Trout Creek In Chester County Bone Dry This Summer

TREDYFFRIN PA —Trout Creek, which typically overflows during heavy rains onto roads and sometimes houses, was bone dry over the weekend.

The smell of dead fish and rapidly drying mud was evident standing on the bridge on Gulph Road over Trout Creek.

Trash and an old throw rug could be seen among the rocks in the dry creek bed.

A year ago, Trout Creek overflowed, flooding Gateway Shopping Center and numerous homes in the area.

How could this happen?

Tom Kimes, a senior meteorologist at Accuweather, near State College had an explanation.

“It’s been an unusual two months,” Himes said. “There has been very little rainfall. For the past six to eight weeks it’s been unusually dry.”

Himes said the typical rain measured at the Philadelphia International Airport from mid June to mid August is 9 inches.

This year, he said, there was only 5 inches of rain.

Himes said that if it rains today, the creeks may fill back up.

Accuweather predicts thunderstorms this afternoon and Tuesday afternoon.

At noon on Monday, the weather was sunny, with the temperature at 75 degrees.

“The creek may fill back up in the next few days,” Himes said. “The people who work in the construction business like this dry air.”

Last summer, a total of 12 inches of rain was reported in less than two weeks in late August and early September in Tredyffrin Township.

Fred dumped 4 inches in 1.5 hours and 3.56 in one hour. Ida dumped more than 8 inches of rain.