Flooding causes mass evacuations in Pennsylvania

Officials in northeastern Pennsylvania called for a mandatory evacuation of more than 100,000 residents living along the Susquehanna River on Thursday ahead of expected flooding. The river is projected to crest at 12.5 meters Thursday evening, the same height as the levee system protecting riverfront communities including Wilkes-Barre and Kingston, a Luzerne County official told the Associated Press. Wilkes-Barre Mayor Tom Leighton said residents should prepare for an extended evacuation of 72 hours. He also urged city businesses to close by noon Thursday. The evacuations come as the remnants of Tropical Storm Lee continued to drop heavy rain and cause chaos in the mid-Atlantic and northeastern United States, bringing floods that cut off major highways and causing some schools to close or open late. Flood watches and warnings were in effect from Maryland to the northeastern states, collectively called New England.