You might ask why I head to Pittston for high Susquehanna shots. The answer is easy. There's plenty of places to park, where you can stay out of the way. Plus, the bridges add perspective. You can see the depth of the water by looking at the bridge deck.
Below, a shot taken Monday morning.
And below, a shot from Thursday morning, when the river was on the way up. The Water Street Bridge was closed during both my visits.
And, any discussion of the Susquehanna in this part of Luzerne County has to include West Pittston, a community that got hit hard last week. Beloe, the view from east to west. As you can see, there's no flood protection.
Several years ago, the people in West Pittston tod the federal government thanks, but no thanks when it came to levee raising. A higher levee would block the view of the river. Common sense would tell you that those higher levees downstream would force higher crests in the Pittston area. Now that we've had a record flood, some people in West Pittston are having second thoughts. The story even made the New York Times. The feds say there's a chance a levee will be built here. Live and learn.
A county official says the "view" thing is an urban myth. The real story is the feds were interested in raising levees where they already existed-- not extending them to unprotected areas.
