MERCER COUNTY — Mercer County emergency officials are clearing storm drains and directing water toward a local spillway as heavy rainfall causes flooding across local roadways and near residential properties.
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Roadways including Fairground Road have been closed off due to rushing floodwaters.
The Mercer County Emergency Management Agency reported that the area has recorded as much as eight inches of rainfall this month.
Emergency management personnel are working to verify that storm drains remain unobstructed so water flows into the spillway basin rather than pooling in residential yards.
Cassidy Freeman, a specialist for the Mercer County Emergency Management Agency, said drainage infrastructure will be heavily utilized as thousands of gallons of water pour into the basin.
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“The spillway is active, and the water level is likely to reach 127 in the upcoming days due to the influx from all the tributaries,” Freeman said.
Freeman emphasized that drivers should avoid navigating through flooded roads to keep emergency crews focused on critical needs.
“Our primary goal is for everyone to remain safe,” Freeman said. “We cannot emphasize enough the importance of turning around rather than drowning, as we aim to prevent additional stress-related calls for our first responders.”
The flooding has created significant travel disruptions across the area, including along Fairground Road and Fraham Pike.
Louis Ward, a lifelong Mercer County resident, said he has never experienced flooding of this magnitude and had to navigate several detours to reach town.
“They have blocked off both ends, and the water is rushing through areas like Fairground Road,” Ward said. “If you travel down this way, you must drive through water to reach the town.”
To keep water moving toward the spillway, residents have also stepped in to clear blocked drainage points.
Ward used his wheelchair to clear an obstructed drain near his home.
“I utilized my wheelchair to reach the drain, where I removed the grate because grass was obstructing it,” Ward said.
Emergency management officials expect the county’s drainage infrastructure to be heavily utilized over the coming days as water continues pouring into the spillway basin from surrounding tributaries.
