Hurricane Sandy: Perk Valley Information Center

Oct. 30 4:45 p.m.

Perkiomen Valley School District To Re-Open Tomorrow

Below is a Facebook post from the Perkiomen Valley School District:

"All Perkiomen Valley School District schools and offices will re-open to students and staff tomorrow, Wednesday, Oct. 31. We may experience some travel delays, but we anticipate we will be able to get all of our students to school safely."

Follow Hurricane Sandy Live with other readers through Montgomery County

View an Interactive Map to See Hurrican Sandy's Local Effects.

Previous Updates:

Oct. 30 2:28 p.m.

Updates on Road Closures

Road crews have been working nonstop to clear up debris in roadways, and people are venturing out.  Here is a list of closed state roads, per the Commonwealth of PA, as of 2:03 p.m.

Rt. 73 (Skipack Pike)

  Between Cressman and Bridge Road in Skippack Township

  Between Fagleysville Road and Perkiomenville Road in Upper Frederick Township

Ridge Road between Beltz Road and Dietz Mill Roads in Salford Township

Lederach Road between Larson Road and Schwenksville Road in Upper Salford Township

Salford Station Road between Cepp Road and Colonial Drive in Lower Frederick Township

Evansburg Road at Hidden Forest Drive in Skippack Township

Yerger Road between Neiffer road and Gerloff Road in Lower Frederick Township

Ott Road between Bauman Road and Gtavel Pike in Perkiomen Township

Oct. 30 10:19 a.m.

Ursinus to Reopen for Students at 3 p.m., Classes will Resume Tomorrow as Planned

According to an update from Ursinus President Bobby Fong, the college was "largely spared" by Hurricane Irene and students will be permitted back in residences beginning at 3 p.m. today.

Resident life is arranging for alternative living arrangements until power is restored in Clamer and 424 Main, but all other residence buildings have power currently.

Fong asks students to be cautious in their travels, given road hazards. The college is offering a shuttle service from the Norristown Transportation Center for students.

Fong is also asking instructors to be forgiving regarding absences arising from travel.

Oct. 30 9:50 a.m.

Open and Closed in the Perkiomen Valley Today

Public and Government Closures:
All Public and Parochial schools in the area are closed on Tuesday.

Montgomery County government and courts closed on Tuesday.

SEPTA service is suspended until workers can evaluate equipment on Tuesday.

Perkiomen Valley Library at Schwenksville (Tuesday AM's Infant Storytime is also closed) and the Upper Perkiomen Library are closed Tuesday.

Business Updates:
King of Prussia Mall, Montgomery and the Plymouth Meeting Mall will open at 1 p.m. on Tuesday. The Willow Grove Mall will open at Noon.

CVS in Skippack will not open until FRIDAY, as there were damages from the storm (posted by a reader).

Phamous Phils BBQ will be CLOSED for lunch on Tuesday, with plans to be OPEN for dinner Tuesday.

Kiddie Academy of Collegeville will try to OPEN at 10 a.m. - will update parents at 8 a.m.

The Pizza Stop will be OPEN at 10 a.m.

The Collegeville Halloween Store will be OPEN at Noon.

Perkiomen Valley Pet Eatery - OPEN

Woodside Lodge - OPEN.

Southwest Trading Post - OPEN

Kelly's Worldclass Auto - OPEN

Skippack Pharmacy - OPEN

Salon Pazza Bella - OPEN

Arnold's Family Fun Center - OPEN

Total Resotration Contracting - OPEN

Parker's Barber Shop in Skippack -  OPEN

Painting With A Twist in Skippack -  CLOSED

Cups'N'Cakes - CLOSED

GlaxoSmithKline in Collegeville -  CLOSED

Children's Schoolhouse of Collegeville - CLOSED

Lazer Limousine will be CLOSED, but owner Bobby White will be answering calls and e-mails.

Oct. 30 9:45 a.m.

