Due to the inclement weather and flooding in the lower part of town, Mayor Dan Knorr declared Bloomsburg, PA to be in a state of emergency at about 3:00 p.m. on Wednesday, Sept. 7. Residents of the lower part of town have been asked to evacuate for their safety.
Throughout the day Rt. 11, Main Street, Old Berwick Road, and Patterson Drive were closed indefinitely making travel throughout the town difficult.
“I was planning on going to Walmart today,” said one Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania student. “I guess that’s not happening.”
There has not been a statement as to how long the state of emergency will last, however it has been projected that the Fishing Creek water level will reach about 13 feet and the Susquehanna River will crest 26 feet by Friday, Sept. 9.
Evacuation of areas near the Bloomsburg Fair Grounds began as early as 1:00 p.m. The Red Cross has set up an emergency shelter in the Bloomsburg Elementary School. Provisions will be available, as well as cots for those who are unable to stay in their homes overnight. The CART Shelter for Animals on BU’s upper campus is also open to those in need.
Bloomsburg University of Pennsylvania canceled all evening classes and issued emergency text messages and emails to all students living off campus to be prepared to evacuate if necessary.
“I live on East Street,” said BU student, Mike Suppes. “I’m not too worried about the river level reaching the house, but we already have about 5 inches of water in the basement.”
For more information on Bloomsburg’s flood protocol, flood proofing, and flood safety, please visit the town’s website at, http://www.bloomsburgpa.org/floodcontrol/floodpage.html.
