Floodgates are seen installed looking toward Kingston on the Market Street Bridge, where they will remain until after the Susquehanna River crests this weekend.
Fred Adams | For Times Leader
A pair of cranes and a crew of workers begin setting the ribs for floodgate panels early Christmas morning on the Market Street Bridge along River Street in Wilkes-Barre.
Fred Adams | For Times Leader
A crew of workers set the first rib of the floodgates on the Market Street Bridge along River Street in Wilkes-Barre on Christmas morning.
Fred Adams | For Times Leader
The crane on the Kingston side of the Market Street Bridge gets ready to pull away after finishing installing the floodgates on Christmas Day.
Fred Adams | For Times Leader
A man checks his phone after taking a photo on the river side of the flood gate on the Market Street Bridge on Friday.
Fred Adams | For Times Leader
A ‘road closed’ sign is seen on Market Street before the bridge on the Kingston side on Christmas Day because of the installation of floodgates.
Fred Adams | For Times Leader
The installed floodgate is seen on the Market Street Bridge with Kirby Park in the background on Christmas Day.
Fred Adams | For Times Leader
The Susquehanna River flows fast and brown on Friday afternoon beneath the Market Street Bridge.
Roger DuPuis | Times Leader
A worker standing atop a truck of floodgate panels on East Market Street gently guides one of the pieces as a crane prepares to lift it into place for insertion between large ribs at the entrance to the Market Street Bridge on Friday afternoon.
Roger DuPuis | Times Leader
WILKES-BARRE — The Susquehanna River kept rising on Christmas Day, but its expected crest has been falling.
Earlier predictions of a 34-foot crest had been downgraded by Friday night t0 29 feet, according to the National Weather Service. That high-water mark is expected to be reached sometime around 1 p.m. Saturday, the NWS predicts.
While lower than the earlier predictions, a 29-foot crest would still be just shy of major flood stage — 30 feet — and above the moderate (28 feet) and minor (22 feet) flood stages, meaning there is still potential for damage in areas outside the protection of the Wyoming Valley Levee system.
The Wyoming Valley Levee System protects most of the Wyoming Valley to a river level of 44 feet. But unprotected, low-lying areas in in Plains Township, the Plymouth Flats, West Nanticoke and Shickshinny flood at 22 feet when the river leaves its banks.
The river reached the record crest of 42.66 feet on Sept. 9, 2011, during that year’s devastating flooding.
On Thursday, the Luzerne County Flood Protection Authority issued a state of emergency declaration, calling for the Market Street Bridge to be closed and floodgates installed. That work was completed on Friday, and the bridge is expected to remain closed “for the duration of the flood event,” until the danger has passed.
All four bridges over Solomon Creek also were closed, Wilkes-Barre Mayor George Brown said.
According to NWS forecasts on Friday night, the river is not expected to dip back below flood stage until after 11 a.m. on Sunday, but of course that prediction could change based on the weather. According to the AccuWeather forecast on page 14A of our Saturday e-edition, today and Sunday are expected to be precitipation-free, but there is a chance of rain or snow again on Monday.
Melting snow and heavy rain began pushing rivers up dramatically beginning in the early hours of Christmas Day, with the level rising from 3 feet to nearly 24 feet in 24 hours.
West Pittston
Borough police announced Friday night that Susquehanna Avenue from Second Street to Luzerne Avenue is closed to all traffic and will remain closed until further notice.
Duryea
The borough issued a state of emergency on Thursday afternoon, but expressed optimism Friday as crest levels decreased twice.
According to a post on the police department’s Facebook page, officials will continue to monitor water levels at the Coxton Bridge and Falling Springs.
The Stephenson Street floodgates will remain open, they added, with the final two panels removed.
In the event of Coxton Road flooding, Swamp Road will be available as a route to leave the area, officials said.
Anyone with questions is asked to call the borough at 570-655-2829, Ext. 1 and leave a voicemail.
