July 16, 2023
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Five people are dead and two others are missing after torrential rain caused flash flooding in Upper Makefield Township, Bucks County, according to police.
UPDATE: As of 6 a.m. Monday, one of the missing people — an adult female — was found dead, bringing the total number of deaths after Saturday's flash flooding in Bucks County to five, Upper Makefield Township Police said on Facebook.
The woman's two children, identified by police as nine-month-old Conrad Shiels and his two-year-old sister Matilda (Mattie) Sheils, remain missing.
The family is from Charleston and were visiting family and friends in the area over the weekend when their vehicles were caught in the flood, police said. The search efforts are ongoing.
UPDATE: As of 11:30 a.m. Sunday, one of the missing people was found deceased, bringing the total number of deaths after Saturday's flash flooding in Bucks County to four, Upper Makefield Township Police Department said on Facebook. Three people are still missing, including a boy who is nine months old, his two-year-old sister and an adult female.
Three people are dead and four others are missing after flood waters swept through the Bucks County area, according to police.
Torrential rain on Saturday caused flash flooding in several areas throughout Upper Makefield Township, police shared on Facebook Sunday morning. The worst flooding occurred along Rt. 532 in the area of Stonebridge Crossing Road between Aqueduct Road and Wrightstown Road.
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The heavy rain occurred around 5:30 p.m. in the Washington Crossing section of Upper Makefield Township, 6ABC reported. Upper Makefield's fire chief Tim Brewer said the area received about six-and-a-half to seven inches of rain in just 45 minutes.
"The flash flooding caught numerous motorists by surprise and many were trapped," Upper Makefield Township Police Department said in a Facebook post. "It is with great sorrow that we regretfully announce that three people who were swept away by the flood waters were found deceased. Our thoughts and prayers are with their families and friends as they go through unimaginable grief. Police and fire were able to rescue one woman who was trapped in her vehicle.
Search efforts continued on Sunday, police say. The four people still missing are a family of two adults, a two-year-old and a nine-month-old, 6ABC reported. Newtown Township police joined Upper Makefield Township police in the search and rescue operation to locate the missing people, the department shared on Facebook.
The following roads in Upper Makefield Township remained closed as of Monday morning, according to PennDOT:
• Taylorsville Road from Rt. 532 to Woodside Road
• Rt. 532 from Dolington Road to Taylorsville Road
• River Road from Woodside Road to Taylorsville Road
"If you are driving in and around the township, please be careful as there is a lot of debris on the roadways," Upper Makefield Township Police Department said on Facebook. "We also ask that you keep those families who lost loved ones in your thoughts and prayers. We appreciate your patience and we will update you throughout the day."
Police urge motorists not to attempt to drive through flooded roadways.
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