16 Water Rescues In Central Chesco Flooding Tuesday

CHESTER COUNTY, PA —A powerful storm hit central Chester County hard Tuesday, with emergency workers responding to a flood of calls, including 16 water rescues, officials reported Wednesday.

Cars were stuck in high waters in municipalities west of West Chester, including East Bradford, West Whiteland and Upper Uwchlan townships.

No injuries or structural damage was reported, according to Patty Mains, public information officer for Chester County Emergency Services.

“The bulk of the flooding was in central Chester County,” Mains said Wednesday.

Mains said that the cleanup of roadways is ongoing today.

PennDOT crews are inspecting bridges today along Route 322, which was flooded during the rainstorm, according to ABC 6. Route 322 reopened to motorists at 12:45 p.m.

Flooding occurred on the west side of the Route 322 corridor near Downingtown where the Brandywine Creek overflowed and Route 100 near the Pennsylvania Turnpike in Upper Uwchlan Township.

West Whiteland Township was flooded in the Exton area at Creamery Way and South Whitford Road.

West Whiteland Police Lt. Jason Madormo said the area is a common location for flooding.

He said barricades are put up to alert motorists not to drive through the flooded areas.

“We’ve had three major flooding storms coming through in the last few weeks,” he said.

Madormo said the township recently participated in the National Weather Service campaign, Turnaround, Don’t Drown.

Emergency responders were called out to these incidents:

• At 3:30 p.m., emergency responders were dispatched to East Uwchlan Avenue and Sheree Boulevard, Uwchlan Township, for a vehicle stuck in high water.
• Emergency service responders also were dispatched to Creek Road and Nichols Mill Road to an accident with entrapment in East Brandywine Township.
• Two vehicles were trapped in high water at 1221 East Lancaster Ave., Downingtown.
• Students at the New Horizon Montessori Academy, Exton, waited inside the school until they could safely get out of the school lots because of flooding.
• At 6:08 p.m., crews responded to a water rescue at Route 30 and Clover Mill Road, West Whiteland Township.

Crews were also called to Marsh Creek State Park; Quarry Lane and Whitford Road, West Whiteland Township; Old Schuylkill and Linfield Roads, East Vincent Township; Conestoga and Kimberton Roads, West Pikeland; and Oak Street and West Chester Road, Coatesville.