At least three people are dead after they were swept away by fast rising flood waters while rescue crews continued their search Sunday morning for three to four others who remained unaccounted in Upper Makefield.
County Coroner Meredith Buck confirmed late Saturday that two women and one man died as a result of being caught in floodwaters.
“It’s very possible it could be more,” Buck said of the total number of fatalities.
More heavy rain and flash flooding in the Philadelphia region is possible Sunday, according to the National Weather Service in Mount Holly, New Jersey. Flooding has already been reported early Sunday in northern New Jersey and Northampton County, meteorologist Eric Hoeflich said Sunday morning.
County and local officials have scheduled a news conference for 9 a.m. at the Upper Makefield Township Building where rescue and recovery efforts will be updated.
Two of the dead were found together in one area and the third was found in separate location. All three were found outside their vehicles, Buck said. Officials are trying to sort out which vehicles belong to which victims as many drivers abandoned their cars in the water, which in some places rose to five feet above the roadway.
“The worse of which occurred along Route 532 in the area of Stonebridge Crossing Road between Aqueduct Road and Wrightstown Road. The flash flooding caught numerous motorists by surprise and many were trapped,” the Upper Makefield Police wrote in an online update Sunday just after 6 a.m.
“Today, the search efforts will continue as we have 3-4 people who are still unaccounted for. We ask that you avoid this area,” police said Sunday morning. “We also ask that you keep those families who lost loved ones in your thoughts and prayers.”
Roads throughout Upper Makefield remain unpassable and closed with Bucks County park rangers standing guard to keep drivers away.
Newtown Township police said on social media Saturday night that they were helping look for a missing person lost in the flood near Taylorsville and Washington Crossing roads. Flooding was also reported in Lower Makefield and Yardley where water covered Route 32 (River Road).
What we know so far:Three dead, four missing in Bucks County. Here’s what we know about the Delaware River flooding
Roads closed in Upper Makefield, Lower Makefield and Solebury due to storm
As of Sunday morning, Taylorsville Road from Route 532 to Route 295 is closed, River Road by Francisco’s restaurant is closed, and River Road between Route 532 and Mt. Eyre Road is closed.
“If you are driving in and around the township, please be careful as there is a lot of debris on the roadways,” the police wrote.
The Pennsylvania Department of Transportation also announced these closures Saturday night:
An incident command center remains in operation at Washington Crossing United Methodist Church on Wrightstown Road, near the site of some of the worst flooding. Audrey Kenny, director of Emergency Services for Bucks County was not immediately available Saturday night to provide in-depth information or comment, but confirmed the situation is ongoing.
County spokesman Eric Nagy said Upper Makefield Township Fire Department is the agency in charge.
“Bucks County has activated the Emergency Operations Center to provide resources and support,” he said, adding that mutual aid is being provided by Montgomery County and the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency is aware of the situation.
First responders and marine rescue units from agencies throughout Bucks County were on scene at the command center, with more arriving around 9 p.m.
Summer storm slams Washington Crossing, Bucks County
A heavy burst of rain slammed into Bucks County around 5 p.m. Saturday, flooding roads and swelling river banks along the Delaware River and small creeks.
Meteorologist Joe DeSilva of the National Weather Service said upward of six inches of rain fell over about two hours Saturday evening. He called the event “training” — when an area gets repeated rain over a short time.
Saturday’s torrential downpours focused tightly on the corridor between Newtown and New Hope and as far west as Jamison and continued into Mercer County, New Jersey, Hoeflich said. The ground, already saturated from recent rains, could not take the deluge leading to overrunning of normally small creeks, Hoeflich said.
Peter Apuzzo, an Upper Makefield resident, lives about a mile from the command center and witnessed the storm.
“We had nothing short of a monsoon for an hour,” he said. “It was the heaviest rain storm I have seen in a very, very long time.”
As the rain fell, creeks and inlets flooded onto nearby roads, pushing cars off the roadway.
Yardley resident Nick Primola said he was in the area just prior to the storm.
“I think a lot of people were just going about their day. No one was expecting the little creeks to be so violent.”
He said along Taylorsville Road both sides of the road collapsed where the creek runs.
“Usually it’s a nice little serene creek, and now it is a violent waterway coming down.”He said he saw a car flipped upside down and five or six cars just strewn across the road.
Search for victims of flooding along Delaware River
Volunteers at Washington Crossing United Methodist Church were caring for victims and providing shelter.
Family pastor Shari Bonet described a scene she called “heartbreaking,” where people sat waiting for word on their missing family members — missing wives, missing children.
“This one guy I was praying with had been on the phone with his wife when her car got stuck, and she said the water was getting too high and she needed to get out. That was the last he heard from her. They found her phone with the car, but she was still missing,” Bonet said.
Others, she said, were flood survivors seeking refuge after abandoning their cars and wading through the high waters to safety.
“They came in and were soaked. We gave them coffee, dry clothes and blankets,” Bonet said.
This is a developing story and will be updated.
