Pocono News Section

Flood Cleanup (Again) in Lackawanna County

Flood Cleanup (Again) in Lackawanna County - Monday, June 14, 2010 at 04:12AM EST

Reported by: Eric Deabill
Monday June 14 2010
Flood Cleanup (Again) in Lackawanna County 0/ 5 rating

LACKAWANNA COUNTY -- The clean-up continued Monday for many people in Lackawanna County after flash flooding this weekend. Some homes had more than 8 feet of water. The Red Cross is now helping many of them out.

It was deja vu Monday as homeowners on Sibley Avenue in Old Forge were once again forced to clean their basements and throw out tons of trash. Marrgaret Suchecki said, You work all your life and this happens! You go to the borough and they look at you like, "okay, we'll do something."

Sunday afternoon St. John's Creek spilled over its banks, flooding a park and Sibley Avenue, trapping three people in their vehicle. They were okay. Why do they keep telling us from the borough that they're gonna do something and never do a darn thing? Its ridiculous. They're lying to us," said Suchecki.

Besides Old Forge, the Bellvueue section of Scranton was also hit hard by flash flooding. Marge Laybourn's basement filled up with eight feet of water. The window actually blew out and it was just like a waterfall...coming into the cellar. I got so nervous," she said.

Laybourne says she's lived in Scranton 50 years. She's never seen flash flooding this bad. Never seen it that bad, no. The sewer was blocked. It just didn't take it. The water was coming down so fast," she added.

Red Cross volunteers were out in full force Monday. They made stops at about 30 homes hit hard by flooding, giving out clean-up kits and offering advice. Brian Wrightson of the American Red Cross said, Flash flooding in our area causes tremendous amounts of damage. Like you said, it comes quick, its causes a lot of damage and then its gone and you walk into a neighborhood and say -- where is it? -- but its been here and left its mark."

The boroughs of Taylor and Moosic were also hit hard Sunday by flash flooding. The Red Cross says about 11 people in total have been displaced because of flooding.