Creek levels rise as Centre County faces more rain

Rain is expected throughout the day Wednesday as officials keep an eye on water levels in the county.

Centre County could see a thunderstorm before the end of the afternoon, the National Weather Service is predicting, with possible heavy rainfall. Forecasts call for new rainfall amounts between one-half and three-quarters of an inch.

More rain means higher water levels, as NWS is also showing a spike in creek and dam levels throughout the county. Spring Creek at Houserville, which normally sits below four feet, has climbed to about six feet since Monday and is considered “near flood stage.” The Sayers Dam on Bald Eagle Creek has also climbed almost three feet since Monday.

Miles Township Fire Company advised residents through its Facebook page that crews were working on clearing out flooded basements and were compiling a list of affected residents. Crews were still pumping out basements in Rebersburg into Wednesday.

NWS reported that Penns Creek, which sat at about four feet early Monday, had reached almost nine feet by Wednesday afternoon and was considered a “minor flood.” It was predicted to reach about 10 feet by early Thursday, officially a “moderate flood.”

Krystin Evans, a Rebersburg resident, watched her five children play in their flooded backyard during a break in the rain Wednesday afternoon. Evans said she’s been a resident for two years, and while she weathered a tornado in 2017, she hasn’t experienced flooding quite like this.

“We have water in our basement that’s about a foot or two deep,” she said as water gushed across her yard.. “My neighbor’s yard has flooded before, but we’ve never been flooded like this.”

While she advised her children to stay out of the standing water, a rush across the yard was simply too irresistible for them to ignore.

In Haines Township, PennDOT reported flooding on Woodward Cave Drive. All lanes were closed.

A portion of Miles and Haines townships remain under a flood warning, while most of Centre County remains under a flash flood watch until 8 p.m. Wednesday. A break is expected by early tomorrow, the NWS said, with mostly sunny skies predicted for Thursday.

This story was originally published July 25, 2018 at 8:56 AM with the headline "Creek levels rise as Centre County faces more rain."