Good night, good riddance, Irene
Hurricane Irene left Chester County severely water-logged but otherwise unscathed, officials said.
Hurricane Irene left Chester County severely water-logged but otherwise unscathed, officials said. They said they were grateful that for the most part, people heeded warnings to leave flood-friendly areas and/or stay put on higher ground.
"Thank goodness people paid attention," said Kennett Square Cpl. William Holdsworth. He said sections of East South Street and South Walnut Street were closed at midnight and reopened by 7 a.m. Other than power outages, flooded basements, and downed trees, damage was minimal, he said.
Robert Kagel, the county's deputy director of emergency management, agreed. He said the hardest hit areas were Phoenixville and Tredyffrin Township, where emergency crews had to rescue a total of about 40 people. As of 6 p.m. this evening, about 109,000 county residents remained without power, he said.
By mid-afternoon, an almost festive atmosphere developed at some of the county's usual flood sites, where spectators gathered to marvel at the height of the churning chocolate-covered water spilling onto roadways from the swollen Brandywine Creek in Birmingham, Pocopson, and East Bradford Townships.
"This is Mother Nature playing with us," said Tyrone Quail, a veteran PennDot equipment operator. "First the earthquake, now this."
Quail said he and his partner, Ted Cahill, has been working since 6 a.m. to keep motorists off the flooded roadways. He said a portion of a car's roof that was visible in the murky water on Route 926 showed how dangerous ignoring warnings could be. He said the bottom of the Route 926 sign, rising about a foot out of the water, was seven feet from the ground,
"There's at least six feet of water on that road," he said, adding that the flooding was the worst he'd seen in 25 years.
John Olsen, a Kennett-area resident for 18 years, agreed that the flooding was much more severe than usual. He and his wife, Elaine, and his son Peter were among a crowd of onlookers who gathered to view the impact of the rising waters. "I hope I never see it this bad again," he said.