Flooding in Pennsylvania, December 2 to 5, 1996

A strong and slow moving cold front brought heavy rains to northeast Pennsylvania from the early evening of the 1st into the early morning of the 2nd. Generally, from 1 to 3 inches of rain were observed across the region. Heavy rainfall combined with already saturated soil conditions to produce flash flooding in Bradford county. Late in the evening of the 1st, the Towanda Creek came out of its banks with several roadways in the town of Canton inundated. After midnight, the Sugar Run Creek also left its banks with several ensuing bridge and road washouts. By mid morning on the 2nd, all area creeks and streams had receded back within their banks. Main stem river flooding followed around daybreak on the 2nd in the Susquehanna basin of northeast Pennsylvania. Minor lowland flooding occurred from Towanda downstream to Wilkes-Barre. Other than a few brief evacuations of trailer parks in Wyoming county, only flood plain areas right along the river took on any substantial water. By the pre-dawn hours of the 5th, all river points had fallen below flood stage.