Mahanoy dive team helps evacuate Gilberton residents as stubborn floodwaters persists

GILBERTON – About a dozen people were helped from their homes by boat late Thursday as mandatory evacuations were instituted for the impacted homes.

Stubborn floodwaters persisted throughout the evening, leading to the call for evacuations.

Mahanoy City’s West End Dive Team launched their boat from Coal Street near the Continental Fire Company, evacuating residents from homes beginning in the 500 block of Main Street.

The team of rescuers helped residents out of their homes, loading them and their belongings and pets onto the boat from their porches.

All of the displaced residents are being assisted by the American Red Cross with the help of the Salvation Army.

Fire crews from as far as Schuylkill Haven and Walker Township are continued to operate alongside other northern Schuylkill area fire companies to try to pump flood waters back into the Mahanoy Creek downstream of the bridge construction project until 2:00am.

At 2am, fire crews packed up for the night and will continue pumping in the morning.

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Kaylee Lindenmuth

Kaylee Lindenmuth is a Shenandoah native with a passion for journalism and the community she calls home.

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