Rain Rain, go away
I feel like its been raining for 40 days and 40 nights, but in actuality, its only been raining since 4am. I know this because I was sleeping peacefully when all of the sudden *CRACKBANG* a huge lightning bolt sounded as if it hit something about 30 feet from where I was sleeping. It scared the bejesus out of me and woke me up. I was wide awake and then went to the bathroom came out and turned on the weather channel. There was a really bad storm that was moving through. Then the next thing I heard was the wind. It was howling like as if we had a hurricane going on outside. Crazy.
I ended up going back to sleep after that for a little bit. Then my alarm went off at 6:15; then 6:25, then 6:35. I hit the snooze probably about 10 times before 7am. I finally got up and got ready. I had to go outside to take out the garbage (because surprise! Rich didn’t do it.) and there were huge branches that had fallen down from the bad wind.
This is the second time we’ve had extensive tree damage over the last week. On Friday night there was a bad storm that blew through Sweet Valley, you should have seen how many branches and sticks and leaves I picked up after that. I am surprised that we have any trees left. I was going to take a picture of the pile, but we ended up burning everything in the firepit Saturday night.
I don’t know where I’m going with this story really. I didn’t get enough sleep and I’m grouchy. Its supposed to rain all day today, tonight, tomorrow then finally clear up sometime for Friday. What a crappy way to end the week.
Oh, and the weatherman are predicting like 4-5 inches of rain out of all of this. So now we are under a flash flood/flood watch.


From The Times Leader:
The National Weather Service in Binghamton has issued an
* urban and small stream flood advisory for…
Luzerne County in northeast Pennsylvania…
Lackawanna County in northeast Pennsylvania…
* until 815 PM EDT…
* at 213 PM EDT Doppler radar indicated heavy rain was falling… and
will result in minor flooding.
* Locations in the advisory include but are not limited to Avoca…
Carbondale… Clarks Summit… Dickson City… Dunmore… DuPont…
Edwardsville… mountain top… Hazleton… Larksville… Luzerne…
Moosic… Moscow… Nanticoke… Old Forge… Pittston… plains…
Scranton… Swoyersville… West Hazleton… West Pittston… West
Wyoming… Wilkes-Barre… Wilkes-Barre township and Wyoming.
Heavy rain is moving through the area now and will continue for
another hour or two. Radar rainfall estimates are 1 to 3 inches.
Another 1 to 2 inches of rain is expected.
Excessive runoff from heavy rainfall will cause elevated levels on
small creeks and streams… and ponding of water in urban areas…
highways… streets and underpasses as well as other poor drainage
areas and low lying spots.
Be prepared to take action if the flooding threat increases… or a
warning is issued.
Lat… Lon 4096 7622 4100 7623 4113 7616 4164 7553
4164 7548 4131 7546 4121 7552 4121 7556
4112 7564 4113 7570 4109 7577 4105 7577
4100 7574 4090 7603
112 PM EDT Wed Jul 23 2008
The National Weather Service in Binghamton has issued an
* urban and small stream flood advisory for…
Susquehanna County in northeast Pennsylvania…
extreme southeastern Bradford County in northeast Pennsylvania…
northwestern Luzerne County in northeast Pennsylvania…
Wyoming County in northeast Pennsylvania…
northwestern Lackawanna County in northeast Pennsylvania…
* until 715 PM EDT…
* at 112 PM EDT Doppler radar indicated heavy rain was falling… and
will result in minor flooding.
* Locations in the advisory include but are not limited to Auburn
Center… Clarks Summit… Dallas… Dalton… Factoryville… Gibson…
Great Bend… Harveys Lake… Hop Bottom… Laceyville… Lake Carey…
Mehoopany… Meshoppen… Montrose… New Milford… Nicholson…
Noxen… Osterhout… Shickshinny… Susquehanna and Tunkhannock.
An area of moderate to heavy rainfall has led to Doppler radar
estimates of 1 to 2 inches of rainfall over the past 1 to 2 hours.
This area of rainfall will very slowly move east… and can be
expected to drop another inch of rainfall before moving east of the
area. Additional rainfall is also possible this evening.
Excessive runoff from heavy rainfall will cause elevated levels on
small creeks and streams… and ponding of water in urban areas…
highways… streets and underpasses as well as other poor drainage
areas and low lying spots.
Lat… Lon 4099 7622 4113 7624 4114 7630 4120 7633
4130 7633 4155 7623 4200 7594 4199 7549
4165 7547 4112
1018 am EDT Wed Jul 23 2008
… Flood Watch remains in effect through Thursday evening…
The Flood Watch continues for
* portions of New York and northeast Pennsylvania… including
the following counties… in New York… Delaware… Otsego and
Sullivan. In northeast Pennsylvania… Lackawanna… Luzerne…
northern Wayne… Pike and southern Wayne.
* Through Thursday evening
Showers and thunderstorms will increase in coverage heading into
early this afternoon. These showers and storms… some of which
will contain locally heavy rain… will continue this
afternoon and evening… before gradually pulling east of the area
late tonight.
Total rainfall of 3 to 4 inches is possible over the western
Catskills of central New York… and over the Pocono Mountain and
Wyoming Valley regions of northeast Pennsylvania. Isolated higher
amounts are possible in persistent thunderstorm activity.
The greatest concerns with the upcoming rainfall will be along the
small streams… near areas of steep terrain… and in urbanized
areas where flooding is most likely.
While significant rises on main-Stem rivers are expected… these
main-Stem river points are currently expected to remain below
flood stage.
Please stay tuned to later statements regarding the upcoming
rainfall and potential flooding.
A Flood Watch means there is the potential for flooding on small
streams… creeks… poor drainage… urban and low-lying areas
based on current forecasts. You should monitor later forecasts
and be alert for possible flood warnings. Those living… working
or driving in areas prone to flooding should be prepared to take
action should flooding develop.
>>>>Which leads me to this question? Because I love asking questions today. How do I get to Dallas (Sweet Valley) from Wilkes-Barre if there is major flooding again like there was in 2006? If I remember correctly, the Cross Valley was closed because Toby’s Creek overflowed, and the "back way" Washington Ave-Huntsville Rd was closed because they were afraid the dam was going to burst and it was overflowing onto the roadway. Hell they even closed all the bridges over the Suquehanna. That leaves Rte 11/29, but doesn’t that flood too?
I am screwed the next time we have major flooding. I guess I’ll have to sleep in my car. With the ants.
(notice how I didn’t say "If we have major flooding" i said "when" because you know damn well its going to happen again)
M Davies on July 23rd 2008 in NEPA, Wacky PA Weather