Message from Trappe Fire Co. on Facebook - Stay Inside, Please:

"Although the worst part of the storm has passed and it looks like it is safe to head out, please stay home unless you absolutely have to go out. There are a lot of downed trees and power lines making travel difficult. Stay off the roads to allow the maintenance and utility crews to work to get electricity back to customers." - Trappe Fire Co's Facebook Page.

Oct. 30 9:28 a.m.

Traffic issues in Skippack - Vehicle Accident, Road Obstruction

According to the Montgomery County Department of Safety, there is a road obstruction at Bridge Road and Mary Ellen Drive, which was reported today at 9:16 a.m.

A vehicle accident was reported on Rt. 73 between Cressman Road and Bridge Road just after 3 a.m. State Police request barricades from PennDOT to block Skippack Pike between the two roads.

As of this morning, the road was still blocked.

Oct. 30 8:15 a.m.

County Update on Safety Issues

According to a Montgomery County Information Officer, winds are currently at between 10 and 15 MPH, indicating that the worst of the storm is over.

Residents are asked to limit travel to give crews time to clean up - calls about trees are coming in regularly, and are expected to continue to come in until damage is found.

Many roads are closed, but it's impossible to keep a firm grasp on every road, since some municipalities stopped updating the county when things got busy.

Major roads that were closed last night, including the bridges into New Jersey, are now open again.

(Reporting for this update by Kyle Bagenstose of the Plymouth Whitemarsh Patch)

Oct. 30 8:02 a.m.

Incident at Gravel Pike & Bridge Street in Perkiomen Township

According to the Department of Public Safety, Perkiomen Fire Co. has been dispatched to Gravel Pike & Bridge Road in Perkiomen Township for a "special service."

Oct. 30 7:21 a.m.

Perkiomen Creek Update: Did Not Flood as Expected at Graterford

Contrary to a food warning by the National Weather Service, the Perkiomen Creek at Graterford peaked 8.46 feet, far below the 11.3 feet expected, which would have meant a flood.

The water had been forecasted to hit flood levels by 7 a.m. Tuesday, but it is currently at 7.4 feet and the water is forecasted to keep going down through Friday at 7 a.m.

The Perkiomen Creek at East Greenville raised to 5.43 feet, which is well above the moderate flood stage of 4 feet.

The East Branch of the Perkiomen Cerek at Schwenksville just his the action flooding phase of 6.01 feet, and is back down below flooding now. at 5.3 feet.

Oct. 29 11:23 p.m.

Power Outage Update from PECO:

The number of power outages in the Perkiomen Valley increased significantly since the last PV Patch update, and those without power are likely to stay that way for the time being.

A PECO spokeswoman said PECO is not currently responding to any calls due to safety concerns.

"[We] need to wait until the winds die down until we can send our guys out in the bucket trucks," she said.  Wind conditions are expected to last for at least several more hour.

(The above update was initially reported by Kyle Bagenstose of the Plyouth Whitemarsh Patch)

Here are the updated numbers:

Collegeville Borough: 51 - 500 customers affected (increase)

Lower Frederick: 1,501 - 3,500 customers afffected

Perkiomen Township: 501 - 1,500 customers afffected (increase)

Schwenksville: Scattered Outages (increase)

Skippack Township: More than 3,500 customers affected (significant increase)

Trappe Borough: 51 - 500 customers affected (increase)

Oct. 29 10:57 p.m.

Outside Electrical Fires Reported in Perkiomen and Lower Frederick Township

The Perkiomen Fire Co. was dispatched to French & Seitz Rds. in Perkiomen Township for an Outside Electrical Fire at 10:55 p.m.

The Lower Frederick Fire Co. was dispatched to Gerloff and Yerger Rds. in Lower Frederick Township at 10:17 p.m.

Oct. 29 10:25 p.m.

Tuesday Update - What's Open and Closed in the Perkiomen Valley?

