Latest news with #KeyserValley
Yahoo
21 hours ago
- Climate
- Yahoo
Scranton neighborhood holds breath as heavy rain puts properties in peril
SCRANTON, LACKAWANNA COUNTY (WBRE/WYOU) — A Scranton neighborhood all too familiar with flooding is holding its collective breath this weekend. Heavy rain once again put their properties in peril. 'Oh no. Here we go again,' Scranton resident Doris Repshis said. Flash flooding was the first thought Repshis had in her Keyser Valley neighborhood after heavy rain hit hard and fast early Saturday morning. The flash flood fears this weekend are a flashback for her of what she and her family experienced nearly two years ago. 'I was fortunate enough to have my grandson and my son here to help me, but we bailed water for several hours from the basement,' Repshiss stated. The September 2023 flood damaged her Jackson Street property and dozens of others. This area is surrounded by low-lying land and two creeks, Keyser and Lindy, that meet just down the road from Merrifield Avenue. DPW crews sprang to action around sunrise Saturday morning. NWS issues flash flood warning for part of NEPA They were out for hours, clearing debris from drains and setting up hoses to pump run-off into the storm water management system before it had a chance to flood homes. 'They've been doing their jobs cleaning up all that and I think they're doing a wonderful job keeping the city safe,' Lucinda Belles from Scranton explained. 'When there's a large storm event like this, sometimes we need to add extra physical pumps and hoses to the pump station itself,' Scranton Mayor Paige Cognetti told 28/22 News. 'Seeing the hoses hooked up, they seem to be more on top of things quickly,' Repshis added. Consider it lessons learned from that devastating flood nearly two years ago. 'We continue to invest in our personnel and equipment so that we can have the vac trucks and things like that, that help us keep the basins clean,' Mayor Cognetti continued. The city says residents in Keyser Valley should soon see infrastructure improvements firsthand, and with more rain in the forecast, neighbors here are hoping this effort is a sign of what's to come: fast action and long-term solutions. Mayor Cognetti says a $23,000,000 investment plan for stormwater upgrades has been approved. There is no firm timetable on when the work will be completed. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
Yahoo
10-05-2025
- Climate
- Yahoo
Heavy rains worry residents familiar with flooding
SCRANTON, LACKAWANNA COUNTY (WBRE/WYOU)— As rain continued to hammer NEPA, flooding has become a major concern, especially for those living in low lying areas. One area was hit particularly hard a couple of years ago, and residents there say this weather has them nervous. Residents of Scranton's Keyser Valley region are no strangers to flooding. Three days of rain having an effect on local borough In 2023, heavy rain led to flash flooding and heavy property damage. Now, they're worried it could happen again. Scranton's Keyser Valley section is still recovering from severe flash flooding that happened almost two years ago. In September of 2023, heavy rains and debris from the mountain caused the Keyser Creek to overflow and make its way into people's homes. 'It started pouring down rain, and about 40 minutes later my mom called and said 'you need to get home, the basement is, everything's floating in there,' explained Scranton resident Sara Baldinucci. Sara Baldinucci was at a golf tournament when it all began. She says what started as a beautiful sunny day, quickly turned to chaos. 'It just hit. It was downpours, like buckets of water. It was pretty crazy how fast and furious it happened,' recalled Baldinucci. She tells 28/22 News she got home and found the basement flooded, everything inside it, lost. Pools of water and debris filled her yard, cars submerged and people being rescued by boat a block away. Just down the street, Lenny Srebro says his home didn't sustain any damage, but he adds a lack of flood mitigation by the city led him to take matters into his own hands. 'Higher curbs all around the property. I put down railroad ties and marble blocks,' stated Srebo. He says this was all done to divert water away from his home, garage, and the priceless classic cars he keeps inside. Some neighbors weren't as fortunate. Many homes still sit vacant and condemned from the flooding they sustained. And while the rain isn't as severe as it was that September, both neighbors say they worry anytime the weather takes a turn for the worse. 'I'm constantly checking the basement, like, when it starts to rain we are down there all the time,' said Baldinucci. 'Every time it rains, I'm telling you, people get scared,' added Srebo. Keyser Creek was flowing rapidly. With more rain expected in the coming week, residents living in this area should be mindful of changing conditions and remain aware of their surroundings. Copyright 2025 Nexstar Media, Inc. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
