UNIVERSITY PARK – Centre County has declared a disaster emergency based on the potential for flooding. In cooperation with the county, the Centre Region also has declared an emergency, and emergency officials have activated the county Emergency Operations Center.
Heavy rains have caused localized flooding at University Park and in the surrounding area. Pedestrians and motorists are advised to use caution and prepare for delays. Motorists should not drive through standing water.
The National Weather Service has issued a flood watch for Central Pennsylvania from now through Thursday evening, Sept. 8. Additional rainfall amounts are expected to average between 1 and 3 inches, with local amounts in excess of 5 inches possible.
Flooding situations are changing constantly this morning. At this time the Centre Region has several roadways closed due to flooding but no major damage has been reported. The latest information follows:
— Fox Hollow Road, the main road between campus and the University Park airport. Fox Hollow Road was flooded between Cricklewood Drive and Park Avenue and was closed for a period of time. The water has receded and the road is open. However, Penn State police report that the water is beginning to build up again near the I-99 overpass and the road may need to be closed again. It’s best to avoid that area if at all possible.
— Flooding has reduced southbound traffic on North Atherton Street to one lane at Village Drive.
— The intersection of Pollock and Bigler roads on the University Park campus is beginning to flood. Motorists should avoid the area and pedestrians should use caution.
— The parking lot west of Research B on the University Park campus is flooded. The drains are not clogged, but are overwhelmed with the amount of water flowing to them and are draining slowly.
— Big Hollow Road on campus is flooded.
— Rt 550 (Buffalo Run) at Ashcraft Lane in Patton Township also is flooded.
Information about road conditions will be updated as it is received. For information about flood safety, visit http://tadd.weather.gov/tadd-intro.shtml online. For Centre Region updates, visit http://www.facebook.com/centreregionready or follow them at twitter.com/cremalerts on Twitter.
The current National Weather Service forecast can be found at http://goo.gl/urX4Q online.
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