Since early closures were wide-spread today, and communication is difficult with the power outages, I am going to highlight the status of the businesses I have heard from - open OR closed.

Overall, it seems the plan for many businesses is to get back to work when roads are safe and power is back on. Calling first is suggested for any businesses listed as "open", but this is a guide.

Public and Government Closures:

All Public and Parochial schools in the area are closed on Tuesday.

Montgomery County government and courts closed on Tuesday.

SEPTA service is suspended until workers can evaluate equipment on Tuesday.

Perkiomen Valley Library at Schwenksville (Tuesday AM's Infant Storytime is also closed) and the Upper Perkiomen Library are closed Tuesday.

Business Updates:

Phamous Phils BBQ will be CLOSED for lunch on Tuesday, with plans to be OPEN for dinner Tuesday.

Kiddie Academy of Collegeville will try to OPEN at 10 a.m. - will update parents at 8 a.m.

Kelly's Worldclass Auto will be OPEN.

Parker's Barber Shop in Skippack will be OPEN.

Painting With A Twist in Skippack will be CLOSED.

GlaxoSmithKline in Collegeville will be CLOSED.

Children's Schoolhouse of Collegeville will be CLOSED.

Lazer Limousine will be CLOSED, but owner Bobby White will be answering calls and e-mails.

Oct. 29 9:40 p.m.

Power Outage Update from PECO:

Collegeville Borough: Scattered Outages

Lower Frederick: 1,501 - 3,500 customers afffected

Perkiomen Township: 51 - 500 customers afffected

Schwenksville: No outages (!!)

Skippack Township: 501 - 1,500 customers affected

Trappe Borough: Scattered outages

Oct. 29 9:32 p.m

Fire Investigation on Militia Hill in Collegeville

According to the Department of Safety, Collegeville Fire was dispatched to a fire investigation on Militia Ct. in Collegeville at 8:59 p.m.

Oct. 29 9:03 p.m.

Trappe Borough Urges Residents to Postpone Trick-or-Treating until Nov. 2 (Friday), due to Hurricane Sandy

This just in from Trappe Borough:

"Due to the effects of hurricane Sandy, Trappe Borough Council is urging all parents to refrain from allowing your children to trick or treat on October 31st. For their safety we are asking all Trappe residents to move Halloween activities until Friday, November 2nd. We feel this is in the best interests of the community at large.

Thank you for your anticipated cooperation. "

Oct. 29 8:55 p.m.

Fire Investigations in Trappe and Lower Frederick

The Trappe Fire Co. was dispatched to Ursinus Ave & E 1st Ave in Trappe for a fire investigation at 8:47 p.m.

Another fire investigation call was reported in Lower Frederick at B Ave and Fulmer Rd., dispatched at 8:52. Lower Frederick Fire Co. responded.

Oct. 29 8:32 p.m.

Fire Investigation in Collegeville

Montgomery County DPS is reporting a fire investigation at Park and Claymont Aves in Collegeville. The Collegeville Fire Co. responded to the call, which occured at 8:18 p.m.

Oct. 29 8 p.m.

More Power Outages in Schwenksville Area

Outages have been repoted in the Upper Salford/Woxall/Harlysville area near the border of Schwenksville at Hendricks Station Road and Old Skippack Pike.

Oct. 29 7:40 p.m.

Power Outages Reported in Schwenksville

Scattered outages have been reported in Schwenksville, according to PECO.

Oct. 29 7:30 p.m.

Power Outage Update - Lower Frederick and Perkiomen Township

According to PECO, Lower Frederick now has between 51 and 500 power outages reported (specifically on Game Road, according to a reader), and Perkiomen Township has scattered outages. Skippack, Schwenksville, Collegeville and Trappe have no outages reported.

Oct. 29 7:20 p.m.

Outside Electrical Fire Reported in Collegeville

An Outside Electrical Fire was reported at 10th and Center Streets in Collegeville, possibly related to the recent incident in which a tree fell across Main Street between Trappe and Collegeville.

