Photo by Brian Wilken/deWit Media Group, Inc. The pictured intersection of Routes 6 and 191 was awash in flash flood waters after heavy mid-afternoon rains fell on August 11. Many cars reportedly were damaged in the lot at Wayne County Ford as floodwaters quickly rose to two feet in height. Six people were rescued from swamped vehicles but no injuries were reported. Many other streets around the borough reported flood damage. (Click for larger image)

Honesdale recovers from worst storm in 20 years

By TOM KANE

HONESDALE, PA — Some are saying that it was the worst storm in 20 years.

“This one was a lot worse than the last big storm we had on January of 1996 that did so much damage,” said Jerry Ennis, chairman of streets for the Borough of Honesdale.

“I’ve never seen anything like it and I’ve been in business on Main Street since 1983,” said Marty Ryan of Sneaker World. The water came into his door for a few feet.

“When a big truck went up Main, the wake came rushing into the store,” he said.

“It was chaos out there,” said Karen Bergold who works at Century 21 at 100 Fourth Street where Route 191, Terrace Street, Main Street and the railroad converge.

“For some reason the railroad gates came down and people were trapped in their cars from going forward,” she said.

The water rushed down the hill along Terrace Street, along the roadway of Route 191 and met the waters from Main Street that were going in the opposite direction, she said.

“It was like a whirlpool,” she said.

“One car floated right off the road with the current and hit a railroad electric box,” she said. The driver wasn’t hurt.

An elderly couple, James and Marie Austin, who live at the intersection of Carroll and Vine Streets behind St. John the Baptist Church, had the local stream rush into their house and fill their basement, spewing soil and mud over their side yard.

“I’ve never seen anything like this,” said David Austin, their son.