KINGSTON, LUZERNE COUNTY (WBRE/WYOU) — The recent cold snap has led to large chunks of ice on the Susquehanna River, causing concern about ice jams for many residents in the Wyoming Valley.
At first glance, much of the ice on the Susquehanna River is at a standstill, but officials 28/22 News spoke with say this does not mean it is an ice jam, and that's good news for people living along the river.
Ice can be seen for miles along the Susquehanna River throughout the Wyoming Valley, much of it stuck in place.
In this case, looks are deceiving because there's moving river water under this mess and that's a sign that, so far there's no immediate danger.
"We're concerned about it, but there are no ice jams on the river right now. There is ice that has stopped flowing, but currently, the water is flowing underneath thin ice which is preventing it from hitting the bottom and causing a jam," said Deputy Director of Emergency Services for Luzerne County Emergency Management Agency Dave Elmore.
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Back in 2018, the threat of danger became a reality when the Wyoming Valley experienced severe flooding as a result of an ice jam in Hunlock Creek.
"Within an hour, the gauge in Wilkes-Barre rose 10 feet high, and then it just continued on until parts of upstream started to flood," Elmore explained.
Elmore says this jam was caused by 15 days of continuously cold weather conditions we have not yet seen this winter.
"The ice was the size of vehicles, the YouTube videos are just amazing, just exactly of how thick the ice was," Elmore continued.
"If you look at the river now, especially our drone footage, it shows that it's mostly thin ice, a little bit snow-covered, and that there is water moving underneath it," Elmore continued.
Although this is a good sign, the thin ice does still pose a danger.
"Don't venture out onto the ice. You don't know what you're stepping on, it is thin ice. You step on a piece, you go underneath, you go in the water, it's going to take responders a long time to get to you," Elmore said.
28/22 News will continue to monitor the situation on the Susquehanna River and provide updates both on air and online as they become available.
