Ed Lewis | Times Leader
Click here to subscribe today or Login.
The high water predicted for Christmas will get higher over the weekend pushing the Susquehanna River to a predicted crest of 30.5 feet and into the major flooding stage, the Middle Atlantic River Forecast Center said in an update Wednesday afternoon.
The river is predicted to crest at 7 a.m. on Dec. 26 after rising more than 28 feet from Thursday when steady rain is expected to begin to fall and melt the snow pack left by last week’s storm.
At 30 feet, the river covers U.S. Route 11 in the Avondale section of Plymouth Township, Main Street in Shickshinny. At that height, the river has already exceeded the 22-foot mark for minor flooding in low-lying areas including Plains Township and West Nanticoke.
In preparation, flood gates to the two portal openings in Riverfront Park and the pedestrian opening in the flood wall along Riverside Drive in South Wilkes-Barre were closed, according to Christopher Belleman, executive director of the Luzerne County Flood Protection Authority, which oversees the Wyoming Valley Levee system.
Wilkes-Barre Mayor George Brown said the city will start to close the flood gates on three of the four bridges over Solomon Creek at 8 a.m. Thursday: South Franklin, Regent and Waller streets. Based on recommendations from the National Weather Service the bridges will be closed through the weekend.
The Barney Street bridge will remain open subject to the conditions of the creek over the next several days. In addition, a temporary wall will be constructed in the area of Warren Street.
The crest of 30.5 feet will be the highest level since Aug. 15, 2018, when the river crested at 28.8 feet.
The natural flood stage is 22 feet with the levees protecting most of the Wyoming Valley to 44 feet.
Pumping stations along the river activate when the river rises above 10 feet to pump creeks and streams into the river.
Belleman said officials are preparing the pumping stations.
The National Weather Service in Binghamton, N.Y., is forecasting two to three inches of rain across Northeastern Pennsylvania. A flood watch that goes into effect Thursday afternoon may be heightened to a flood warning by the National Weather Service.
Temperatures in the mid-50s combined with a melting snow pack in the upper Susquehanna River basin that has a liquid content of two to four inches with the rainfall will create favorable conditions for flooding, according to the National Weather Service.
Winds are expected to increase Wednesday night and remain gusty 15 to 25 mph through Thursday. Strongest winds will be late Thursday into Thursday night gusting to 35 to 45 mph.
Showers are expected Thursday morning with periods of steady and heavier rain through the afternoon and night.
Onset of cold air is later than previously forecasted and is expected during Christmas Day. Temperatures are expected to hold steady in the high 40s to mid-50s Christmas Eve and fall into the 20s on Friday before lowering into the teens Christmas night.