4 dead, 4 missing in Bucks County, Pa. as severe flooding sweeps through area
Four people are dead and four others remain missing Saturday night as severe flood waters sweep through the Bucks County area.
Officials told Action News the four people still missing are a family consisting of two adults, a 2-year-old, and a 9-month-old.
UPPER MAKEFIELD TWP., Pennsylvania (WPVI) -- Four people are dead and four others remain missing Saturday night as severe flood waters sweep through the Bucks County area.
Officials say two women and one man were found dead in the Washington Crossing area in Upper Makefield Township.
The fourth victim was not identified by police.
Upper Makefield officials told Action News the four people still missing are a family consisting of two adults, a 2-year-old, and a 9-month-old.
This comes hours after Bucks County police announced they were initiating a search and rescue operation for missing persons who were lost in flood waters.
Newtown Township police posted on Facebook that they were assisting the Upper Makefield Township Police Department with the search and rescue operation.
FORECAST | AccuWeather: Tropical humidity and downpours
The operation took place on Taylorsville Road in the area of Washington Crossing Road (Route 532).
Officials asked residents to avoid the area to allow emergency personnel to safely perform the operation.
They also issued a reminder to not travel through flooded roadways.
Upper Makefield police also posted on Facebook stating numerous places in the township have been flooded.
In Lower Makefield Township, several roads are impassable due to the extreme flooding, officials stated.
Those roads include:
- River Road, which is heavily damaged between Mt. Eyre Road and Woodside Road
- Taylorsville Road between Mt. Eyre Road and Woodside Road
- Taylorsville Road is closed between Maplevale and Highland Road due to roadway damage, bridge damage, and debris in the roadway
It is anticipated that these roads will also be closed for an extended period of time, township officials stated.
PennDOT also announced that four state highways in Bucks County were closed due to the flooding.
Officials provided a list of the following closures:
- Route 32 (River Road) Woodside Road to Route 532 (General Washington Memorial Boulevard) in Upper Makefield and Lower Makefield townships
- Route 232 (Windy Bush Road) between Aquetong Road and Route 32 (River Road) in Solebury Township
- Route 532 (Washington Crossing Road) between Dolington Road and Taylorsville Road in Upper Makefield Township
- Taylorsville Road between Woodside Road and Route 532 (Washington Crossing Road) in Lower Makefield and Upper Makefield townships
Residents in the area told Action News the flooding is extreme.
"There were about five to seven minutes in there when, really, the sky opened up," said Nick Primola from Yardley.
He told Action News he saw cars swept away, upside down, and abandoned in the local roadways.
"I guess it was just fortunate timing because the people who were there probably just 10 minutes before didn't have as much luck. They really didn't have any warning and they were caught up in it," said Primola.
The rain came and went so quickly, Primola said it's impossible to prepare for.
"I haven't seen anything like this before this quick. I mean this is an area where there are a lot of waterways, so people are used to flooding, but I think that's why it snuck up on these people who were driving," he said.
Source: WPVI-TV
