WASHINGTON CROSSING, Pa. — Five people died and two children remain missing after flash flooding Saturday night in Makefield Township.
Coroner identifies four others killed in flash flood
Update 5:27 p.m. EDT July 17: Bucks County Coroner Meredith Buck identified the four others killed in flash flooding over the weekend as Enzo Depiero, 78; Susan Barnhart, 53; Yuko Love, 64; and Linda Depiero, 74, according to KYW-TV.
“We extend our deepest condolences to the victim’s families and friends during this extremely difficult time,” Buck said, according to the news outlet. “It is a sad time for these families, this community and all of Bucks County.”
- Jessica Goodman, Cox Media Group National Content Desk
Police identify mother killed in flash flood, missing children
Update 2:45 p.m. EDT July 17: Police on Monday identified a woman who died Saturday in a flash flood that left two of her children missing.
The woman, 32-year-old Katie Seley, was visiting the area from South Carolina with her family when they were caught in the flooding. Seley’s fiancé, Jim Sheils, was able to get the couple’s 4-year-old child to safety.
Their children Matilda “Mattie” Shiels, 2, and Conrad Shiels, 9 months, remain missing Monday.
Authorities shared photos of the family along with their thanks for the prayers and support they have been getting.
— Theresa Seiger, Cox Media Group National Content Desk
Search for 2 missing children continues
Update 10:35 a.m. EDT July 17: Police are using teams in boats, drones, divers and sonar technology in the search for two children who vanished Monday during flash floods in Pennsylvania.
Authorities said in a statement posted on social media that they have tripled the assets deployed to find the children “due to more favorable weather conditions.”
“Every effort will be made to bring these beautiful children home to their families,” police said.
Earlier, officials said the children were visiting with their family from Charleston, South Carolina. They were headed for a barbeque when they were caught in a flash flood. Their dad was able to get himself and their 4-year-old sibling to safety, but they were caught in the water with their mother and grandmother.
Authorities said their grandmother survived but their mother did not.
— Theresa Seiger, Cox Media Group National Content Desk
5 dead, 2 missing after flooding
Update 5:16 p.m. EDT July 16: Upper Makefield Township Police Department said in a news release that seven people were missing in the flood waters and five of them were recovered deceased.
“With these 5 deaths, this is a mass casualty incident the likes of which we have not seen before,” police said. “This has been unbelievably devastating to all the families involved, all of our first responders, and to our community as a whole. We are all in grieving over the loss of life we have seen. However, our commitment to finding the two children who are still missing is unwavering as we will do all that we can to bring them home to their loved ones.”
A father and his 4-year-old son were able to get out of the car safely after it was stuck in the flash flood on Route 532. The mother and grandmother were working on getting two children out of the car when they were all swept away by the flood waters, police said. The grandmother survived but the mother was found dead. The family was visiting from Charleston, South Carolina for an event.
Police said that two children — a 9-month-old and a 2-year-old — are still missing.
“The search efforts will continue throughout the evening and we will advise you of any updates. We would like to thank all the agencies who have been assisting us throughout this terrible ordeal as they have been steadfast in their commitment to finding all who were lost. We will be providing a full list of all the agencies in the future. We ask once again that you keep all those affected by this tragedy in your thoughts and prayers. And we ask that you hug your loved ones a little tighter this evening,” police said.
Police said the identities of the deceased were not released as the Bucks County Coroner’s Office worked on identification.
Original story: On Facebook, Upper Makefield Township Police Department said Sunday morning that the township was been hit with a “torrential rainstorm” that led to flooding in multiple areas. They said that the worse area was along Route 532 near Stonebridge Crossing Road.
Flash flooding trapped multiple people on the roads, police say.
Police confirmed that three people were found dead after they were swept away by flood waters.
Of the four reported missing, one person was found dead, police say. Their identity was not released pending next of kin notification. Rescue crews were still looking for a woman, a 9-month-old baby boy, and his 2-year-old sister.
“We truly appreciate the outpouring of support and concern for the families of this tragedy, our emergency personnel, and our community as a whole. We cannot fathom the grief these families are experiencing and we will do everything we can to assist them during this extremely difficult time,” police said.
Makefield Township Fire Chief Tim Brewer said that the area got around seven inches of rain in 45 minutes, according to The Associated Press.
“In my 44 years, I’ve never seen anything like it,” Brewer said, according to the AP. “When the water came up, it came up very swiftly. We do not think that anybody drove into it, that they were actively on that road when it happened.”
Around 11 cars were on the road during the rain and three cars were swept away, Brewer said, according to the AP.
