SCHUYLKILL COUNTY, Pa. — All was calm in Pottsville on this Monday afternoon, but Schuylkill County Emergency Manager John Matz is prepared for that to change.
Rain from Tropical Storm Ida is expected to move into the area on Wednesday.
"We're sort of in that 4-6 inch range, and I think if we get that over the course of 24-36 hours, that's probably manageable. If we get 4-6 inches in 5 or 6 hours, we may end up with some problems in certain areas," said Matz.
Matz says the more prepared the public is, the less first responders have to put themselves in harm's way.
His biggest word of caution goes to drivers:
"Don't drive through flooded roadways. Unfortunately, we've had some tragic situations in the county where someone drove around a barricade and ended up dying because of getting washed off the roadway."
He also suggests people do some housekeeping ahead of the storm and take items out of their basements.
"If it's a severe storm, we may have 100 or 200 flooded basements."
Matz says the county will open up shelters if needed.
Get the latest Stormtracker 16 forecast here.
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