A flash flood killed a South Carolina mother and her family. After the family washed away by the torrent of water, only a few individuals survived. The mother attempted to pull two of her children to safety as the flood threatened to sweep them all away. Her children are still absent.
Over the weekend, a flash flood occurred in Pennsylvania, sweeping away automobiles and filling houses as it overflowed into the streets. Eleven cars on General Washington Memorial Boulevard were submerged in a sea of water when the unexpected downpour struck.
There are still a couple unaccounted-for deaths, bringing the total to five. Thirty-two-year-old Katie Seley, a mother from South Carolina, was one of the people who perished in the unplanned flood. Her family was visiting relatives when the unplanned occurred.
The family has asked a representative to talk with the media on their behalf in order to provide an explanation for what transpired, but they have not spoken to the media directly. According to the spokesman, the family was headed to a barbecue while visiting relatives and friends in Pennsylvania when they were unexpectedly assaulted by a downpour of water.
Fortunately, the grandmother was able to gather her courage and drag herself out of the violent water current. She was sent to a local hospital for emergency care shortly after the terrifying event.
Soon after the flood began, search crews arrived and found Katie’s body among the debris that the flash storm had left behind. Sadly, the other two children in the family have not yet been located.
When the sudden flash flood hit, Katie, her spouse, their three children, and Katie’s mother were visiting family. When the water began to pour through the streets while the family was in their car, Jim had to move quickly. In the midst of attempts by his wife and mother-in-law to seize the other two children, he was able to save his oldest son.
The family expressed gratitude to the community for their steadfast support, stating that it has enabled them to persevere through this trying time.
Although Katie’s mother managed to escape the swiftly rising water, she and her two children perished in the flood because the mother of three was unable to reach safety in time. Soon after the tragedy, Katie’s lifeless body was found, having succumbed to the overpowering force of the deluge. Search and rescue personnel had to go through the flood’s debris.
The family went into further detail about what happened, saying that everyone was completely unprepared for the sudden appearance of water. They were very clear that they never drove onto a roadway that was flooded. Rather, the water surged past them as they were traveling, engulfing the automobile and nearly eroding them.
After Jim and his mother-in-law and his oldest son were safe, the search teams temporarily halted their operations before arriving to help them. The family gave everyone the assurance that the search teams would resume their work the following day, and the Washington Crossing United Methodist Church was to host a news conference at 3 p.m.
Images of the deluge and its aftermath demonstrated the water’s sheer power. The floodwaters had flooded several houses in the area, upended many cars, and torn limbs off of trees, severely damaging the infrastructure. Teams searching had to put their efforts on hold while they waited for the torrent to burn out.
The weather had to clear and the floodwaters had to recede before the rescue operations could start again the next day. The rescue teams mobilized multiple boats to explore Delaware and put together a team of drones to thoroughly search the area as soon as they got a clear opportunity to go out and resume their search.
The Continued Look
The two missing children, ages two and nine months, are still the subject of a “massive” ongoing search, even though Katie’s body has been found. Soon after the disaster, the surviving family members thanked everyone who helped with the rescue attempts in a statement. A representative penned:
Their relentless dedication to bringing Conrad and Mattie home is evident in their compassion, kindness, and bravery, which have given us strength during this unbearably trying time. We are appreciative that so many people impacted by these unusual floods were spared.
The family expressed gratitude to the community for their steadfast support, stating that it has enabled them to persevere through this trying time. The family requested privacy, stating that while they were in mourning, they would not be making any more announcements or responding to any inquiries.
Katie was merely one of the victims of the flood. The four additional individuals were Susan Barnhart, 53, of Titusville, New Jersey; Yuko Love, 64, of Newtown Township; and Enzo Depiero, 78, of Newtown Township. Linda Depiero, 74, also lived in Newtown Township.
The Upper Makefield Fire Chief, Time Brewer, discussed the flood and said it was unexpected because the storms dumped six to seven inches of rain in a single hour, causing unthinkable damage to nearby property.
While acknowledging that he believed Hurricane Ida to be an unanticipated natural calamity, he also acknowledged that the flood had proven to be considerably more damaging. “In my 44 years, I’ve never seen anything like it,” he said.
In addition to asking people to pray for the families concerned and respect their right to privacy as they deal with this devastating event, the Upper Makefield Township Police Department is still conducting its search.
The Sheils sent their appreciation to everyone assisting in the effort to save those swept away by the water. They stated in their letter, “We are incredibly grateful for the tremendous support this town and people nationwide have shown to these families and to all first responders. We know that your efforts have not gone unappreciated and we can’t thank you all enough for that. God be praised.
