Creek inundates northern Indiana County town as Tropical Storm Debby pours on rain

As many as 200 people were evacuated from homes and businesses in the northern Indiana County town of Clymer on Friday when Tropical Storm Debby pounded the community with rain and Two Lick Creek overflowed its banks.

The Clymer Fire Department on Friday evening was assessing damage to its social hall, which had been inundated by 3 feet of water. Many residents returning to their homes after the floodwater receded had the same task awaiting them.

Sections of main roads were closed because of high water, including Route 403 and Route 286, Clymer fire Chief Brett Gromley said.

Gromley said swift water rescue teams manned boats to bring four people to safety — two whose homes had been surrounded by water and two others who were stranded in vehicles. One of the rescued people was checked out by medics, but no other injuries were reported, he said.

“Two Lick Creek is known for flooding, but this is the worst flood we’ve had since 1977,” Gromley said of the waterway that flows through the center of town. “Hopefully, it’s the last time we ever have something like this.”

The most severe flooding occurred on Sherman Street, where the fire hall is located, and on Adams Street.

“Everything was a river,” Gromley said.

Tate’s Supermarket on Fourth Street, the Sheetz store on Route 286 and some banks were among businesses that were evacuated, he said. Those who were displaced sheltered during the day at the local American Legion hall, with assistance from the Red Cross.

“Multiple businesses and community members donated pizzas for them to eat,” Gromley said.

Close to 20 neighboring fire departments from Indiana and Cambria counties responded to help, beginning at about noon. Firefighters had basement floodwater pumped out and power restored to affected homes by about 9:30 p.m.

“We pumped 20 or 30 basements,” Gromley said, though he noted some homes saw water rise to the first floor.

Clymer firefighters had been called to a structure fire at about 9 a.m. on Hood School Road in neighboring Rayne Township. They returned to find lower areas of town underwater — including their social hall.

“We came back to find our personal vehicles underwater as well as half of our station,” Gromley said, “and things got a lot worse from there.”

He said the firefighters were able to remove their apparatus from their truck room, which sits at a higher elevation than the social hall. But they had to leave other items behind as they departed to avoid being trapped by the high water.

“The water made it to our bay doors but luckily didn’t come in,” Gromley said. “I’ve never seen anything like it. It was rising by feet in minutes.”

At Commodore, located a short distance northeast of Clymer, 3.54 inches of rain was recorded over 24 hours, according to Mike Kennedy, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service’s Pittsburgh office.

“Light rain started around midnight, and we were well over 3 inches by 8 to 9 a.m.,” Kennedy said. “That’s a lot in a short amount of time.”

By mid-afternoon, he said, the storm was less forceful, with light rain falling again.

“It was tropical, with very efficient precipitation production,” he said.