Oct. 29 7:15 p.m.

Road Obstructions in Lower Frederick and New Hanover

Road obstructions have been reported in Lower Frederick (Men & Adelphi Rds) and New Hanover (Big & Short Rds).

Oct. 29 7:05 p.m.

Tree Down Between Collegeville and Trappe

A tree is down accross Main Street at Center Ave in Collegeville, blocking access between Collegeville and Trappe, according to Montgomery County Public Safety.

Oct. 29 6:20 p.m.

Traffic Updates

Road Obstructions in Lower Frederick, Skippack and New Hanover

Road obstructions have been reported in Lower Frederick (Fulmer Rd. & Main St.), Skippack (Evansburg & Mill Rds) and New Hanover (Henning & Finn Rds.). 

Governor Corbett Closes Many Major Roadways

Gov. Corbett reports roadways major interstates to be closed from 7 p.m. to 2 a.m. in the area.

At this time, 76, 476, 676, 95 and Route 1 are closed. No updated conditions on 422, or the Turnpike at this time.

Pennsylvania Department of Transportation has closed the Route 309 ramps to the Pennsylvania Turnpike at Fort Washington.

Oct. 29 5:55 p.m.

Perkiomen Creek Update

The National Weather Service previously issued a flood warning for Tuesday at 8 a.m., which was reported by Patch previously.  Here is an update on the current creek figures:

According to the National Weather Service, the Perkiomen Creek at Graterford is at stage 3.5, which is below the "action" stage of flooding, which begins at stage 9.

The NWS anticipates that the creek will reach 11.3 feet, which is considered a minor flood. When water levels at the Perkiomen Creek at Gratersford rise to stage 8, Park Avenue floods; at stage 9, the flash flood alarm sounds at the County EOC; at stage 10, the first evacuations begin in Schwenksville upstead of the gage; and at stage 12 Penitentiary Bridge is closed, flooding begins in Collegeville and houses on the right bank in Graterford take on water.

The United States Geological Survey states that the Perkiomen Creek at Graterford's daily discharge, in cubic feet per second, is currently at 1830 - compared to a minimum of 28, a median of 129, and a maximum of 6140.

The Perkiomen Creek at Graterford is expected to move below the action stage at 5 p.m. on Tuesday, down to stage 3 by Thursday at 5 p.m, according to NWS.

The Perkiomen Creek at East Greenville is currently just below a stage 4 at 3.69, which is just below minor flood levels. There is no forecast for this portion of the creek.

The East Branch of the Perkiomen Creek at Schwenksville is just below stage 4 at 3.94 ft. The Action stage begins at stage 6. The NWS has no forecast for this branch of the creek.

Oct. 29 3:25 p.m.:

Power Outage Update

According to PECO, scattered power outages are have occured in Skippack the other Perkiomen Valley municipalities - Trappe, Collegeville, Perkiomen, Schwenksville, Perkiomen, Lower Frederick - haven't showed any signs of lost power.

Neighboring municipalities, including Marlborough, Towamencin, Salford and Lower Salford, have had power outages throughout the day, according to PECO.

Oct. 29 3:05 p.m.:

Ursinus Students Evacuated From Residential Facilities

All Ursinus students remaining on campus were evacuated from residential facilities beginning at 2 p.m.

A message went to students that all Main Street residents of the college would be evacuated at 2 p.m., followed by vanloads of students being picked up throughout the campus at 2:30 p.m. to go to Wismer Lower Lounge.

An except from the message, found on the Ursinus website:

"What to bring:

• Water bottle and non-perishable snacks
• Bedding and bath supplies, including linens, pillow, towel, and personal toiletries.  Do not forget medications.
• Clothing, including a warm jacket.
• Personal items you will need for the duration of the storm, including cell phone and I.D.

