Carbondale, Pennsylvania, USA
1942 - Flood

In Tioga County, to the north, swiftly-moving waters inundated cellars and homes in Wellsboro.

Weissport, Carbon County, reported 10 feet of water in the streets covering houses to the second floor. Railroad traffic along the Lehigh was halted and only a few highways were open.

Six freight trains were stopped by a washout at Clark's Summit near Scranton. More than 250 persons were removed from homes in endangered areas and quarters in Scranton hotels.

At Dickson City, Lackawanna County, an unidentified boy fell into a swollen creek and was swept a quarter mile downstream before rescuers reached him.

Three men were injured at Mohnton, near Reading, when a frame house collapsed, throwing them into Wyomissing Creek.

At Pottstown, farther south on the Schuylkill, workmen began hauling tons of machinery for the new $35,000,000 Jacobs Aircraft engine factory from a waterfront warehouse.

A mile-long stretch of the Lehigh Valley railroad bed was washed out near Pittston.

The Lincoln Highway was blocked eight miles east of Lancaster and motorists were marooned as bridges washed out on secondary roads used customarily for detours.

Creeks in the Harrisburg area over flowed and closed the Gettysburg Pike and a number of smaller roads.

In Philadelphia, extra details of park guards were ordered to be ready for duty as the Schuylkill shot up more than two feet. The worst of the flood was expected to reach there tonight.

Rampaging Neacopeck creek near Hazleton flooded out a resort colony and washed out roads A bridge between White Haven and Mountain Top was destroyed and the Cranberry Latimer and Humboldt mines were flooded. The highway between Mauch Chunk and Hazelton was blocked by slides.
Almost every stream in Lancaster County overflowed its banks, the State Police reported. Paradise, about 10 miles east of Lancaster, was isolated for hours as water swept over the Lincoln highway. John Di[ineligible], a Reading salesman, was swept a half mile down Red Run creek near Adamstown before he could swim to shore. He had been stranded in several feet of water when his car stalled. At Terre Hill, five men were marooned for hours on an old covered bridge.

State Police warned against use of Route 309 from Philadelphia to Scranton and said it was unsafe north of Allentown. At Nesquehoning, four feet of water blocked the road.

Two feet of water surged in the streets of Carbondale and eight small bridges in the valley between Carbondale and Ilyphant were washed out. Mayor William L. Monahan of Carbondale led a force of 200 volunteers who rescued 50 families.

The Lehigh hit an estimated 23-foot stage at Allentown though it was not official because the river observers were chased from their vantage points. It started to ebb at 6:30 a.m. numerous industrial plants were damaged but there was no loss of life in the area.

Clearfield Progress
Clearfield, Pennsylvania
May 23, 1942

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