WASHINGTON CROSSING, Pa. (AP) — A flash flood flooded a road in southeastern Pennsylvania, washing away several cars and killing at least three people. Four other people, including a 9-month-old baby, are still missing, authorities said.
Officials in Makefield Township, Bucks County, said torrential rains occurred around 5:30 p.m. Saturday in the Washington Crossing area.
Upper Makefield Fire Chief Tim Brewer told reporters the area received about 6 1/2 to 7 inches of rain (about 18 centimeters) in 45 minutes.
“In 44 years, I’ve never seen anything like it,” he said. “When the water came up, it came up very quickly. We don’t think anyone drove there, was actively on that road when it happened.
There was “about four to five feet of water on the road,” he said. There were about 11 cars on the road at the time, and three were swept away.
Two women and a man, aged 40 to 60, were found dead. Four people are missing, three women and one man. They were aged from nine months to 63 years old.
Brewer declined to identify the victims’ relationships, but said “one family has been seriously affected.”
Eight people were rescued from the cars and two from the creek, he said.
The three swept away vehicles were later located and no one was found inside. One was about 1.5 miles from where it entered the creek.
“We’re treating this as a rescue, but we’re pretty sure we’re in recovery mode right now,” Brewer said.
About 150 people searched the creek overnight and 100 were involved Sunday morning, walking along the creek, he said.