Roads were closed near creeks in Northampton County.
Thousands of homes are without power today -- particularly in Lehigh and Hunterdon counties -- after a storm system brought heavy rains overnight and, in their wake, strong winds.
Flooding also posed problems this morning, authorities report.
As of about 11:45 this morning, utilities were reporting power outages as follows:
- PPL Electric Utilities: 233 customers out in Northampton Countuy, 2,109 out in Lehigh County, 740 out in Bucks County.
- Met-Ed: 1,025 out in Northampton County, less than five out in Lehigh County and 112 out in Bucks County.
- Jersey Central Power & Light: 96 out in Warren County and 5,412 out in Hunterdon County. Click here for FirstEnergy's outage site covering Met-Ed and JCP&L.
The temperature has already dropped in the 40s and will continue to go down as winds pick up again, Gorse said this morning. It might not make it out of the 30s on Friday morning with snow showers in the forecast.
Major river flooding is not expected -- the weather service projects a 14-foot crest for the Delaware River in Easton, eight feet below flood stage. But creeks are over their banks throughout the region.
The Northampton County emergency dispatch center provided the following road closures due to flooding at 5:45:
BETHLEHEM TOWNSHIP, Pa.:
Easton Avenue at Butztown Road
Santee Road at Easton Avenue
Willow Park Road at Carter Road
Christian Springs Road
EASTON:
Lehigh Drive between Washington Street and Lynn Street (the road was reopening just after 8 o'clock)
FORKS TOWNSHIP: Zucksville Road at Bushkill Drive
Newlins Mill Road at Sullivan Trail
Kesslersville Road between Uhler and Kuebler Road
PALMER TOWNSHIP:
Lehigh Drive at South 25th Street
EAST ALLEN TOWNSHIP:
Route 512 between School Road and Locust Road
BUSHKILL TOWNSHIP:
West Douglasville Road between Gove Road and Clearfield Road
LOWER NAZARETH TOWNSHIP
Route 191 between Hollo Road and Gradwohl Switch Road (PennDOT reports this was a downed utility pole)
LEHIGH COUNTY
LOWER MACUNGIE TOWNSHIP
Spring Creek Road from Mill Creek Road to Route 100.
The dispatch center was unable to update the list mid-morning because local responders were so busy with downed trees and wires, a shift supervisor said.
"In light of the high waters and flooded roadways this morning, it's important to know that PA's 'Turn Around, Don't Drown' law has enhanced fines for people who ignore barricades closing roads and subsequently get stuck and require assistance," the Forks Township Police Department warned. "If the roads are closed, you must find another way, or you will be cited."
"Numerous" roads were closed this morning by flooding in Hunterdon County, a dispatcher said, but none of the flooding is major. A Warren County dispatcher said flooding is not a major problem in that county, but there are some trees down. WeatherWorks in Hackettstown also reported that Warren County's creeks were staying within their banks.
The Spruce Run Creek in Glen Gardner was a foot above flood stage at 6:50 this morning, but it receded by late morning.
The Bushkill Creek at the Route 33 bridge in Tatamy was above 13 feet this morning; it's usually about 7 feet deep, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.
The Pequest River in Warren County is above its 4-foot flood stage -- it was 4.1 feet at 10:30 this morning -- and it is slated to have minor rises as the day goes on, Hackettstown police report. A flood warning is in effect, according to the news release.
Hackettstown police report Beatty Street is closed eastbound 9 to 12 this morning between Grant Avenue and Valentine Street for utility work. Grand Avenue will be one lane at Beatty.