Rain, Snowmelt Raise Susquehanna River

Maryland's Hartford and Cecil counties have been under flood warnings, as record rain and snowmelt in Pennsylvania and New York send high water down the Susquehanna River. The river passed flood stage at Marietta, Pa.

The water below Exelon Power Corp.'s Conowingo Hydroelectric Station is expected to exceed 26.1 ft, or 2.6 ft higher than flood stage. Water has been rushing through the dam at 323,000 cu ft per second; the average for this time of year is 70,500 cu ft per second, and the all-time record, reached in 1972, is 1.13 million cu ft per second.

"Moderate" flooding has been forecasted, and local officials have opened 26 to 32 of the dam's flood gates. Voluntary evacuations are required from Port Deposit, and a door-to-door search and notification will be implemented.

Source: The Baltimore Sun