Irene Causes Flooding, Power Outages in Newtown

Newtown woke up to road closures, flooding and widespread power outages Sunday morning after Hurricane Irene came through the region overnight.

Don Harris, Emergency Management Coordinator for the Newtown Emergency Services Department, said some roads have been closed as a result of storm damage.

The Neshaminy Creek flooded, with waters going over roads and blocking access for vehicles.

Buck Road is closed due to flooding at the Neshaminy Creek Bridge, Newtown Richboro Road is closed due to flooding at the Neshaminy Creek Bridge and Linton Hill Road is closed between Wrights Road and Stoopville Road due to a downed tree. Durham Road is closed at Stoopville.

Harris said Sunday that the roads likely wouldn't reopen until Monday.

The closed roads and power outages prompted Council Rock School District to delay the first day of school. Instead of going back Monday, students will start school Tuesday, Superintendent Mark Klein announced Sunday.

Tyler Park is closed due to flooding of the Neshaminy Creek.

A large downed tree closed a portion of Chancellor Street at Penn Street in Newtown Borough. In Newtown Township, there were downed trees, branches were strewn about the roadways and detention basins were topped with water.

A tree also fell on the the Macedonia Baptist Church on North State Street in Newtown Borough.

The Delaware River is expected to crest Monday mid-morning to late afternoon, with moderate to major flood levels, Bucks County officials said Sunday.

County officials also reported that small portions of Yardley Borough and Upper Makefield along the Delaware River have been evacuated.

The Neshaminy Creek is expected to crest in Langhorne over 19 feet, County officials said.

Thousands in Bucks County lost power as a result of the storm. Many Newtown residents remained without power throughout the day Sunday. PECO said its staff was working around the clock to restore power to some 375,000 customers who are without electric service in Philadelphia, Bucks, Chester, Delaware, Montgomery and York counties.

To deal with the power outages, PECO mobilized more than 2,500 field personnel and hundreds of back-office employees to respond.

“We want to remind our customers to stay away from downed power lines and damaged equipment.  Customers also should never enter basements that are flooded until power is de-energized and should stay away from any flood-covered electric equipment in neighborhoods, even if electricity has been terminated in the area,” PECO officials said.

The weather cleared up Sunday and the forecast for the beginning of the week calls for clear skies and sunshine.