Philadelphia residents evacuate after Eastwick neighborhood goes underwater

PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- Philadelphia residents spent Tuesday night cleaning up after severe flooding left their Eastwick neighborhood underwater.

The neighborhood near 79th and Lindbergh Boulevard became a raging river when the Darby Creek overflowed when Isaias hit the region.

Some residents became trapped, others were forced to evacuate during the powerful storm.

"I was sitting in my living room and I was telling my husband water is coming through the back. It was already flooded. Then the police captain came and told us to evacuate. My house is flooded," said Tanya Andrews.

Vincent Grant and Ruby Wallace moved manhole covers back over an open sewer after they were washed away by the fast-moving floodwaters.

"These are heavy and they floated right off of here. A police officer and two firefighters fell down in there," they both said.

An Action News viewer captured one of those officers wading to shallower waters, moments after he slipped.

"They were just surprised because you're walking, you don't see anything," said Wallace.

The fire department had double the call volume as hundreds of homes in this vicinity were impacted. Dozens of water rescues were made and several residents were forced to evacuate.

"One of the things we will have to do overnight is go in here and check the utilities and find if there's anyone in there that we don't know about," said Philadelphia Fire Commissioner Adam Thiel.