That was certainly the case Wednesday in Marietta, where the too-close-for-comfort Susquehanna River is expected to crest this evening at 53.8 feet. The flood stage at Marietta is 49 feet.

That daunting fact, however, certainly didn't bother the crowd gathered Wednesday at Marietta Boat Club, which has a cozy clubhouse just feet from the water's edge.

About two dozen members busied themselves by moving clubhouse essentials to higher ground, including a television, stereo, 25 picnic tables, a trailer and, most importantly, the beermeister.

Once everything was moved, club vice president Jack Bosley said the hard work was done -- unless the water rises higher than what they expected.

"So now we're just going to eat hot dogs, drink beer and watch the water come up," Bosley said, although no hot dogs were in sight.

"Last time (it flooded), we left everything in here, and it was a real mess. These used to be glass windows," Bosley said, pointing to the clubhouse's screened windows. "Ninety-percent of everything was destroyed under 6 feet of water."

Meanwhile, at just about the same time but in West Earl Township near Brownstown, a small, quick stream of clear water tumbled down a sidewalk past Joe Bunting's feet, which were snugly protected by a pair of black rubber boots.

The water never stopped and had been flowing since early morning.

The source: a patchwork of black and white tubing emanating from inside Bunting's house on State Street, running off the porch and spilling onto the sidewalk.

Bunting and his wife, Caprice Hicks Bunting, have lived about 200 yards from the Conestoga River for more than a decade. They said the river spills its banks about once a year, so pumping water out of the basement is nothing new.

"We've got it down to an art," Mr. Bunting said. "We didn't want to be an artist at this, but we have it down."

The Bunting home, like many houses and farms neighboring the Conestoga River, endured Wednesday after floodwaters peaked in the morning, but remained well below the record levels set after Hurricane Agnes in 1972.

A tour of the Conestoga River east of Lancaster city during the late afternoon showed a chocolate-colored waterway beginning to retreat to its banks after six consecutive days of rainfall.

According to the National Weather Service, the Conestoga River crested Wednesday morning at 14.7 feet. Flood stage is 11 feet.

The river crested at 27.9 feet in 1972, which remains the record.

Though the Conestoga River retreated Wednesday, it still closed several roads in Earl, West Earl and Upper Leacock townships.

Much of the grass and brush next to the river was laid flat by the flow of water and littered with debris, including broken tree branches. Many farm fields looked like swamps, and near the confluence of the Conestoga River and Cocalico Creek, the water was as wide as a lake.

There was little rest for the Buntings Tuesday night into Wednesday as the river invaded the 200-yard space between the banks and their backyard. Mrs. Bunting said they removed their things from a detached garage and parked their cars uphill from their home.

The water kept coming. By morning, 7 inches of the Conestoga stood in their basement.

"It's going to take two days to clear it out," Mrs. Bunting said.

Her husband said, "The ground is so saturated, it keeps coming in."

Down river, Myron Vaughen walked onto his front porch and gazed down at his mud-stained lawn and across Butter Road to where the river swiftly ran by.

"It's amazing how fast it goes up and how fast it goes down," Vaughen said.

The river had crept uphill and came within 40 yards of Vaughen's house by Wednesday morning, after covering Butter Road.

"We just moved the cars to the parking lot" of a club about a quarter of a mile away. "Couldn't get out otherwise."

By 5 p.m. in Marietta, scores of members had arrived at the boat club and more came and went all afternoon -- just to check out the river and check in with the boys.

The mood was decidedly jovial, and why not? The timing for a flood was just right this year, with a July 8 public fishing tournament just around the corner.

"A couple of years ago, we didn't have enough water to put boats in," said Alphonse Fischer. "This year, we'll have enough of that."

The club takes its location in stride.

Like most living within view of the Susquehanna River, club members have learned not to fret over a little or even a lot of water.

They have their own pump and hoses to wash away the vile sludge a flood leaves in its wake when the river water backs down.

Boat club member Don, who declined to give his last name, vividly recalls the scene in 1972 when Hurricane Agnes wrecked havoc on Marietta and the surrounding area.

He was at the bar at the old Eckman's Hotel, now McCleary's Public House on Marietta's Front Street.

"The water was blowing out of the sewers like fountains and we were sitting in the bar in water to the waist drinking," Don said. "The beers were floating off the tables and one of the guys looked around and said, 'You would have thought the electric would have gone off by now.'

"All of a sudden, the guys were backing away from the bar because we were waist deep in electricity. You never seen so many alcoholics put their beers down so fast."

Don said flooding is just part of the landscape for longtime residents of the area.

"Everyone learns how to absorb it," he said. "It's kind of on the freaky side, but it's just weird in this area. The water isn't so bad; it's the residual crud left on everything after the water's gone. You just squeegee it off onto the floor. It's like gunk."

At Marietta's American Legion Post No. 466, Pamela Newcomer, whose home on Donegal Place is near rising river waters, calmly enjoyed a beverage with a girlfriend.

"It is what is it is," the lifelong Marietta resident said. "There's nothing you can do about it. We're used to it.

"Well, my husband isn't used to it. He's constantly watching the Weather Channel."

Newcomer also remembered Agnes.

"When Agnes hit, everyone moved their furniture to the Presbyterian Church," she said. "They never thought the water would get that high, but it all got ruined.

I haven't seen rain like we had last night since '72, But the bottom line is the insurance companies are better now, so you've just got to stay positive." blog comments powered by Disqus