Flooding Closes Roads, Rail Lines on Main Line As More Rain Looms

Floods from heavy rain Thursday forced road and rail closures, some due to last into Friday, in Lower Merion and the surrounding area. A National Weather Service Flood Warning was in place for up to 12:30 a.m. Friday.

An NWS spotter in Wynnewood measured more than 9 inches of rain by Thursday morning's rush hour, the most recent available total in Lower Merion.

As of 7 p.m. Thursday, area roads that were closed included:

• Flooded and debris-filled River Road in Penn Valley and Gladwyne is expected to remained closed through Friday, according to Lower Merion officials.
• Bryn Mawr Avenue in Penn Valley between Woodbine and Old Gulph, where a tree was leaning on a wire
• Mill Creek Road from Conshohocken State Road to Old Gulph Road

At 11 a.m., the Schuylkill River in Philadelphia reached 12.5 feet of depth, a foot and a half above flood stage, according to the National Weather Service. In Norristown, the river exceeded flood stage by two feet at 2:30 p.m. Thursday and was expected to crest at two and a half feet over flood stage Friday morning.

The NWS forecast calls for a 50 percent chance of rain overnight and 40 percent on Friday. 

Several SEPTA Regional Rail lines, including Manayunk-Norristown, are due to resume service Friday morning. The Paoli-Thorndale and Cynwyd lines that make stops in Narberth-Bala Cynwyd Patch were both online for Thursday afternoon rush hour.