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Hershey flooding


Bob Giles

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Guest windjamer

Just saw on the news here in Binghamton,you need a boat to get awrond town. (hershey) Several places in town with water near the roof.Pray for the people. My aera river expected to crest 17 ft. ABOVE flood stage. Im high and dry in the country,but the folks in town are being hit hard. Worse than in 06. Say a word or two for them while your talking to the guy upstairs.

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Quite wet here in Hershey, some of you may recognize these locations -

Hoss's Steak House in Hummelstown, Union Canal House in Union Deposit, and the front gates to HersheyPark

Just saw a more recent photo of the UC House, water is now above the roof and inching closer to the windows.

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Edited by UVT_Mike
Update (see edit history)
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Guest Klayfish

Keeping my fingers crossed for everyone in Hershey. Here at work, I'm about 50 miles to the east of Hershey, in Reading PA. There's a car dealership here (Eisenhower Nissan) that's almost completely under water, and a TON of roads that are flooded. Wouldn't be surprised if I get passed by a jet ski or two on my way home... :eek: Just hoping when I get home that my basement isn't a swimming pool.

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A very sad event was that ZooAmerica had to make the decision to shoot two bison rather than have them drown in the pen when they could not move them to higher ground. There is a large creek that runs through the park. They were able to save the other animlas, etc. that live there.

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We are getting a lot of calls about the fall meet. The area folks are resilient and we will all do our best to recover from this disaster. Several businesses have been impacted and my GUESS is that they will not recover in time. However, I have heard NO reason for the fall meet to be canceled as some are suggesting. Monday or Tuesday I will post any facts from either Derry Township or the Hershey region. No need to panic. The best way you can support all the folks in the Hershey/Harrisburg area is to show up and help our devasted economy. AACA staff HOPE to be at work tomorrow but many roads are still closed.

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Here's the first picture I've seen of the show area (sort of). It's from the Patriot-News web site. This is Route 39 @ Swatara Cr., I believe looking north from the show area. The flooded lot to the right in this photo is the trailer parking lot for the Fall Meet (the old Yellow Field), with the day parking lot to the immediate right.. The Rte. 39 bridge over Swatara Cr. appears submerged.

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http://photos.pennlive.com/4503/gallery/flooding_in_central_pennsylvania/index.html

Edited by Dave@Moon
added link to Patriot-News photo gallery (see edit history)
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Stating the obvious here but since Hershey is such a special place for so many of us another way to help is to donate a few bucks right at the meet - hopefully someone sets this up, in fact the region may even want to think about that - 90% of attendees would have no problem I am sure, paying say $10 for the program this year with half of that going to a relief fund. Any way they would want to do it would be fine, that is just one idea. Remember this meet has NEVER charged admission. Something to think about...

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Dave, the trailer parking is on the other side of the creek, not the yellow field. Day parking is underwater (some of it) and trailer parking is at a higher elevation but still wet.

Crews are already out working on the roads. There are far worse pictures but no need to panic more people. Hersheypark not only has their own maintenance crews but also they own Hershey Nursery so things will be fixed quickly.

The club basement is damp but looks like the library will survive without any damage. We believe water and toilet facilities are a week away from being fixed.

As far as Hershey is concerned, my personal observation is that the restuarants have been greatly impacted and several will not have any way of reopening for the fall meet.

AGAIN, WE WILL HAVE THE FALL MEET SO KEEP YOUR PLANS INTACT AND IF YOU WERE NOT COMING PLEASE DO!

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I just sent an e-mail to the Hershey Conewago Campground to make sure they will be open. They are out near Elizabethtown. Not sure if the flooding is out in that area or not.

Hopefully I will hear that they will be open. We do plan to come for the Meet regardless. If they are closed we will just have to find somewhere else to stay.

UPDATE: Just heard back from Lori at the Hershey Conewago Campground and they are fine, just damp and will be ready for those of us staying there for the Hershey Meet.

Edited by Shop Rat
Update that campground is fine and will be open. (see edit history)
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Dave, the trailer parking is on the other side of the creek, not the yellow field. Day parking is underwater (some of it) and trailer parking is at a higher elevation but still wet.

I knew that , Steve. I've probably walked or driven that route a couple hundred times over the years. (In my younger/poorer years I'd park on that side of the creek to save a few bucks.) The Yellow Field area closest to the creek has been primarily parked up with trailers the last few times I've seen it. I think they direct people with trailers and larger trucks in day parking to that area.

I don't think you have to be concerned about Heshey attendence over this. If anything it should help pull people together for the event in many ways, as illustrated in Steve Mack's post above.:cool::)

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This is a very recent video of the Hershey flooding. This is southern entrance to the park area just coming off the freeway before you enter Hershey proper. A lot of water!

The water must have still been rising while this guy was out. From 2:45 to 3:24 in the video he drives south on PA-39 directly into the show area, crossing Swatara Creek on the bridge that I believe is submerged in the photo I posted. At any rate the water is at least 3-4' lower for this video than it is in the photo.

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There's going to be some damage to both the road and some parts of the asphalt lot on which the flea market is held.

It's easy to look at the surface of a road, and say that it won't be hurt by a flood. However, what happens, the water gets under the road or paving, and eats away at the base and compacted soil.

There will be some damage, and, knowing from experience the mud that can be made at Hershey, any grassy field for parking that's now under water may not dry out in 3 or so weeks....

Oh well, have been there through rainstorms and muddy fields and sleeping in the back of my Suburban, so will go again (although hope to be sleeping in a downtown motel!!)

