Isaias In PA: Child Goes Missing, Zoo Animals Rescued [Updates]

PENNSYLVANIA — Tropical Storm Isaias forged a destructive path through the region Tuesday, causing tornadoes, flooding, damage to buildings, widespread power outages, road closures and more. Sadly, a child also went missing in the height of the storm.

The storm delivered a walloping to much of the region. Here's a look at some of the impacts:

TORNADOES

The National Weather Service has confirmed there were two tornadoes in the Philadelphia suburbs Tuesday. They were two of six tornadoes in the region as a result of the tropical storm. One was in Montgomery County and the other in Bucks, where the destruction ravaged Doylestown Hospital.

The specific locations and the EF-scale rating of the tornadoes was not released by the weather service Wednesday, as investigators are continuing to look at evidence. The full investigation "will likely take several days to complete, and it is possible that additional damage from the tornadoes may be found," the weather service said in a statement.

FLOODING

Creeks and low-lying areas were inundated by the rain, which in some areas exceeded 8 inches.

Wynnewood got 8.59 inches of rain, the most recorded in the four-state region, according to data from the National Weather Service. Sellersville in Bucks County got nearly 7.5 inches of rain, as did Saint Davids in Delaware County. You can see town-by-town rainfall totals here.

The rain caused rivers and creeks to swell to levels not seen in years.

The Schuylkill River in Norristown rose to 20.55 feet in the midst of the storm, according to data from the National Weather Service. That marks the fifth highest crest of the river in recorded history, NWS data shows. Waters have not risen that high since May 2014, when they hit 20.84 feet. The all-time record is 25.10 feet in June 1972.

"Flood stage" is considered to be 13 feet. The Schuylkill was more than seven feet over that at its crest on Tuesday, within the highest NWS bracket for "major flooding," which is anything over 19 feet.

The waters swept through many riverside homes and inundated flood prone areas. It also swept away trash, lawn furniture, and even vehicles.

The Schuylkill crested at 13.28 feet at 11 p.m. Tuesday near the Philadelphia Museum of Art.

The 13.28 crest height Tuesday ties the same height recorded on Sept. 13, 1971. By 9:30 a.m. Wednesday the river's height was down to 11.41 feet, which is still a "minor" flood level.

The Perkiomen Creek flooded to its highest point in recorded history following Tropical Storm Isaias on Tuesday, according to the National Weather Service.

The creek rose 19.14 feet by around 8 p.m. Tuesday evening at an observation point at Graterford in Perkiomen Township, nearly a foot higher than the previously highest recorded crest 85 years ago. That happened on July 9, 1935, when the creek flooded to 18.26 feet, NWS data shows.

Numerous roads were shut down and creekside homes and towns were flooded in Schwenksville, Skippack, Collegeville, and elsewhere. First responders worked around the clock answering numerous water rescues, as vehicles became trapped in flooded roadways and residents were stranded in flooded homes. See photos here.

On Wednesday, hours after an autistic girl went missing in Towamencin, a child's body was reportedly found near Towamencin Creek. That area had flooded heavily the day before and the girl went missing during the storm.

The child has since been identified by authorities as the missing girl, 5-year-old Eliza Talal.

Tropical Storm Isaias hit Elmwood Zoo in Norristown particularly hard, displacing dozens of animals and destroying several exhibits and floodwaters and destructive winds whipped through the grounds.

During the height of the storm Tuesday, zoo staff had to move 31 different animals from their exhibits to temporary new homes keep them safe and dry. Animals moved included an alligator, otters, porcupines, maras, birds, and others.

No animals or staff members were injured during the storm, the zoo confirmed. See photos of flooding at the zoo here.

POWER OUTAGES

Approximately 108,000 PECO customers remain without service as of noon Wednesday.

PECO said it has brought in hundreds of contractors to help in the restoration: In addition to its employees, an additional 700 contractors will be assisting crews. It is not clear when the power will be fully restored but PECO said its crews are working around the clock.

"We are currently working to assess the damage and the extent of repairs necessary to restore service to all customers," PECO said in an evening update.

Chester and Bucks counties are the hardest hit by the outages.

Here's how many are without power by county as of 11 a.m. Wednesday:

• Bucks County = 39,000
• Chester County = 59,200
• Delaware County = 7,400
• Montgomery County = 11,200
• Philadelphia County = 2,600
• York County = 90

"Crews will work around the clock to restore all customers as quickly and safely as possible," PECO said. You can check the status of your town here.

TRAVEL IMPACTS/ROAD CLOSURES

There were hundreds of road closures throughout the Philadelphia area. Downed trees and wires caused multiple travel issues, prompted barricades and detours.

In Philadelphia, a barge got loose due to flooding and struck the Vine Street Expressway Bridge, closing a portion of I-676 in Philadelphia as well as affecting SEPTA Regional Rail service.

A portion of I-676 in Philadelphia will be closed until at least Thursday afternoon due to the incident.

Inspectors have been checking the bridge for damage. Drivers heading west on Interstate 676 are being directed off the highway at Broad Street. SEPTA briefly canceled all Regional Rail service at due to the incident. Service on the Media/Elwyn, West Trenton, Lansdale/Doylestown, and Paoli/Thorndale lines resumed shortly after.