Building back

Clarks Summit, South Abington Township and other surrounding areas experienced heavy rains on Sept. 9, causing flooding throughout the area.

Creeks overflowed and flooded Northern Boulevard. Shady Lane became a river where one person lost their life and another person died soon after. Houses and buildings flooded and bridges were washed away.

The Clarks Summit borough office had a list of 56 homes and businesses that were damaged in the flood and were expecting more. There were also two roads that were damaged and a number of gravel alleys that were washed out.

“This is the worst storm that Clarks Summit has experienced, but we did have a storm event in 2006 that almost as severe,” Clarks Summit Borough Manager Virginia Keogh said. “The borough council is trying to take what steps they can to find other options, but if the water cannot absorb into the ground, it has to go somewhere. While five inches of rain coming down very quickly was an act of God that we cannot control, our residents have the ability to do things that will increase absorption rate and therefore slow down stormwater.

“They can plant trees, put rain gardens on their property and limit the amount of impervious surface on their property.”

Armetta’s Restaurant and Pizzeria, owned by Erin McLaughlin for six years, sustained major flooding and McLaughlin is not sure when it will reopen. She lost coolers and food in the basement and the dining room was flooded. Damage Control Inc. has been working to clean up the restaurant.

The restaurant opened on Sept. 9 for takeout only. People could order round or square pizza, wing bites, calzone garlic knots and ham, turkey and roast beef subs.

A benefit for the restaurant was held on Oct 1 at the Chinchilla Fire Station.

“We just can’t say enough thank you for everything that everyone is doing to help us get back on our feet. We are blown away by all the love and support,” said McLaughlin on Armetta’s Facebook page.

The UPS Store, Wright Center in Clarks Summit and Wine and Spirits also experienced damage from the flood.

Sharleen and her husband Dennis Martin live on Center Street and the corner of Electric Street.

“Water came gushing down Electric Street and from the alley perpendicular to my yard,” Sharleen said. “We had a window that burst because of the rushing water. The plumber who did the furnace and heater measured the 3 feet, 2 inches on the water heater.”

The homeowners had gravel all over the yard, the basement flooded, and they had to replace the water heater which was put in November 2022. They will have to have the basement professionally cleaned and replace the broken window.

“We have had flooding but not as bad as this. Five weeks earlier when it also flooded. We only got 18 inches and only had to replace the water heater and parts of the furnace,” Sharleen said. “I sincerely hope that the two floods of the decade are all we get for quite a while.”

Kelly West lives on Medow Creek Road in South Abington Township. Her house was flooded.

“The damage I sustained is minor damage to the entire finished basement, including carpet underlayment, personal items, electronics, bedroom furniture drywall and a half bath,” west said. “I had seen roughly 2 to 3 inches of water that came into my basement. I’ve never experienced flooding in my basement.

“The storm that swept through our area was unlike anything I’ve ever witnessed. The sheer force of nature unleashed its fury upon our homes and mine was not spared from its destructive path. It’s been a painful and emotional journey as I come to terms with the loss of my cherished belongings and the sense of security I once had.”

Tom Summerhill Sr. reflected on the flood in his home.

“I live at Valley View Drive in Newton Township,” he said. “The water came from the creek behind my house. I had 5 feet of water in my basement. It took out my (8-foot-by-20-foot) chicken coop … with about 30 birds, only six survived. I lost 300 square bales for my daughter’s horses. It flooded my skid steer. I also had four inches of mud in my garage. I had damage across the street from my house to my hay equipment from the swamp.”

The Countryside Conservancy Trolley Trail received extensive damage from the water runoff from the rain. The trail from Clarks Summit to Dalton had approximately 2.9 miles of damage.

Fences and gates were knocked down, there were landslides of mud and rock covering the tail, ruts and troughs that were carved in the trail service and complete blowouts in some areas.

A contractor needs to be brought in with heavy machinery like skid steers and excavators to fill in the blowout areas with rock and replacement pipes. Tons of gravel need to be spread and compacted to provide a nice firm trail service.

“We have never seen damage anywhere close to this amount before on the Trolley Trail. We will be planning some smaller volunteer events to fix specific parts, but most work will require heavy machinery. I think the Trolley Trail has truly become an important part of the fabric of the community. People have incorporated the trail into their daily routines, whether it be walking their dog, pushing children in a stroller, a stress relieving jog after work or on a Saturday morning or bike rides with friends. The Trolley Trail is a great space for safety recreating away from roads and traffic, and it’s also a great way to connect with friends and neighbors,” said William Kern, executive director Countryside Conservancy.

Those interested in making a donation to offset the cost of repairs can visit www.CountrysideConservancy.org.