Schuylkill River recedes after storms lead to flooding, water rescues across Philly region

Floodwaters receded Monday as communities around the Philadelphia region recovered from severe storms that dropped a deluge of precipitation on Sunday.

The National Weather Service canceled a flood warning that had been in effect Monday morning for the Schuylkill River from Philadelphia up through Pottstown.

Severe weather extended south, as a confirmed EF-1 tornado struck just before 5 p.m. Sunday in Middletown, Del., the National Weather Service office in Mount Holly reported Monday evening.

No major storms were forecast to move through the area until later this week.

In Norristown, the water level peaked at 12.8 feet, close to reaching its flood stage of 13 feet, said Dean Iovino, a weather service meteorologist.

Trash and debris was seen flowing down the Schuylkill River Monday morning due to the storms.

Flood-prone areas west and north of Philadelphia dealt with major issues Sunday afternoon, when storms ripped through the region. Areas in Berks County reported nearly 7 inches of rain in just 24 hours. King of Prussia reported 5.46 inches of rain.

There were water rescues reported in Upper Merion, Radnor Township, and Quakertown, as vehicles were trapped on flooded roads.

The Radnor Fire Company reported that within a span of 90 minutes, it responded to six water-rescue incidents with five people extricated from their vehicles. The fire company also said it responded to a tree falling into a house.

All the northbound lanes of I-476 were flooded in Conshohocken Sunday, and Philadelphia International Airport reported delays of up to two and a half hours.

The heaviest flooding was reported in Berks County. Parts of Route 61 and Route 222 were closed due to the flooding, and Reading Regional Airport reported a record 5.35 inches of rain, topping the previous mark of 5.32 inches set in 2004.

At one point, Manatawny Creek in Berks County reached nearly eight feet on Sunday, according to the National Weather Service, almost two feet higher than its flood state of six feet.

No major injuries were reported, but some residents are coping with flooded homes and damaged property.

”I’m devastated,” Bucks County resident Mike Smaglinski told NBC10 after flood water damaged his garage and basement and pool. “I got collector cars over there I’m working on. Ton of money in them. All my new parts, they’re all over there. That’s not a big deal, but I don’t know, my garage is destroyed.”

Tuesday and Wednesday were expected to be rain-free in Philadelphia, with the chance of showers and thunderstorms picking up again beginning Thursday and heading into the weekend, Iovino said.

Staff writer Robert Moran contributed to this article.