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Been watching the videos on You Tube. Really hard to believe. I never realized Hershey was so susceptible to flooding especially Hershey Park area. It is obvious that some businesses won't recover in time for the meet but lets hope that people will still come and contribute to the recovery in a big way. And lets hope there's no more rain!

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There is so much more asphalt than there was years ago. The water that runs off rather than soaking in and being sucked up by grass, plants and trees has to go somewhere. The creeks, streams and rivers haven't been dug wider or deeper so they fill up faster and this is the result.

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Is this some plot by the AmphiCar people to get a better spot on the show field? We'll be there I'd need more than damp feet to wreck 42 years in a row for Hershey. Best wishes to the people and businesses of the Hershey region.

Wouldn’t even think of taking an amphi in this mess. :eek:

I work in Hershey and I almost lost my van Wednesday afternoon in a flash flood that appeared from nowhere. It took 3 hours to get out of town which typically takes a few minutes. All the bridges crossing the Swatara creek were closed, 322 closed and 743 to 283 / turnpike were closed. Went to Palmyra and crossed the Swatara at a little know bridge minutes before that bridge was underwater. Never seen anything like this. Hershey got a lot more rain than were I live 10 miles west.

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Things appear to be receding this morning. Work has already begun at the 322 off ramp to repair the road and the clover leaf and west end of HersheyPark Dr looks like they should be able open in the very near future.

No access to Hershey from the North yet but that will change in a day or to. A lot of clean up will be required but I am quite sure the area will be ready for Hershey Week.

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Well at least Hershey not grass fields any longer,

And there lies a large part of the problem. :(

Pavement is hardly the problem, although it certainly makes things worse. One of the majors in my Master's Degree was in Water Resources, from Iowa State's Civil Engineering Department. I've taken graduate level courses in this stuff.

Water infiltration rates decline sharply with any kind of land development. Deforestation and/or eliminating prairie grasses will at least triple runoff rates per acre for a given amount of precipitation, often much more, no matter what kind of development follows. It doesn't much matter if you plant soybeans or McMansions, the result is the same. Strip mining is even worse, and even after reclamation it's decades before the soil can hold water similar to it's past capacity. Wetland development is STILL MUCH worse, with orders of magnitude increases in runoff per acre.

In the 1960s the Corp of Engineers built a dam for flood controlon the Des Moines River above Des Moines, IA. Saylorville Dam was built to contain a 100 year flood, based on historical data. Three times in the next 4 years it was filled to capacity by flooding, in other words 3 "100 year" floods in 4 years.:confused::rolleyes: It seems when you turn a prairie/wetland state into a giant farm complex you cannot rely on historical data.

The amount/percentage of pavement in almost any area (short of an urban center) is not enough to account for major differences in runoff rates. Changes in the soil use, and therefore it's character, accaount for MUCH more.

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Except when the plan calls for the dumping of the run off down off of a higher area of development onto the property below. Which certainly includes pavement in large amounts for parking lots and buildings that have water shedding drainage systems. That excess run off overwhelms the creeks, streams and rivers below and extreme flooding is the result.

The street I grew up on, a cul-de-sac, never had flooding problems until they built homes above our street on the side with a hill behind it. The rain water was just dumped of of the street down over the hill through openings in the curbing. It was not sent down into a storm sewer. Then the people's yards and homes on our street flooded and the older storm sewer system fell apart and caused a huge sinkhole in the middle of the street. Cure, go back up on the new street and properly divert the water into a new storm sewer system.

Seven years ago a huge complex of mini-mall type areas with the required parking lots caused major flooding along a creek that had not gone out of it's banks in over 100 years. Result, my horse had to be rescued from his pasture and the owner of the property lost their 100+ year old cabin because the water knocked it off of it's stone foundation.

Whatever way ground is opened up from it's natural state holds the potential for flash flooding if the area it is dumped into is not altered to handle the flow.

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I like the way you think, Mr. Cord! Like one of my favorite songs says, at the end of the storm is a golden sky, and I will do my best to bring whatever sunshine (or at least dry weather) the Buckeye State can provide for that glorious week in October when I drive my time machine along through the colorful autumn mountains and valleys of central Pennsylvania, and follow my nose to the chocolate aroma of the fair city of Hershey. (No poet am I, but it is from the heart...)

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A few things are still open in Hershey Park area

here the update link

Open for business

The Hotel Hershey

Hershey Lodge

The Hershey Story, the Chocolate Ave. museum devoted to Milton S. Hershey's legacy

Closed through the weekend:

Hersheypark and ZooAmerica

Hershey Gardens (This weekend's Gardenfest is postponed)

Hershey Highmeadow Campground

Hershey Golf Collection

Closed Friday

Giant Center

Hershey Theatre

Houlihan's and Devon Seafood Grill (both in the Hershey Press building)

The Cocoa Beanery

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Pavement is hardly the problem, although it certainly makes things worse. One of the majors in my Master's Degree was in Water Resources, from Iowa State's Civil Engineering Department. I've taken graduate level courses in this stuff.

MUCH more.

I just complete my Master Degree in Construction management, My final Course was to learn how and write a Stormwater Pollution control plan SWPPP.

That was real eye opener, the amount of soil that wash off bare ground is huge. Also i was surprised how much can wash off of vegetated lands too. I have a 5 acre property and loose up to 2 ton of soil a year, and if cover with vegetation, as state above the amount of runoff is exponential off pavement and building, compound a problem that nature causes.

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