Water, water, everywhere ~ almost

[otaypanky]

Here's a photo of the Pizza Hut in nearby Hershey, Pa. Storms are traveling north through our area of Pa and will be for several days. So all the water that will still be dumped from the sky will be finding it's way back downstream and things here will be getting worse than they are now. I wish we could send some of this water to the folks in Texas who are battling those devastating wildfires.

http://i173.photobucket.com/albums/w49/otaypanky/1a06fc59.jpg

[piebaldpython]

I hear you brother......I'm the the SE corner of PA and the middle part of the state (where otaypanky lives) is getting it bad.....the storms are "training"; which means one follows another over the same area. Last night, even we got hit with "training" and we have school closures, schools opening late; trains not running at all; traffic/roadway problems galore this morning. Unreal!!

I think we need an ark.

[Robert]

DANG - I hate wet pizza! :D

[bcdon]

That's too bad, Bob. Hope you can stay out of that mess.

[sunvalleylaw]

Man, what a mess! I am surprised the storm drains up in PA are that overloaded. I was not aware the area was known for flooding. Here's hoping you stay out of it!

[piebaldpython]

Man, what a mess! I am surprised the storm drains up in PA are that overloaded. I was not aware the area was known for flooding. Here's hoping you stay out of it!

I guess we average 38-40" of rain a year and that amount keeps the grass green and the crops growing. But.....too much is too much and we (in Philly) are at the stage where there just isn't any more places for the water to go except to flood out an area!! We just had over 20" of rain in the past 5 weeks.

And so big parts of our rail system are not working due to floods.....some of our major arteries at certain points have floodwaters and MUD all over them. In some places, a trip of 1 mile can take over an hour because of all the detours around flooded out areas. Can't remember seeing anything like this........EVER!!

Schools in some areas opened 2 hrs late or not at all........due to floods. Schools are only supposed to be closed due to SNOW!!!

Some co-workers had to call out today because they couldn't get in from where they live. I had no problem but the FLOODS are the only story on the TV News today.

[otaypanky]

Yeah Robert, Fuggedabawt it if you want a crispy crust.

Hey Python, did you see on the news this morning they were showing highway 322 that is buckling and caving in?
But we're still better off than folks in Vermont ~

I don't expect any problems for our home. We're fortunate

[piebaldpython]

Yeah, I saw the report on 322. This past Saturday, we had a huge water main break and sinkhole on the inner lanes of Rte 1 (Roosevelt Blvd & Welsh Rd). The whole damn place flooded from that......plus the intersection and inner lanes couldn't be used at all for 5 days.

Yes, rural PA and Vermont are taking a bad hit and I'm glad I'm not there. That said, when a Metropolitan city like Philly gets flooded in and around town, it takes on a craziness all it's own.

In related news.......the Archdiocese of Philadelphia is installing it's new Archbishop as I write. We have had a number of priest sex abuse cases here and the new AB is reputed to be a conservative-minded cleric from Denver. Yep, eventually they'll drive us all away and they will only have the old geezers at Mass on Sunday. Sorry, rant over. FYI, I was born/raised Catholic in Philly. Have only missed Mass due to illness, so I'm a "practicing" Catholic. Not that it makes me special or holier.......just that it galls me no end that the man-made institution of the Church will seemingly self-destruct due to it's "good-ole-boy" metality and ego. AAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!

[riverrick]

Stay dry my friend!! Glad to hear your house is not in trouble.

[hubberjub]

We look about the same here in Binghamton. It has stopped raining and my sump pump is working overtime. Luckily, I've checked my beer supply and I'll be just fine.

[mapka]

Saw in the news tonight they closed the PA Turnpike from Harrisburg to Reading and parts of 81 also. They were also evacuating parts of Wilkes Barre. Most rain they have seen there since Agnes hit in the 1970's

[otaypanky]

They have a curfew in Harrisburg in effect for the next few days. They say they are worried about the safety of people but they also addressed the fear of looting of the evacuated properties. Harrisburg has turned in to a zoo regarding crime. It's so bad earlier this year people were been robbed as they drove down the street. Thugs walk out in front of cars, the car stops so they don't hit them, then the thugs rob them at gunpoint. Two old ladies were tailgated, cut off, and violently robbed as the theieves smashed out the windows. It's friggin' nuts. So yeah, I expect there will be some looting.
Two of my favorite places to play are being flooded. One is an old tavern in Marietta, Schank's Tavern, that's been around since 1814. Another is Blue Front Lounge in Steelton where my trio plays often.
And now they're talking about hearing internet chatter regarding a terrorist attack on NYC and DC. The world needs a giant chill pill or a little herb http://i173.photobucket.com/albums/w49/otaypanky/Emoticons/5ce434b5.jpg

[Tig]

Send some of that water this way!
Over the past seven days Texas Forest Service has responded to 181 fires that burned 118,413 acres. It appears that in the past 48 hours, more than 700 homes have been destroyed.
When the wind was up the pine trees would catch fire and instantly explode into a fireball.

http://cdn.theatlantic.com/static/infocus/txfire090611/s_t01_RTR2QU82.jpg

http://i.dailymail.co.uk/i/pix/2011/09/08/article-2035335-0DC7B30300000578-618_468x327.jpg

[otaypanky]

Your right Tig, I wish I could send some your way. That's why I said 'almost' in my original post. You guys are frying. And you Texans had such a brutal August with so many consecutive 100+ degree days.
There's a bunch of flood pics at this local news station site http://www.wgal.com/ulocal/19791732/detail.html

[piebaldpython]

Hey Tig......we have similar pics to yours.......only in ours the raging water is half way up the trees.