OCTOBER 21, 2016
By Jeremy Hartley and Shawn Annarelli
Centre County Commissioners Mike Pipe, Mark Higgins and Steve Dershem have declared a disaster emergency in Centre County.
More than 100 Milesburg and Howard residents were rescued and evacuated due to flooding early Friday morning. Bald Eagle Area High School is being used as a shelter by the American Red Cross for those evacuated.
National Weather Service meteorologist Charles Ross said the area was hit with four to seven inches of rain, though no injuries were reported to authorities.
“People have to be real careful out there,” Ross said. “There’s a lot of water out there. It’s still pretty dangerous travel.”
Centre Daily Times reporter Jeremy Hartley was able to travel as far as Moose Run and Spring Creek in Milesburg before flooded roads became impassable. Flares marked impacted roads and warned drivers to proceed at their own risk.
Robert Holt, a Milesburg resident and Bellefonte police officer, wasn’t spared from the rain as his basement had flooded.
Bald Eagle Area School canceled school.
Bellefonte Area School District has a professional learning day, according to superintendent Michelle Saylor, which means students have a schedule day off. Bellefonte will determine what to do for its homecoming game.
Ross said it may be the ‘worst case of flooding’ in the Milesburg and Howard areas since Hurricane Ivan in 2004. About two more inches of rain could fall Friday morning in Centre County. There is a flood warning until 10:15 a.m.