The Saucon Creek overflowed its banks along Meadows Road in Lower Saucon Township Tuesday. The flooding was the result of Tropical Storm Isaias, which dumped as much as seven inches of rain on the area earlier in the day. Tragically, at least one person has died after being swept away by floodwaters in Upper Saucon Township, Lehigh County.
The flooding that resulted from Tropical Storm Isaias has claimed the life of a 44-year-old woman, authorities announced Tuesday evening.
According to published media reports, the woman was driving when she entered high water in the 6300 block of North Main Street in Upper Saucon Township and was swept downstream.
Lehigh Valley Live reported that the woman’s name is being withheld by the Lehigh County coroner’s office pending notification of her next of kin.
It was not immediately clear if the woman was alone in her vehicle at the time of the accident.
An autopsy has been scheduled to determine the cause of the woman’s death, and the Upper Saucon Township police department is also investigating what happened, Lehigh Valley Live’s reporting indicated.
The 6300 block of North Main Street is in between Passer and Liberty roads, about a quarter of a mile north of Coopersburg borough.
A bridge carries the road across the Laurel Run in that block, which is just west and south of Rt. 309.
It was not immediately clear when the woman’s vehicle entered the water, but Channel 69 News reported that she was pronounced dead shortly before 4:30 p.m.
Both Channel 69 News and Lehigh Valley Live cited a news release from the Lehigh County Coroner in their reporting about the woman’s death.
As much as seven inches of rain fell in a matter of a few hours and caused significant flash flooding on many roads throughout the Lehigh Valley Tuesday.
Parts of Main Street (Rt. 412) in Hellertown were submerged by the flood waters, and many roads were temporarily closed by police due to flooding.
