By COLlive reporter
Lubavitchers from northeastern Pennsylvania will be away from their homes this Shabbos after a mandatory evacuation of residents living along the Susquehanna River on Thursday due to expected flooding.
Luzerne County official Frank Lasiewicki told the AP the river is projected to crest at 41 feet — the same height as the levee system protecting riverfront communities including Wilkes-Barre and Kingston, PA.
Residents were ordered to leave by 4 p.m.
Among the evacuees were 15 Lubavitch families living in Wilkes-Barre and the 36 bochurim of Bais Menachem Youth Development Program, run by Rabbi Zvi Perlman and his son Rabbi Uri Perlman.
Wilkes-Barre Mayor Tom Leighton said residents should prepare for an extended evacuation of 72 hours and advised them to take clothing, food and prescription medicine.
The evacuations come as the remnants of Tropical Storm Lee dumped heavy rain and caused havoc around the Northeast on Thursday, bringing floods that cut off major highways.
“We all left,” one Lubavitch father of a family told COLlive.com. “We were meant to evacuate at night, but they moved the time up as the water was getting high even earlier.
He said the Yeshiva has temporarily moved to a JCC camp in the nearby mountains, while families who don’t work for the Yeshiva are being hosted by Lubavitchers in Scranton.
“There is a real concern about our homes,” the father added, noting that the area was inundated in the historic Agnes flood of 1972 with waters rising to the second floor of homes.
With the Yeshiva, a cheder and the David Elliot poultry factory in the area, “we have a nice community here,” he noted.
oh,snap!!!
we need more Shmuel Kunda tapes!
Bh the evacuation was lifted. The area where Yeshiva and where Anash lived sustained NO damages! Neighborhoods very close by were washed away.
This flood was reminiscent of and surpassed the one from Shmuel Kunda’s tape (which took place in the early 70’s) but our levees have since been bolstered and thanks to Hashem they held up!!
Thanks to all the families who took us all in and hosted us during this scare.
go pinny and family
You mean There’s Zaidy. So true! Good old Susquehanna river…
To #1 would have been much better had they left earlier
Baruch Hashem all are safe! what a great community! Great families!. Hope they will all return safely!
We spent 3 hours not moving on I80 only to get turned around.
Stopped to get gas off the I81 and found pas yisroel cookies in the gas station. Go figure.
HP we’re Shabbos on the east coast.
the perlmans are doing an excellent job – their Yeshiva stands in a class of its own! Hatzlocha rabbo! May the only flood be the yam HaTorah!
but its too funny that this is just like the Where’s Zaidy tape 🙂
Maybe they can relocate to sunny southern california and join JETS. They absorbed Ottawa and can probably absorb Wilkes-Barre too. I’m sure they can find a nice position for Uri to work with Naftoli Smith and Mendy Seewald.
Amazing place for our children! Such dedicated staff and as Tzvi Freeman said after spending time this past summer, they are helping to grow real chassidim! A love of learning and hiskashrus to the Rebbe. Good place to forward your donations, as it is quite unique in Lubavitch.
I want to go to Wilkes-Barre that’s the place i want to be..
Shmuel Kunda
Molly and mendy it’s good u left