All buildings will be inaccessible until further notice. Wismer will have emergency lighting, rest rooms, and water. College staff will be on campus for the duration of the storm, and Campus Safety Officers will make frequent patrols through the building. Limited meals will be provided."

Oct. 29 1:15 p.m.:

Ursinus Students Relocated to Wismer Hall

According to montco.alertspa.org, Ursinus Students have been relocated to Wismer Hall.

According to an Ursinus message yesterday, Wismer Hall has backup power.

Oct. 29 12:42 p.m.:

Skippack Township Declares State of Emergency, Skippack Fire Co. designated as an emergency area

From Skippack Website:
Travel should be at a minimum and cautiously.  Many roads and bridges will flood and can be dangerous.   Since many of the the roads and bridges may flood, please look to this website or KYW for more information on road closures.  If you do have an emergency, call 911.  If you seek shelter or further assistance, call the township.  The Skippack Firehouse on route 113 has been designated as an emergency center for our area.

The website has a section for road closures, no roads are listed yet.

Oct. 29 12:30 p.m.:

All PVSD Schools and Offices to Remain Closed on Tuesday

All PVSD Schools are remaining closed for Tuesday, and all after-school activities for Monday and Tuesday have been postponed.

Oct. 29 12:11 p.m.:

National Weather Service Issues Flood Warning for Perkiomen Creek at Graterford

The National Weather Service (NWS) in Mt. Holly, NJ, issued a flood warning for the Perkiomen Creek at Graterford from Tuesday morning through Tuesday afternoon.

At 11:15 a.m. on Monday, the stage was 1.5 ft and is forecasted to rise to nearly 11.2 ft by tomorrow AM.

The impact at 12.0 feet is that penitentiary Bridge will closed and flooding begins in Collegeville. The houses on right bank in Graterford will take on water.

The NWS cautions residents not to attempt to drive through flooded areas - water may be deeper than you think.

Oct. 29 10:30 a.m.:

Traffic Updates:

Traffic issues have been indicated on Bridge Road and Rt. 29, Bridge Road at Rt. 73, slow traffic over the Germantown Pike Bridge into Collegeville.

Oct. 29 10:17 a.m.:

From the Collegeville Website:

A Declaration of Disaster Emergency has been issued for Collegeville Borough effective Sunday, October 28th, 2012 - 1600 hours through Wednesday, October 31st, 2012 - 23:59 hours.

Residents need to TAKE ACTION NOW to keep themselves safe throughout the duration of this storm.

WE URGE ALL RESIDENTS TO STAY INDOORS ONCE THIS STORM IS UPON US TO ALLOW EMERGENCY WORKERS TO PERFORM THEIR DUTIES

Oct. 29 10:11 a.m.:

PECO Update:

PECO activated its emergency response organization and is ready for Hurricane Sandy - they are expecting a multi-day restoration, and believe that, depending on the severity of the storm, there is a possibility that the automated estimated resoration time messages may be suspended.

Here are PECO's suggestions to readers:

Customers should also prepare for possible storm damage:

• Keep PECO’s emergency telephone number (1-800-841-4141) handy.
• Sign up for an online account with PECO and access www.peco.com from your mobile device to report outages and check system status.
• Have a flashlight with fresh batteries on each floor of your home.
• Have a battery powered clock and radio available.

 If an outage occurs:

• Customers without power should contact the company at 1-800-841-4141.  The more customers who call to report an outage, the more effectively PECO can dispatch crews and restore service.  The company’s automated telephone system can quickly record your outage, allowing our Customer Care representatives to remain available to handle reports of dangerous situations. 
• Stay away from downed wires, damaged electric equipment, and tree limbs and branches contacting electrical equipment.  Always assume PECO’s equipment is energized – even if there is an outage in your neighborhood. Report these dangerous conditions to PECO immediately.
• Turn off and unplug appliances and other devices to prevent possible damage.  Remember to keep one light on so you know when service has been restored.
• Keep refrigerator and freezer doors closed as much as possible.  Move meats, cheese, milk, etc. into the freezer to stay colder longer.  A partially full freezer can keep food frozen for up to 24 hours, and up to 48 hours when full.
• Customers with generators should never connect them directly to home wiring or plug them into household outlets.  Generators connected to home wiring can ‘back feed’ into PECO’s electric delivery system, risking serious injury or death to PECO crews. Generators should always be placed outside to prevent carbon-monoxide poisoning.

