on Wednesday. Thousands were ordered to leave their homes in New Jersey, New York and Maryland and rescue helicopters plucked residents from rooftops as rivers and streams surged over their banks, washed out roads and bridges, and cut off villages in some of the worst flooding in the region in decades.

Up to 200,000 people in the area were ordered to evacuate after the region was pounded by days of torrential rain.

However, water levels in the flooded Susquehanna River unexpectedly receded early yesterday, removing the threat of catastrophic flooding in the historic town of Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania.

A second crest of 10 to 11m, which had been predicted by the National Weather Service and emergency officials, did not materialize.

Alan Pugh, chief of public safety for Pennsylvania's Luzerne County, said, "We are not going to see the double crest. That is great news. We are very happy."

Anxiety in Wilkes-Barre had centered on whether 45km of levees would withstand the pressure of the flooded river.

"The levee system has performed very well. It has certainly done its job," Pugh said.

However, some parts of the county not protected by the levee system flooded and sustained many millions of dollars worth of damage, Pugh said.

The latest storm pushed water higher than at any time since the levees were strengthened and raised in 1972 when the Susquehanna overflowed, swelled by storms whipped up by rain from Hurricane Agnes, and killed six people.

A dozen helicopters from the Pennsylvania National Guard, the state police and the Coast Guard were sent on search-and-rescue missions, plucking stranded residents from rooftops in Bloomsburg, Sayre and New Milford. Hundreds of National Guardsmen prepared to distribute ice, water and meals ready to eat.

Flooding closed many roads in the Philadelphia area, including the Pennsylvania Turnpike.

``We lost just about everything -- the cars, the clothes, even the baby's crib,'' said James Adams, who evacuated his family's home near Binghamton, New York, after watching their shed float away and their cars get submerged. ``I'm not sure what we are going to do.''

A swollen creek carved a 7.5-m-deep chasm through all four lanes of Interstate 88, about 56km northeast of Binghamton, New York, and two truckers were killed early on Wednesday when their rigs plunged into the gaps, officials said.

Thousands of people were evacuated from communities across New York state, and whole villages north of Binghamton County were isolated by high water.

After touring the region by helicopter, New York Governor George Pataki said the heavy rain caused ``unparalleled devastation'' and estimated that property damage in his state would total at least US$100 million. He activated more than 300 National Guard members to help with evacuations and rescues and conduct traffic.

The water filtration system in Trenton, New Jersey, was shut down because of debris floating down the Delaware River, and Mayor Doug Palmer called for conservation, saying the city had only about two days of drinkable water.

In anticipation of more flooding, New Jersey Governor Jon Corzine declared a statewide emergency on Wednesday evening.
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