Flooding causes serious damage in Pennsylvania

Emergency crews were monitoring a pipeline that ruptured during a freak storm in Pennsylvania, anxiously waiting to see if nearly 55,000 gallons of gasoline would reach drinking water supplies serving thousands of residents.

The storm early Friday dumped up to 7 inches of rain on western and central Pennsylvania, triggering mudslides, turning roads into rivers and sweeping away at least two homes. Hundreds more were damaged in Centre County, home to Penn State’s main campus. One man was killed when a tree crashed into his home.

Another quarter-inch of rain had fallen by Friday night.

The flooding caused a Sunoco Logistics gasoline pipeline to rupture, spilling an estimated 54,600 gallons into a tributary of the Loyalsock Creek and threatening the local water supply.

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Gov. Tom Wolf ordered the state’s National Guard to help in the recovery efforts after the storm left a trail of destruction stretching 150 miles. The toll included downed power lines, destroyed vehicles and damaged railroad beds.

Gov. Tom Wolf ordered the state’s National Guard to help in the recovery efforts after the storm left a trail of destruction stretching 150 miles. The toll included downed power lines, destroyed vehicles and damaged railroad beds.

The (Lock Haven) Express reported a popular retired teacher was killed Thursday night in Clinton County when a tree crashed into his home. The man had been on the second floor and was tossed from his home by the impact, landing on his back in the driveway.

Winds there reached up to 100 mph, said National Weather Service meteorologist Craig Evanego.

About 100 residents were forced from their homes in the Bald Eagle Valley, including about three dozen residents of a personal care home, Centre County Commissioner Steven Dershem said.

In hard-hit Lycoming County, emergency crews used boats to help residents from their homes and survey the damage to roads and bridges.

Firefighters banged on doors in Old Lycoming Township near Williamsport, evacuating residents in the middle of the night.

“We thought nothing was going to happen, then all of a sudden, a few minutes later, the whole road was covered in water,” resident Brent Getger told WNEP-TV.

The storm took most residents by surprise.