Oct. 28 10:50 p.m.:

Perkiomen Valley Patch, along with the surrounding nine other Patch sites in Montgomery County, will cover Hurricane Sandy LIVE on our site beginning tomorrow morning until the weather clears up.

We will keep this post updated with strictly-local information, but this will give readers to see what is going on throughout the county.

A link will be up first thing tomorrow morning to start tracking the weather - keep an eye out!

Oct. 28 10:30 p.m.:

Ursinus Update

Ursinus President Bobby Fong sent a message to students to update them on the status of the college during the storm.

Included in the message was a link to a survey that assessed the number of students who planned to stay on campus through Hurricane Sandy, and provided an opportunity for those students to stay at the homes of local faculty and staff.

Most campus buildings will be locked on Monday, according to the message, but Wismer Dining Services will be open from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m. and has partial backup power, so students can go there during the day if there is a power outage.

Fong asks students not to call Campus Safety for weather information, which will be made available on the Ursinus web page. Students are asked to call Campus Safety (610-409-3333) only if in need of assistance. 

Oct. 28 9:30 p.m.:

An update on area closures, in addition to the schools below:

Public and Government Closures:

Montgomery County government and courts closed on Monday

SEPTA will suspend all service at midnight on Sunday

PHL Airport has suspended traffic for Monday

Perkiomen Valley Library at Schwenksville (Monday's Community Yoga and Tuesday AM's Infant Storytime are also closed)

Upper Perkiomen Library

Religious Closures:

Blessed Teresa of Calcutta School, Child Care, P.R.E.P. and Foundations classes are cancelled on Monday.  Parish Office will be closed also.

Business Closures:

K-9 Designs Pet Paradise will be OPEN if your pet needs somewhere to stay

Kiddie Academy of Collegeville will be closed Monday

Renaissance Academy will be closed Monday

The Urban Hound will be closed Monday

Glaxo Smith Kline will be closed Monday

Gary's World of Wellness and LuckyVitamin in Eagleville are closed Monday

MOYO's night classes will be closed Monday

DaVinci's Pub in Collegeville will be closed Monday

AmKor Karate Insistiute of Collegeville will be closed Monday

The following shopping locations will be closed on Monday:

King of Prussia Mall

Plymouth Meeting Mall

Willow Grove Mall

Montgomery Mall

Philadelphia Premium Outlets

Oct. 28 7:30 p.m.:

All area public and parochial schools, Ursinus College, Montgomery County Community College, Gwynedd Mercy College and Germantown Academy have been cancelled for Monday. Perkiomen Valley School District will make a determination on Monday morning about Tuesday's classes.

Several local entities have posted updates regarding the weather:

Perkiomen Valley School District

Ursinus College

Skippack Township

Trappe Borough

   Trappe Fire Co.

Collegeville Borough

   Collegeville Fire Co.

Earlier Report:

Water is sold out, gas is gone, emergency kits are stocked in the Perkiomen Valley - Hurricane Sandy will be upon us soon.

As residents hunker down and prepare for the storm, check back with Patch for updates from emergency and municipal officials.

If you have local storm information - such as a business that is closing, or reopening at a given time, road conditions, etc., let us know in the comments.

If you have photos of weather damage or dangers, feel free to attach it to this article under "Upload Photos and Videos" to share with PV Patch readers.

For More Reading on Hurricane Sandy:

Ursinus Students Urged to Evacuate by Sunday

Montgomery County Provides Emergency Preparedness Tips