Tropical Storm Fay causes minor flooding in Philadelphia, suburban counties

Chad Pradelli Image
Saturday, July 11, 2020
Tropical Storm Fay causes minor flooding in Philly suburbs
Tropical Storm Fay caused minor flooding in the Philly suburbs.

PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) -- Tropical Storm Fay caused minor flooding in Philadelphia and its suburban counties on Friday.

Dhami Arkin's minivan came to a slow stall on University Avenue at the entrance to the Schuylkill Expressway. She didn't know what to do.

"I said okay...I tried to plow through, and I got stuck and the water was rising fast," she said.

She grabbed her phone.

"I called 911, and they were excellent. They came right out," she said.

Arkin ended up walking out of her vehicle. Its condition is unknown, but she said a lesson has been learned.

"Moral of the story don't do what I did. Don't go through the water. Don't do it," she said.

Related:

Storm aftermath left damage in South Philadelphia

Delaware County Emergency Management says minor flooding occurred at the typical spots. Pennsylvania Route 291 was shut down in both directions between Sea Knight and Stewart avenues.

In Montgomery County, there was flash flooding on Red Lion Road at Philmont Avenue.

Not devastating flooding but more evidence of the nuisance flooding caused by this storm.

Up in Melrose Park, on Coventry Avenue, Erwin Ochavillo, had been watching the rain and a nearby storm drain.

His home, along with others in the area, flooded earlier this week after runoff from a construction site clogged the drains on his street.

He had to rip out a foot of his basement wall and bags of belongings are trash.

"Can't get a break, Mother Nature strikes, not much you can do but pray," he said.