Please keep us in your thoughts and prayers...

Dear Heartland friends:

We in southcentral and eastern PA are in a bit of trouble right now. If you've been watching the national news, you know we got hit bad by the remnants of TS Lee. We have the Susquehanna River that runs through Harrisburg, coming down from Wilkes-Barre and points north...and this river dumps into other rivers, creeks and streams. Hershey (home of the RV show opening next Wednesday) has been hit bad. Hersheypark drive was flooded by the Swatara Creek which overflowed so quickly yesterday that everyone was shocked at the damage that was done. Restaurants along the drive (Pizza Hut, Wendy's) were flooded up to their roofs. The creek that is responsible for that also borders Hershey Highmeadow CG, where some of our Heartland volunteers for the show are planning to camp (us included). Not sure what Highmeadow looks like right now, but it's only going to get worse. The local news reports liken the flood coming to that of Agnes in 72... they have evacuated the homes along the riverfront, and the water is expected to go as far back as 2 blocks. We are looking at possibly 17' OVER flood stage. The governor's mansion along the river has been evacuated.

The water treatment plant in Hershey is underwater, so there will be a boil water advisory for all of the areas it serves. There are now reports of sewage being discharged into the water here.

Hershey Park is under water, and 2 bison at the Hershey Zoo drowned when the Swatara creek flooded their penned area.

Plans are for the Hershey show to go on...they are up on higher ground...but I'm not sure what next week will bring once we see the damage done to the roads around the Giant Center. Already there is one road next to the Hershey Medical Center (322 East) that has buckled and partially collapsed. DH tried to get from his office near downtown to Hershey and he had to make adjustments many times to his route because of flooded roads and closed bridges, etc.

Check us out on your national news station and please keep Harrisburg and the surrounding areas in your prayers. Many, many people along the Susquehanna and it's tributaries are going to be affected. The river is expected to crest at just about 30' on Saturday.

Thank you for your time...

Our thoughts and prayers are with you all. Ask all to keep those of us in East Texas in mind as well. Wild fires have burned nearly 1000 homes, last count I heard there were 4 dead. There have been several fires near our new home. We have the BigHorn packed and ready in case they order us to evacuate. We would love to have some of your water up that way as we have not had measurable rain since May. Humidity is about 10%, wind is blowing and trees are dying. Nan

Hey Cheryl,You didn't really say are you on high ground? I sure hope so we will be praying for you guys . I hope the rain stops soon!! Nan we will keep you guys in our prayers also.. We hope for the best for all!!

Cheryl,

We are praying that the suffering caused by the flooding will be short lived and that your friends and families will be able to recover quickly. Keep us posted on your position my friend and if there is anything you need give us a call. Don't know what help we could be but you know we are here for ya!

The current fire condition in Texas is also very dangerous so I will include a prayer for you guys and your safety as well.

Cheryl & Nan, Thoughts and prayers are with you both as well as everyone else in your areas.

Saw the national news this evening in reference to the flooding. Our thoughts and prayers are with all those who are effected.

Our thoughts and prayers are with everyone experiencing the natural disasters occuring in our country at this time. Stay informed and be safe. Lee created so much havoc here in Louisiana, that I hope this is the only crisis we have to deal with this year. Time will tell. Take care.

Nan if I could find a way to ship all this water to your state...believe me...you can have it all. Such craziness....all we can do is wait and pray that the damage is manageable and can be repaired as soon as possible. The one road in Hershey that has buckled will be closed for some time for that repair.

The good news is for now...the Susquehanna in Harrisburg is noted to be receding somewhat...but they are cautious as they still expect it to crest tonight around 29', making it the 3rd highest flood since they've been keeping records. Agnes in '72 was the highest recorded at just over 32'.

The Swatara, (aka Swattie as us locals call it) which winds through Hershey has already crested and is receding...so hopefully it will stay down now that the rain has stopped. This creek is what caused all the damage in Hershey. So we have some time for Highmeadow CG to get their area cleaned up...which you know they will get right on that...with the RV show in town, they are always booked solid.

Jim and I are going to venture out tomorrow to check out the area so for those of you Hershey-bound, stay tuned. Also check out the Hershey RV show here on the forum for updates.

Thanks for your thoughts and prayers.

We have you all in our thoughts and Prayers from the ones in the East with to much water and the ones in Texas , New Mexico and Arizona that have no water. Do you realy think this is the time for the takin In God We Trust out of everything

jpdoggett said:

We have you all in our thoughts and Prayers from the ones in the East with to much water and the ones in Texas , New Mexico and Arizona that have no water. Do you realy think this is the time for the takin In God We Trust out of everything

Click to expand...

Amen to that. We need to ask God to Forgive our slighting Him and Pray for Healing and recovery of our Country from the drought to the floods to the financial and political situation. I don't know about you and yours but for us it is In God We Trust and Pray.

Thank you everyone for praying! Our prayers worked because we did not crest as high as what they initially thought...and the levees held up in Wilkes-Barre...had they not, well I can't even think about how bad it would have been for all! We crested 5' under what they predicted. There is still a lot of mess to clean up, roads to fix, basements to clean out, carpets to toss out, Clorox to clean floors and walls...water to boil. We lost 4 souls and thankfully no more. The water has receded to the point that people can get into their homes and businesses and begin process of rebuilding. We passed the Hoss's today and they had all the tables and chairs pulled out into the parking lot...ruined...Hoss's was one of many business totally under water. The man across the street from Hoss's owned a large bike shop, and his family lived next door. So he got double-hammered. What a mess.

But they will rebuild because the human spirit is strong and they have a lot of help from volunteers who have stepped up to help.

The Hershey RV show is on and the field across from the show is no longer a lake but will still be swampy for a long time. We are expected to get some rain this week but thankfully nothing as bad as what we had.

On this special day of remembrance I would like to take time to remember those lost on 9/11....and also thinking of those who have been affected by all we've had in the past few months.... fire, floods, hurricanes, and tornadoes.

Gayle and I have you and everyone in our thoughts and prayers. We pray that the worst is behind you. We will continue to keep everyone in our thoughts and prayers for the future.
Wayne and Gayle