After bringing horrific damage to Louisiana and many other cities of the Northeast, Hurricane Ida leaves parts of Philadelphia completely flooded.
After the immense damage Hurricane Ida provoked in New York City, it came to Philly and hit extremely hard. Philadelphians have never seen anything like this. Damages are immense as Philadelphians wake up to flooded basements, cars underwater, leaving many people with no electrical power, and streets absolutely unusable. Water levels of the Schuykill River haven’t been this high for 150 years, according to Fire Commissioner Adam Thiel. The river was at 16.4 feet deep on Thursday afternoon, truly marking a historic moment for Philadelphians.
This morning, Friday, September 3rd, action has been taken to pump the water from Vine Street Expressway back into the Schuykill River. It is still unknown when the expressway will be reopened to commuters because the water could have made significant damage to the concrete.
Water being pumped out of the Vine Street Canal and back into the Schuylkill River. @KYWNewsradio pic.twitter.com/ICAuhRXKcu
— Tim Jimenez (@TimJRadio) September 3, 2021
Because of these massive floodings, schools have closed for the day and are returning to remote learning. The city will be pretty much be shut down until water drains, damages are repaired, and streets are accessible to be used safely.
Below are some resources of where Philadelphians can get help after these floods:
- The Red Cross has opened reception centers for residents who have lost their homes and need a place to stay. Here are where the temporary centers are installed.
- PECO has rolled out its emergency response organization to bring back electricity to the many residents in the dark. In the meantime, residents are encouraged to follow these safety measures and these guidelines.
Scary scenes from the Schuylkill River.
PECO’s Emergency Response Organization is activated, with crews working as quickly and safely as possible to restore service. (h/t elevated.angles, IG) pic.twitter.com/p19bKQvCgy
— PECO (@PECOconnect) September 2, 2021
- It’s important to stay up to date in times like these. You can sign up for OEM’s free text updates on emergency situations by texting “stormphl” or “readyphila” to 888-777. Information from official sources will be sent to you.
- To report flooding on your property or clogged pipes, The Philadelphia Water Department‘s call center is open and you can call them at 215-685-6300
On another note, at least this man is seeing the silver lining among the storm:
[Featured image: Mark Henninger / Imagic Digital]