Water Rescue Calls From Every Bucks Co. Municipality In Ida Disaster

BUCKS COUNTY, PA — The remnants of Hurricane Ida caused disastrous weather in Bucks County on Wednesday and Thursday, as Delaware River and Neshaminy Creek water levels rose rapidly to multiple feet above the flood stage and three tornadoes were confirmed in the area.

Bucks County Commissioners declared a disaster emergency on Thursday. Declarations like this free up agencies and resources to be used as needed to recuperate from extraordinary events — which Wednesday’s weather was, bringing intense rainfall over a period of several hours along with flash flooding and river flooding.

Between 3 p.m. Wednesday and 10 a.m. Thursday, county emergency lines received about 5,200 calls for assistance, 2,000 of which were emergency calls, commissioners said in a news conference. That’s about 3.5 times the amount of calls for help on a typical day.

Audrey Kenny, Bucks County’s director of emergency management, said she believes the county received water rescue calls from all 54 municipalities. Her office called in aid from other state resources to respond to some of the most dire emergencies.

“This storm has dumped 4-8 inches of rain over most of the entire county, with some areas locally getting 10+ inches of rain,” said Commissioner Gene DiGirolamo. “I don’t think it would be over the top to say that this storm has been catastrophic as far as it relates to Bucks County.”

Mid-county towns including Perkasie, Sellersville, and Buckingham were some of the most hard-hit, Kenny said. There was one fatality confirmed in the county, when a man drowned in his car near Unami Creek in Milford Township.

Both the Neshaminy Creek and the Delaware River had receded Friday morning.

On Thursday, Kenny reported that 17 percent of Bucks County was without power. That figure represents 4,700 homes and businesses.

Commissioners said county emergency management received calls from the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency, the Federal Emergency Management Agency, and even the White House in shows of support during the disaster. They do not know yet whether they’ll be pursuing aid from FEMA, as assessors continue to evaluate the storm damage county-wide.

“We will ask them to come in if we assess the damage and think we’re in that ballpark,” Commissioner Diane Ellis Marseglia said. “We certainly want the help.”

Weather events of this magnitude and frequency are unusual for Bucks, DiGirolamo said. In the 71 years he’s lived in the county, he has seen comparable storms; but never so close together as this summer’s multiple tornadoes and flooding incidents.

“I was the first House Republican to get a 100 percent voting record on the environmental scorecard,” he said of his last two years in state government, adding, “We’ve really got to take this seriously. This is not just about doing something right now. This is about protecting our environment, our country, and our planet for our children and grandchildren.”

Increased local weather disasters due to climate change prompted Gov. Tom Wolf to call on FEMA to reevaluate how they assess aid eligibility. In his letter, he said that 5,200 Pennsylvania homes were damaged from flooding events in 2019, but not one qualified for Individual Assistance funds from FEMA.

Commissioners urged residents to report any property damage to their municipalities — which in turn report to the county, which in turn reports to PEMA and FEMA — to best determine what relief will be needed and possible in Bucks. Those in need of shelter can visit a Red Cross station at the Quakertown YMCA at 401 Fairview Avenue or call 1-800-RED-CROSS (1-800-733-2767).

Many roads in the county sustained significant damage, and remain closed Friday. Residents can visit the 511PA map for the most up-to-date information on road conditions.

Read more on how Bucks County fared in the remnants of Hurricane Ida below:

• Three tornadoes touched down in Bucks County on Wednesday, the National Weather Service confirmed. All three were rated EF1; they did damage in Buckingham, Upper Makefield, and Bristol.
• A Montgomery County man was found dead in his car in Milford Township, where emergency crews were unable to reach him for hours in the floodwater. A passenger was able to swim to rescue.
• A covered bridge in Perkasie became unmoored in the flooding, Commissioner Bob Harvie said. Perkasie, along with other central Bucks towns, received some of the highest rainfall levels.
• The Neshaminy Creek overflowed its banks due to the rainfall, with high flood waters causing damage in Levittown and Bensalem. The creek crested at 20.84 feet near Langhorne on Wednesday, just shy of its record depth there.
• The Delaware River crested Thursday night into Friday morning, with nearby creeks and canals also flooding on Wednesday and Thursday. Officials urged voluntary evacuation in Upper Makefield, Yardley, New Hope, and Solebury.
• Towns further from the riverbanks struggled, too; Warminster declared the flooding an emergency Thursday afternoon.
• In nearby Philadelphia, the Schuylkill River’s flood levels were historic and some residents had to be evacuated. Montgomery County experienced an EF2 tornado and numerous fatalities in Ida’s wake.
• PennDOT said that 40 state roads were closed Thursday night after Ida's remnants moved out of Pennsylvania.

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Got tips, story ideas, or questions in Lower Bucks County? Email kate.fishman@patch.com.