Roads washed away by flood waters in Hellam Township

Several roads in Hellam Township are closed indefinitely after flash floods that swept through the area Friday left a path of destruction.

Kreutz Creek Road was washed away in several spots north of Route 30. The creek itself, which did flow down along the east side of Kreutz Creek Road in the 300 block ripped through the road during the flooding Friday. Saturday morning, the creek was flowing down the west side of the road.

“What do you do?” said Adam Hoff, a PennDOT foreman in York County referencing the destroyed portion of road. “You can’t build a road in a day.”

Hoff and several other PennDOT workers, including a few who came from Harrisburg, were out assessing the damage, including on Kreutz Creek Road and River Drive down near Accomac Road, Saturday morning.

Glenn Rowe, manager of York County PennDOT, said he’s been with PennDOT 34 years, working in Franklin and Adams counties before coming to York County two years ago. He’s never seen damage like he saw on River Road and Kreutz Creek Road.

“The magnitude of this much damage …” Rowe said. “This is worse than Hurricane Lee.”

More: Lancaster and York counties declare disaster after flash flooding

Mike Bray, who lives on Lees Lane at Kreutz Creek Road, said his family just moved into the house recently after purchasing it in June.

“We lived in Columbia for the past 15 years,” he said. “This was our dream home.”

Just days ago, when temperatures were sweltering, Bray was sitting along the bank of the quiet creek watching his daughters, ages 6 and 9, play in the water.

On Friday, as the creek waters began rushing over its bank, Bray loaded his family into his truck to try and get to safety. But the water started rising faster and faster. Part of his driveway washed out, and he knew they wouldn’t be able to get out. So they retreated to the house, the front porch of which is a few feet off the ground.

“It was absolutely terrifying,” Bray said. “We were all frightened. It was the craziest thing I’ve ever seen in my life. The emotions were intense.”

Saturday morning, he looked around his property.

The garden was washed away; his motorcycle was stuck under his work trailer; his barn was badly damaged from the floodwaters; his basement was flooded; a large chunk of his driveway was washed away, exposing a gas line; the bank of the creek had eroded so much thatt the creek was several yards wider than it had been before the flooding; his one daughter’s bicycle was carried down near the on ramp to Route 30; and there was mud and sand everywhere.

Bray said it’s going to take a lot of effort to get things cleaned up.

His fiancee, a disabled Marine veteran, was able to get a VA loan for the house, and had to get flood insurance with the loan. He initially thought the flood insurance seemed expensive, given the creek was so tiny. Saturday, he was grateful for it.

The property won’t be cleaned up in time for them to have their wedding there in two weeks like they planned, but Bray tried to take it all in stride.

“What are you gonna do,” he said, shrugging his shoulders. “Mother Nature’s a force you do not want to mess with.”

And, thankfully, his family is all safe.

Bray said he planned to take down some wiring fencing so he can get his vehicles in and out of the property, since his driveway is washed out.

Many other driveways north of Bray’s home were also washed away, leaving residents unable to drive into or out of their property for the time being.

Hoff, the PennDOT foreman, said he had heard one resident of Kreutz Creek Road, an older woman, had to be rescued from her home Friday. Otherwise, he had not heard of any injuries as a result of the flooding.

But residents are going to need to be patient because it’s going to be a long time before their road is back in working order.

“We’ve gotta come up with a plan and see what we can do,” Hoff said.

Rowe, the PennDOT manager for York County, agreed, and said the work the PennDOT crews were doing Saturday centered around assessing the damage so that a plan could be put into action.

Gov. Tom Wolf’s office sent out a news release shortly after 1 p.m. Saturday, acknowledging the “significant flash flooding that impacted roads, bridges, homes and critical infrastructure,” on Friday.

Wolf, in the news release, said “PEMA will work with local municipalities to develop damage assessments and address unmet needs.”

The effort to rebuild roads in Hellam Township that are washed out and get things back to normal will require cooperation between PennDOT, York County, Hellam Township, the gas and water companies and likely the Department of Environmental Protection, the Hoff and Rowe said.

“This is just the beginning,” Rowe said.

Rowe’s best estimate for when the washed away roads would be rebuilt and able to bear traffic again? “We have no idea,” he said. “It’s gonna take a little bit.”